The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-01-29

ItTI LIuPCA AAN ~ So
COuncil..No More Credit MObllIer'
There was q little discussion In the
Flint Branch, Of Council last evening
over the propriety Tor impropriety) Of
members Of council becoming parties to
civ contracts let by council. Somebody
Imuggled a resolution on to the Mayors
table prohibiting the members of the
Committee on Streets and Alleys from be-
iur lnterested directly or indirectly in
contracts. This resolution I'm disregard
Of parliamentary ussge) was laid before
council for action. 1t was opposed by
ssveral members on the ground that the
prohibition ought to apply to all the
committees Others claimed that 1t
ought to apply to all the members, and
finally Mr.. STONE assumed tho propri.
etorship Of the resolution and moved to
make 1t apply to all the members of
council. He was cnergetically supported
ln this position by Mr.. PANNEIn who
said be had examined the ordinan-
ces Of fifteen or twenty other
cities lu which members OF coun.
eli arc forbidden 10 have anything
to do with city contracts. Mr.. BoR1Na
onnosed the amendment. He thought a
member Of council had as much right 10
q contract under the city as any outsider,
and Il was taking advantage Of council
men to cut them of by prohibition OF
this kind. MIR. PANNELI, on tho other
hand, thought II man wanted to be-
come contractor under the council he
had no business TO be a member, and if o
member, he was at liberty to resign.
4r. sToNE's proposition to extend the
prohibition to all tho members was lost
BY tie vote, and the original resolution
was referred to the Committee on ordi.
nAnces, With instructions to report an Or
dinAuee on the subject
We trust the Committee will make
theIr ordinance strong and sweeping, 80
OS 10 embrace oil the members Of council.
There 10 q glaring impropristy In mem.
ber OF any legislative body having u di.
rect muuIed interest in contracts, or any
thing else, upon which he Is called to
vote as member. he has no right to
act In such capacity on any subject in
which he has anything at stake beyond
tho interests OF a citizen common to all
CItiIsnL The Constitution oI tho State
provides that mo member Of the Legis-
IAture shall be Interested, directly or iudi.
recty, Ia any contract with the State, or
any county thereof, authorised by any
law passed during the term for which he
shall have been elected" That Is the
Idea that ought to be applied as an in
flexible rule TO council. Contracts are
awarded by direct vote Of council, and
the reasons are still more imper-
alive than In tho case Of the
Legislature why cOuncilmen should
= absolutely forbidden to have any
Interest in such contracts. A differ
atpraetIce has long prevailed in Coun-
ell, and nobody SupposeS 1t has operated
10 the benefit Of the clty-members Of
committees receiving bids, as stated last
evening by ono member, using iniorma-
ton obtained In that capacity to enable
them to underbld competitors who did
not enjoy such advantages, and as COM
uitteemeu auditing and recommending
payment Of their own bills as contractors.
There Is too much Of tho Credit Mobilier
snthAtstyls Of tranSacting the clty's busi-
osiG There ought to be no more Of 1t.
This iI the beginning Of new Council,
md good time to turn new leaf in
reference to all such abuses.