Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-02-09
ESTABLISHED 1910.


THE CITY FINANCES AGAIN.
The recent bold acts of the Mayor in
assuming the exercise of functions not
conferred upon his Office by the charter
Of the city, and the manner in which
those functions have been exercised SO
as to allow /" a ringn to trade upon
knowledge gained by them Of an in
tended act by which the market value
Of coupons has been largely increased, is
denounced by citizens, who are aware Of
the circumstances, as vicious and wrong.
To persons not accustomed to financial
matters, it viii appear difficult to believe
that the first officer of the city could
brave laws ne has sworn to support, and
stf!l more difficult VIII it appear that
a General Council of thirty elected
citizens would for months look ON in
silence and submit in spauiel-like docil-
ity 10 the continued wrong. Strange as
il may seem, it is nevertheless true, but
the secret Of the immunity that has
hitherto attended the wrong, lies in the
fact that the city charter and ordinances
have been habitually neglected or
broken: in small matters at first, these
erroneous practices were afterward grad
ually increased in number and extent
until they assumed the formidable pro-
portions with which we are acquainted
to-day. The first thing done was to
keep the citizens and the Council in ig-
norance Of the financial condition Of the
city. That they have been kept in that
Ignorance any member of the City Coun-
ell Of q years experience can tell. This
was accomplished by failing TO comply
with portions Of the city charter and
ordinances, which exact openness and
publicity where we have had conceal
ment and mystery. The twenty-frst
section Of the city charter says the Mayor
"shaI, at least once in every three
months, cause to be laid before the Gen
eral Council a statement of the financial
condition Of the city, which statement
shall be pubIished.n Section seventy Of
the city charter says the City Treasurer
shall, sat every meeting of the City
Council, report to both Boards the con-
dition of the city finances as shown by
his books" Section three, on page two
hundred and forty-fnur of the city ordi-
nances, requires the City Comptroller
"to investigate, at least once a month,
the books and accounts Of all therevenue
officers Of the city, and report upon the
condition Of the same TO the City Coun-
Gil On page two hundred and forty
eight, section three Of the ordinances, it
Is directed that the City Register
"shal make out monthly a sheet of the
balances on his ledger, and shall return
the same to the Comptroller" Page
%. section !, makes it the duty of the
City Treasurer TO "keep an accurate ac-
count OF all the disbursements of the
city, and exhibit to the Board, eyery
month, and ofteHer If required, full
and detailed account of all such receipts
aud disbursements, and show the gen.
eral condition Of the treasury" These
are few Of many similar requirements
found in the charter and ordinances Of
the city. If only those We have emu
merated were faithfully and regularly
discharged, the City Council, and the
citizens who read the newspapers,
would be flooded with light upon the
subject Of what is done with the money
they pay, as the Legislature of the
State in its provisions intended they
should be. Instead Of this light there
is only gloom and Justification, so that
intelligent members of the City Coun-
ell, after months of faithful attendance
at their seats, complain that they know |
nothing Of the real financial condition
fthe city. Ifit is said that the Mayor |
has published statements, we ask |
whether a document recently issued by |
him is such full and detailed account |
Of all receipts and disbursements as is
required to show the general condition
Of the cityis finances? If it be asked
how far the Mayor is responsible for the
hiding up Of the city's financial bust |
ness, which is 50 shameful a part of the /
maladministrstion which is now excit- |
ing attention, the eighteenth section Of
the city charter answers the question,
where it says OF the duties of the
Mayor" "He shall have a general |
supervision of all the officers of the city, |
and see that the ordinances are en-
forced, and the provisions of this char
ter" But there has not only been 1
omission to inform the Council and the |
citizens as to the financial condition
Of the city, but the effort to keep city
matters hidden and muffied up has ex-
tended 50 far as to keep the city ordi-
nances themselves, to a great degree,
out Of ordinary reach. The sixty-eighth |
section Of the city charter provides:
q There shall be a digest Of the ordi-
nanees OF the city, which are Of a gem
eral character, published every three
years" The last publication of the book /
Of ordinances was made in IS67-it is |
now 1873, nearly time for a second publi-
cation, since that book appeared, but the |
look OF ordinances that should have
been printed in 1870 has not vet been 1
published. With the explanation here /
given, the most unsophisiicated can see
how, by keeping the City Council and |
citizens ignorant of the condition OF the |
city finances, and ignorant Of five years
of city legislation, the Mayor ahas |
Played such tricks before high heaven y
as are at this moment bringing down /
upon him the just condemnation of his |
feilow-citiZens, who can pardon him /
the less, because they have trusted him /
50 much. It Is unnecessary to add the |
words That would characterize, as il de- /
serves, what is SO apparent in the refer I
ence TO the law and the facts that we /
have made ia these lines-the simple, 1
direct exposition OF the case we have
here made, speaks more eloquently than |
anything the pen can add 10 tie subject. |
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MEMORANDA FOE THE LEGEsLA-
TURE.
Inevery well-Tegulated cOunting-roOm