The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-12-31

I'LL.
the change to a pay department.; he onl!
wanted to make the present department Al
efficient as possible.
After the reading Of the first section OF The
bill, Alderman 0'Neill asked If the approprla
tlon OF thirty thousand dollars per annum pro
vided for therein was meant to include The
amount to be expended in repairing old en-
| gine.houses and erecting new ones, and If 30
how much would the bill save to the city.
Alderman sweegan announced that 1t was
intended that tie appropriation should covel
everything, and that the annual saving to the
city would be one thousand four hundred dol
lars.
Alderman voigt could not see any economy
in the bill.
The six first sections passed without altera
tion.
Alderman Sweegan offered the following
amendment to the seventh section, which was
adopted:
SEC. Z. That In the event of a vessel or yes.
~
vessels taking fire in the stream after having
hauled out from the wharf or wharVes, the
chief or acting chief may be empowered 10
negotiate for the services of the fire depart
ment In extinguishing such fires, and all euch
sums 30 obtained shall be appropriated 10
such manner as may be determined on by the
board of tiremasters.
Alderman Garrett next called up for Its
second reading the bill to admit the Comet
Star Steam Fire Engine Company into the
Steam Fire Department
Alderman Sweegan wanted to know II the
admission of that company had not been re-
ferre6 to the board of fremasters.
Such seemed to be the general understand
ing. Alderman Gage had no objection to ad'
mlttIng the Comet Star Company If 1t could
introduce one hundred effective men into the
department on its roll. Alderman O'Neill
thought it would be better 10 defer present
action on the subject.
Alderman Gage said that the city was Low
about to spend four thousand dollars for the
company in providing 1t with new house,
and that 1t would, therefore, be absurd not to
admit 1t.
Alderman Garrett thought that the objec.
tIon lay on the ground of color. Council had
repealed the ordinance which limited the
Steam Fire Department for the sake of ad-
mitting two white companies; surely 1t could
do the same thing again for the Comet Star,
which was well known to be one Of the most
efficient steam companies In the city.
Aldermen Vuigt was sorry that the question
of color had been brought up. There was no
necessity for 1t. The company was already
part OF the Fire Department.; what 1t now
wanted was admission into the Steam Fire
Department.. If the company was 30 efficient.
let it comply with the rules and regulations
laid down for the admission of steamers. Let
1t prove to the board of firemasters that lt is
aa efficient steam company, and he bad no
doubt the board would admit 1t, and then
Council could not object.
{. Alderman Brown knew the company -
an efficient one. When the canvass for Lne
last municipal election began, the colored
people had been promised equal representa-
tion. The colored people had heretofore
asked for very little. The admission of this
company was the most important thing they
had asked for, and he thought 1t should be
granted.
Alderman vo!gt sasu NO dangaE Of tho nona--
psny not being admitted. The matter was re-
terred to the board of fremasters, which
contained greater proportion of colored men
than the Council did. The colored men were
likely to take care Of their interests. Coun-
ell had done great deal for this compsny,sn
erecting a new house for 1t, at an expense Of
four thousand dollars.
Alderman Sweegan said that the two white
companies had been virtually admitted by
the Pllsbury administration. He de6ed the
colored people TO show anything more that
that administration had done for them than
had been done by the present one.
Alderman Bowen sald that the question of
color did not enter his mind, but that simply
on the ground of preventing the steam de-
partment from growing any larger than at
present, he would move that the considera-
ton of the bill to admit the Comet Star be in
definitely postponed. The motion was
adopted.
The license bill was next brought up.
Alderman Pslzsr explained that the bill had
been drafted with view to relieve the bur-
den on real estate, by making an equitable
distribution of the taxes.
Alderman Volgt thought that action should
be deferred until further opinion could be
obtained from the city recorder. he had seen
in the hands OF D. T. Corbin, Esq, a written
opinion Of the recorder previously given, that
the city had not the right to pass a license
law. A petition, alleged to have been signed
by number OF citizens, had been presented
to Council earlier In the evening which cast
reflections upon him as an opponent OF the
bill. The petition read that the bill was
opposed by certain persons from inter-
ested motives of an unworthy nature. This
petition, he said, had been drawn up by
public officer, who had induced the street
laborers to sign 1t, aud yet it was alleged to
have been signed by property-holders. His
opposition to the bill was Induced by the de-
sire to help the enterprlslng citizens
of the community. A draymsn owning
one mule and dray, worth 500, was
compelled by the bill to pay fifteen