Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-03-27
COMMON COUNCIL.

The Common Council Refuse to Ap
propriate $1,000 in Aid of tn.
C6unty AsyIum-Councilnla Luck
Looks after the City's Hash.
The Board of Common Council met il
regular session last night, President Linds
ley in the chair.
VETO MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR.
Tie following message from tine Mayor
was read and received:
Mayors OFFICE, March 20, 1874
Hon. City Council OF Nashville, Gentle.
inen: l now have before me Tor approval
or diSapproval, the bill passed by your hon.
orable bodies at your last regular meeting,
and entitled, "a bill to protect 1.-The public
Treasury" and TO prohibit the drawing OF
any money from the Treasury but that
which is allowed bY regular appropriations
by law, etc. l viii state here that am as
much in favor of protecting the Treasury
as any honorable member of the Council,
and viii continue TO do so, so long as oc-
cupy the position that do. We may differ
somewhat about the mdnnerinwhich money
is now drawn from the City Treasury, but
hold that not one dollar his yet boon drawn
from the Treasury but what has been so
drawn according to law and the long estab-
lished customs of the city and its officers.
Should this bill be approved and become
the governing law, it will entail upon the
City Council the necessity of passing ii,n,-
Hierdble laws, and making allowances for
paying a great many little bills and incl
dentals that come up probably every few
days, and which are unforeseen to the
Council, and cannot be met except as they
may arise. Upon a casual view or reading
of this bill it would seem quite plausible
and probably good law, but upon close
scrutiny its defects and disadvantages. as it
appears to me, can be easily detected.
1t viii be seen that the bill provides that
no money, not one cent, can be drawn for
anything, or to pay any bill or account
against the city, until the City Council
shall have enacted a law to cover the case
or authorize the payment of the amount
whatever it may be.
The Council now heins over burdened
with business, and then to require it to con-
sumo time in legislating to meet every little
account that may come up, it seems to me
that it would be compelled to resolve itself
into one continual session, and to meet
much more often than it now has to do.
Besides, the bill further provides that a
regular statement and account of the re-
ceipts and expenditures of all money shall
be published from time to time Tin the
newspapers) etc. Now l have not the
least objection to the public generally
knowing when the money goes, or how Il
is spent-but to have every month reg
Ular account statement, made in the news
L should think that it would be a
good fat job to the papers at the end of
each year, and at very heavy
expense to the corporation to
settle. If the public desire to be Informed
as to the amount of expenses incurred by
the city, would say that each and every
citizen has the right at all times, during
Office hours, 10 inspect the public books
and records of the city, and to obtain all
the information on that subject which he
may desire, and without any expense to
the city for publication. Now, Twill illus
trate the case by the wOrkhouse stables:
There is great deal of corn, hay, etc,
that is absolutely necessary to be had
for the use of the corporations work stock.
I he greater quantity of this is purchased
upon the Public Square, from farmers, as
they, from day to day, bring it to the mar
way, it is obtained cheaper by nearly one
third than it could be had in the city mar
ket, and when load of corn or hay is
thus purchased, it is paid for Immediately
by the Treasurer, upon proper certificate,
and in one years time it saves to the city
several thousand dollars.
But if these farmers had to wait until
the Council should meet and make an sp-
preparation to pay their little bills, it would
result in cutting OF all their trade, and
finally cost the city more money. The
same rule would hold good with reference
to the Water-works and Fire Department.
The machinery of both of these depart
ments is constantly getting ont of repair,
and the great need of furnishing coal and
fuel to run them, which is so greatly neces-
sary, for we know not at what time or hour
a fire might break out. Then | say that
these different departments, so very essen
tial to the lives and property of the citi-
zens, should not be in the least trammeled.
But should this bill become a law, it will
cut off all protection to these departments.
The same safeguards and protection now
surround the corporation that surrounded
it during the administrations for the last
three or four years, and proved well, and
imagine if it had been necessary and eXpe-
dent, or that the laws as they have existed
so long had not been sufficient, that they
would long since have been changed. As
the law and custom is, and has been, there
is not one dollar that is paid out
but what is examined by the Finance
Committee, and passed upon, and allowed.
The Finance Committee is yet composed
Of eleven members, and consists of some of
the ablest men in the Boards. and it is not
reasonable to suppose that they would do
wrong, and allow accounts for which there
is no law or presidents. And again, after
the Finance Committee has passed upon
the various claims, coming up against the
City, the Recorder has an itemised account
made out. which is read by item before the
Boards, where each member has the privi-
ege Of voting for or against its allowance,
all of which seems to me is as safe
/ way to protect the Treasury"
IS any law that could be enacted.
l regret to say that cannot agree with
hose members Of the Council who voted
or the bill on its passage, and hence veto
he bill. Withall due respect, | believe that
{ would be unwise to pass such law, and
hat it would work finally a greater evil
han good to the corporation. herewith
return the bill for your action.
should you still adhere to your former ac-
ion, and believe that the bill should be-
,ome the law, then it will require vote of
wO-thirds of the City Council TO pass the |
anne over my veto. Very respectfully,
THOMAS A. KERCHEvAI.. Mayor |
" WHOM, AND BY WHAT AUTHORITY? |
The following resolution, together with |
lie communication from the Mayor in
eply thereto, was read:
Resolved by the Mayor and City Council !
hat the Hon. Mayor be requested 10 in |
orm the City Council in writing, at its |
lext regular meeting, by whom and by |
What authority the street force is increased
rom time to time.
MAYORS OFFICE, Nashville, March &c, |
ST4.-Honorable City Council of Nash |
lille. Gentlemen: beg leave to state |
hat 4 resolution was adopted by both |
,oardS at previous regular meeting of the |
,Ouncil, requesting me to inform the COun- !
il, in writing, by whom and by what au-
hOrity the street force is increased from |
ime to time. In reply, can only state |
hat presume the street forces have been |
from time to time by the Street |
Committee, as know Of no other power |
hat could increase the same outside of the |
Iayor and City Council by some enacted
lW.
As to the authority of the Street Com |
nittee to so increase the forces in the alb |