The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-08-07
ROW IN THE WIGWAM.
STORMY MEETING OF THE CITI
COUNCIL.


COUNCIL.
The Appointments or a City Auditor Re-
considored-The Comet Star Engine
Company Seeking Admission to the
Steam Department - miscellaneous
Business.
A regular meeting of the City Council was
held at five o'clock, yesterday afternoon.
Present: Mayor Wagner and Aldermen
O'Nell, ,voigt, Gage, Garrett, Kenny, Michaels,
sweegau, Johnston, Glover, Brown and Sig
wald. iG
The minutes of the last meeting being read,
Alderman volgt objected to the confirmation
of that portion. of the proceedings of that
meeting which related 10 the appointment of
q city auditor at a salary Of fifteen hundred
dollars per annum. The minutes, however,
were confirmed, and the subject of the pro
posed office OF city auditor was brought up by
the introduction by Mr.. VoIgt of the following
resolution:
Whereas, all city offices have been created
by ordinances, and those ordinances have
always designated and defined the duties
of such office; and whereas, Council at the
last regular meeting created the office of city
auditor by resolution, whose duties shall be to
''audlt all accounts" and do. ''such other du.
ties as the Mayor may assign him." thereby In
Its vagueness not designating and defining
the duties of that office 80 created, and
placing too vast power In the hands Of the
Mayor and the said auditor, and actually su-
persedIng the committee on accounts OF City
Council which Is established by laws and rules,
and similar committees of other city boards,
who are In fact the auditing committee of those
bodies; therefore be It
Resolued, That City Council, for reasons
above named, hereby abollshes the office OF
city auditor, created by resolution on The 23d
OF July, 1872.
Alderman Sweegan seconded the resolution
He said he had, at the former meeting, been
Ia favor of the proposed Office, bat he found
that doubts had arisen as to the necessity OF a
city auditor and as to the duties of that office,
and he could not then see the desirablllty
oft. ~ J.a .a'
Alderman O'Neill said that he had sustained
the resolution authorizing the appointment OF
city auditor, because he had considered 1t
necessity forced upon them because of the
absence from the city Of all the members of
the Council committee. on accounta, except
the Mayor, and the imposslblllty OF his per-
forming all the duties for want of time. He
supposed the power proposed to be conferred
upon the Mayor would not be abused, but he
would have no objection to have his appoint
ment of the city auditor approved by the
Council.
Alderman yolgt said that The city offices
ought to be created by ordinance, and the du-
ties of their incumbents clearly defined by or
dInanccs. He had ioand that the citizens were
opposed 10 the creation of such an office, on
the score of economy; and he was opposed to
1t both on that account and because Il was pro-
posed to abridge the rights OF certain alder
men. If there was to be new officer to audit
all accounts, there would then be no need oi
their cbmmiltee on accounts. BE objected
also to the payment OF $500 per annum for the
auditing of accounts, and believed 1t could all
be done for two hundred dollars year. II
was strange that Charleston had got along, as
city, for nearly one hundred years, and had
never, until just then, discovered The necessi-
ty of city auditor. The gentleman (Alder.
man O'Neill) had said that some OF the alder
men on the committee Of accounts were ab-
sent from the city, but that was all the more
reason why their powers should not be
taken from them, because 1t would
be riding over them in their absence.
It would be far better to I'LL the vacancies upon
that committee from the remaining members
of the Council until their return. The citizens
who had elected the City Council had had
confidence In their abilities 10 fulfil the duties
of their positions, and lr was not necessary to
90 outside OF the Council TO get the duties OF
the absent members attended to. In regard
to the Almshouse board and Orphanhouse
board, he asked II 1t were intended TO Include
the auditing OF their accounts among the du-
ties of the new auditor. If 30, he thought
that was wrong. The Council in electlng
those gentlemen had shown that they had
confidence in them, and If an officer were to
be elected to supervise their accounts 1t would
be reflection on them which they would feel
hard about, just as he felt hard about the pro-
position 10 supersede the powers Of the alder
men.
Alderman Sweegan asked, for information,
| If the Mayor could not at any time make ap-
polntments to fill vacancies in the standing
committees, and the Mayor replied that he
had that power.
Alderman Sweegan said he would certainly
not have voted for the appointment of city
auditor II lie had known the supposed neces.
sIty arose from the absence from the city oi
two members of the committee. Those va
cancies could be filled from the Council Itself,
and to 90 outside would be as much as to
say that the remaining members of the Conn'
ell we're unable to audit accounts.
Alderman Gage remarked that Legislative
bodies were very apt to create offices, bu
much less In the habit OF abolishing them. II
temporary auditor was to be appointed the
time for the continuance of the Office should
be specified In the resolution.
Alderman Volgt said that he had that even
Ing gone, In his official capacity, 10 Mr.. Sim,
ops. the clerk of the Council, and asked him
how much additional compensation he would
REQUIRE to audit the city accounts, and he had
replied that he would do 1t for 500 or little
more. Alderman O'Neill had said that by the
appointment OF an auditor Thousands OF dol
lars would be saved; but be. could not possibly
see how. He could, however, see how sl5OC