Wilmington daily gazette., 1873-04-26
For the Gazette
Action Of Council.

Our City Council on the evening of Thursday
the 18th INST, made the unprecedented appropri-
alton OF money for the alleged services Of lobbying
before our State Legislature.
Let us look at the facts in this case. The Teso
luton was introduced and suddenly passed at
one meeting Of Council, against the combined OPP
position and votes OF nearly all the Democratic
members, to pay the large sum Of $770-to Mr..
George y. Massey, Of Dover, for inte feriRg with
| legislation, simply this and nothing more. Coun-
| ell had not authorized the employment Of any one
for this purpose in fact no resolution to that Sf-
| feet had been previously introduced in that body
But Mr. Pickles, q member of Council, and per-
haps other members assumed the responsibility Of
| engaging in this er pdrte and nefaviOus proceed
ing; and then, by the aid of his Iarty friends,
munorating these questiOnal l. ldi ga services
which by the way are still unknown. Such an
unlawful attempt to interfere, We have said,
with legislation, q new thing in the history OF
this county, certainly IN this State at least
What would be thought II the Legislature at Do
yer had sent its agents to Washington and paid
them for lobbying certain measures before Con-
gress affecting the States INTEREST," What would
bs thought had certain of our citizens or corpora
tIons paId lobbyists engaged IN securing the PAS
sage OF n city ordinance The same principle Is
alike applicable TO each. But even more, what
would the Republican members OF Council have
thought had these very services alleged to have
been rendered our city, been Fertormed at the re-
quest Of Democratic member or members We
canno. but thInk that any appropriation at all
What were these va'usble services which have
so benefited our atty and which are shrouded in
inextricable mysteryP Mr.. Massey did not ope'iN
jy and publicly represent the interests OF WI
nIngton before the Legislature. He did not as 1t
appTears present himself before either branch of
the Assembly claiming to be heard in her well
fare. If then they were performed at all, they
were done secretly, coveTtly, by butt0D-hohug
members, by lobbying, species OF ehecting
legislation which is at once dishonest and cor
rupting.
Had the interests of the city demanded repre-
sentation at Dover the honorable course would
have been, for OOGucil by resolution approIIiite-
ly introduced aud passed, tc elpploy and send
there the City Solicitor "a gentleman in every
way fitted for the position, and who by his res.-
dencs here understands the wants of the city bet
ter than eau any one living elsewhere. This
would have given publicity to transaction in It's
inception and execution proper enough. But no,
the aid Of the Third House" wac unauthoriEedly
called in, and secret and unlaWfw means Fssorted
to.
Mr. Massey claims for his professional ser
vices" ia lobbyist we mention IN passing need not
be a lawyer oRly 500, leaving balance Of &675
10 be divided among flour other gentlemen
whose names he does" not mention. Who are
these 'othsr gentlemen" who obtained the eaIs Of
Legislators, or what guarantee have we that some
or all OF them do not represent bTibed members OF
the Legislature, which at present we are averse to
believe?
III lue ilgDI OF tneee lfdublCtlOIei NbuuClllhah
Fnegan introduced last Thursday evening
very timely and sensible resolution, TO the efeet-
that the CiNy Solicitor Zone of the Republicans
own men and choice " be requested to communi-
cate his opinion in writing, to this Council,
whether the aforesaid agreement and contract TO
pay the said, Or any sum Of money to any person
Tor the purpose of influencing legislative action
was uthOriEed by the city charter, and is such
contract as could be sustained by the courts of
aw in this State" and also " whether any mem
Der, or members of this council have the power
10 bind the city in any such contract with or with
Out The approval and consent of this council first
duly had aud obtained"
This reasonable resolution was lost and after |
wards indefinitely postponed, and thus the right |
Df Democratic menbcrs end the citizens to hear |
l legal opinion upon this extremely delicate |
question was ignOminiously deaed. For what |
'eason! Because we answer, those voting "nay" 1
inew their action illegal, was not above |
board, aud would not stand the legal test of valid
ty, aud 30 they refuse 10 trust even their own |
nan with the opportunity of thus deciding it.
But we say TO the Democratic members In |
Council. keep at it, don't let up; wish to press
he MatteT home, aud if the taxpayers OF this |
,ity fail 10 obtain this illegally abslracted appor
1raton back from the doners into our Treasury, |
We will know the reason and rsmember il here
lfter at The polls TAX PAYER.