The Portland daily press., 1874-03-17
Reported for the Press.l -
BIDDEFORD CITY GOVERNMENT.
A Stormy Inauguration.
The Council Breaks up in Confusion.

A Stormy Inauguration.
The Council Breaks up in Confusion.
At nine o'clock yesterday morning, the oio
Board Of Common Council met to transact all
unfinished business of the year. This having
been attended to, at nine and a half o'clock the
BOARD adiourned sine de- 1t was well known |
that the session of the new Board was not to be |
of a harmonious nature. owing TO little un-
nleasantness, by which there were Democratic
and Republican claimants of seats from Ward
Three. In this Ward on the day of election
three Democratic Ccuncilmen were declared
elected by two majority over their Republican
competitors, but recount being afterwards
made, before certificates of election had been
delivered to the Democratic candidates, it was
discovered that votes had been cast and count
ed, which were for persons not residents of the
Ward and not eligible to Office and and the dis
cOvery Of this error gave two Republican Can
didates an election by ore majority and a tie on
the third Councilman, who by the city charter
holds over until another is elected and qualified
These facts had tendency to draw much
larger crowd than usually attend the Inaugural
ton ceremonies. Long before the Board was
called to order the crowd in and about the Conn-
Gil rooms was simply immense, every standing
place was taken and the settees were crowded
to their utmost capacity.
At nine and half O clock the Clerk called
the new Council to order and proceeded to call
| the roll of the members elect, calling the Re-
| publican members from Ward Three. The
| clerk announced the next business in order to
| be choice of temporary chairman, to be bal
loted for The members came forward and de-
posted their ballots as the Clerk called the roll
l and as he paid no attention to the Democratic
claimants from Ward Three, although they
were prepared to vote, they were barred from
| SO doing. Richmond A. IngersOll was elected
temporary chairman by party vote. COM
mittee on credentials reported nine Democratic
members duly elected, and eleven Republicans,
with one vacancy. The report was accepted.
Then the Board adjourned to meet the Board Of
Aldermen in Joint Convention, hear the May
ors address, and take the oath of Office.
AN EXTRAORDINARY PROCEEDING,
Mayor Warren proceeded to administer the
oath to the Councilmen and the three Demo
Gratis who had not been recognized by the Coun'
Gil were sworn in by the Mayor, while the Re-
publicans who had been elected, and their Gre
dentials accepted by the Common Council,
| were left out in the cold. This extraordinary
proceeding was witnessed by the Republicans
who were not to be euchered in this way, for
| as soon as the Convention was dissolved JUS
tice of the Peace administered the oath of Of
fee to the two Republican members from Ward
8, while the old member from Ward IA Re.
publican) held over, owing to a vacancy The
next thing in order was a selection of perma-
F nent chairman, and the chairman announced
he would be voted for by ballot, the clerk call
ing the roll.
--D SIGNAL FOR A DISTURBANCE.
This was the signal for disturbance; every
body was expecting it. and the rough-scuff who
had early sought seats were eager for row
When the Clerk called the Republican names
from Ward B. and those gentlemen stepped
forward to vote. the rumpus began. The Dem
ocrats leaped over their seats and claimed the
right to vote. The Chairman called them to
order repeatedly, but they persisted in right
to vote, and made grab for the box, which was
stoutly resisted by the Chairman. Loud threats
were made. and the crowd of sympathizers
were loud in their denunciation of the Chair
man, and yelled and cheered for their Demo
cratic friends. In the midst of the utmost
confusion and disorder, Mayor Warren appear
ed an in a loud voice demanded of the Repub
liean candidates on what authority they par
ticipated in the meeting as he had not
sworn them. He called them by name, and in
an excited manner demanded their removal BY
{ the police.
, THE MAYOR CALLED TO ORDER.
The Chairman called the Mayor to order
"You have no business TO interfere in our pro
ceedings', said he. s'You cant put me out MOI
any other man replied the Mayor As the DO
| lice didn't seem hurried to obey the Honorable
Mayor, he had support who would put them
out by force, and overpower the police if they
would mt do their duty.
While the Mayor (who had no business in the
Council, while that board was in SESSION. in the
full dignity of his Office, chief magistrate of
the city was participating in this disgraceful
disturbance the Clerk kept on calling the roll,
and the vote was declared, R. A. Ingersoll be-
ing elected permanet President.
| YELLING AND KISSING
The crowd yelled and Kissed with such ex-
pressions as "Bully for Doctor" ''Pll bet on
you," 'Thats the sort of stuff" &C., Sc,
arose from the friends of the Democratic ele
ment. An ex-Mayor attempted ~ give some
gratuitous advice armed with an ancient law
book, but the President promptly squelched
him, and thinking he had got in a hornets nest
he very properly retired.
A motion to adjourn until afternoon was now
made amidst an uproar that cannot be describ-
ed, every Democratic member, under the able
leadership of the legal gentleman from Ward
Six, who by the way, has been it is said, drill
master of the Democratic members for a week
past, using Cushing's manuel of Parliamenta-
| ry Law as text book, sprang to the floor and
made some motion. The chair put the motion,
the clerk calling the yeas and nays, and the
motion to adjourn prevailed. The crowd grew
more noisy, and a long settee crowded with
men, gave way and precipitating the crowd to
| the floor, increased the confusion, which was
now perfect bedlam.
At2 O'Clock iu the afternoon the Common
Council re-assembled. The room and approach
es to the hall were crowded by perfect ava
lanche of human beings
Gaping THE CLIMAX.
Promptly after the meeting was called to Or
der motion to adjourn until Monday, April
9th, in the afternoon, was made and carried,
the Democrats vainly opposing. The Clerk no.
titled the Aldermen of the action of the Coun-
Gil, and that Board was dumb ounded They
hadn't expected such bad news, and before they
had recovered from the shock the Republican
Aldermen concluded they'd holt. which they
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