The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-01-22
Must Be Counted,


Must Be Counted,
The water board say the mayor can not
be counted when ascertdsning hoU many
persons are numbered IN the city council, and
the only reason they or their attorney can
about as much sense in their answer as
there would be if farmer. when asked
how many colts he had. should answer.
They are not trainedr' The charter
provides when and on what occasions the
mayor may vote; and it also provides that,
on all occasions, he as member and the
very first member of the city council, au-
thorized by law to be elected.
Under ''the amended charter" passed
in 1857, it was provided that "A majority
OF the persons elected aldermen shall con
stitute quorum" There were then four
wards aud five aldermen were required,
even of the mayor was present, in order
order to do any business. Four, or an even
one half the aldermen. had the power to
break up quorum at any time and stop
the wheels of business. If the people
wanted to carry out any particular mea-
sure, and on that question elected a mayor
and one alderman in each ward, the hold
overs still had it in their power to defy the
public will by leaving the room at any time
and thus breaking up quorum.
When DR.. Truesdale was mayor, the
first time. in 1860, the board of aldermen
was equally divided, aud no quorum could
be had even with the mayor present, I'm.
less "a majority of the persons elected
aldermen" were present. And in order t,
remedy this weak place in the amended
charter, DIR. Truesdale procured the pass
age of an amendment to the amended
charter, providing
| That hereafter he municipal government OF tn,
CITY OF Rock Island shall consist of the city council
composed OF mayor and two aldermen from eacl
ward. majority OF the members of the city coun
Gil snail constitute quorum for the transaction o
| business.
Now, in this changed phraseology, is i
not as plain as pike staff that the mayo
must be counted as member
of the city council? The grea
object in view, when Representative r
| W. Smith, and Senator Alfred Webster
at the request Of Mayor Truesdale, carrie,
this amendment through the legislature
was to make it clear that tie mayor mas
be counted. After that amendment tn
MAYOR and four aldermen, being a majority
constituted quorum. Now, since we hav
another ward, the mayor and five alder
men constitute quorum. He is counte
as a member of the city council, authoriz'
by law to be elected: the charter require
that he be counted. and no quibbling of tn
water board, or their attorney can &c
around it.
Now look at tho language of the ne
mayors law. which our Water Board Cit,
Atty. Gest says is now part of the ti,
charter. 1t reads as follows:
In all cities in this state, the mayo
thereof shall have power to appoint all Gil
:: officers. hy and with consent OF the cii
council ty u vote OF a majority of all
| members authorized by lao to be enacted,
] etc.
How many members are authorized
y iaw IL be elected? Eleven.
TIE same law, and in the very san
/ section, reads as follows.
And the mayor shah have power
J - M T..
! the aldermenl by two thirds vote of
d its n'ensberS authorized By iaio to be electt
II by yeas and nays, to be entered on t
record, shall disapprove,' etc., etc.
- How ,nany are ''two-t thirds Of all j
9 Tie city councils members, authoriz
by las - be elected?' Not seven, as t
E. waite. baarl and their attorney contend
= but eight.
There's the question in nut she'll; q
if the water board and their attorney dc
ike it they must find fault with the We
III ing of the law, which is clearly agai
u them. In order to maintain their side
the case, the wording of the mayors
must be changed SO as to read two-thi
u of all the aldermen, instead of two thi
~ of all the members. &C., &c. The ma,
IL has sworn to observe the law and thai
he
an what we presume he intends to do-as
're understands it, net as the water board
he (derstand it, When Judge Peasants 81
have decided that the mayer is not M.
ed Der of he city council, or that seren is t,
II thirds OF eleuea, il will be time enough
a the water board to boast of having legs
lis disapproved of the mayors vetoes or
es movals We do not think the court ,
IL undertake to change the wording of the |
il and the legislature will not probably
4, called together for that purpose.
INTERNAL REVENUE,
o' The Ninth District added to the Eou,