The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-04-13
CITY CLERKS Fees.

ne CITY clerk CHAINS tndt ne Is eutllleu
to the same fees as last year because he
was confirmed before the ordinance repeal
ing his fees took effect, and because his
perquisites can not be reduced during his
term of office. The constitution of this
state Art, TX. Sec. IL, entitled Rev
enue," provides as follows:
THE fees, salary, or compensation of
no municipal officer who is elected or APP
pointed for definite term of office shall be
increased or diminished during such term"
Mr.. Cooke was appointed for a definite
term Of Office zone year-and he is
authorized to hold, after bis year expired,
until his successor shall enter upon the
duties of his office. He was thus holding
over when the repeating ordinance was
passed. He was confirmed at the very
same meeting at which the ordinance was
passed. His previous pretended confrma-
ton by the mayors casting vote was no
confirmation at all. The mayor admitted,
by renominating him, that he had learned
something from THE ARGUS on that ques-
ton, viz: that he had no vote on the ques-
ton of appointments or removals.
Monday evening, April 3, the ordinance
repeating the clerk fees was passed; and
the very same evening Mr.. Cook was ap-
pointed and confirmed as city clerk, but
he was not, and could not be, city clerk
under his new appointment until he had
taken the oath of office, filed his bond, and
his bond had been legally approved. In
that respect, he stood in the same position
that Fred Conway would have stood had
he have been appointed instead of Mr..
Cooke.
On enquiry at the clerks office we found
that Mr.. Cooke took the oath Of Office and
filed his new bond April 3rd, 1876, and it
is endorsed Approved, W. P. Butler,
Mayer, April 3, 1876" No hour is stated
when this was done-whether before the
Monday evening meeting was held or after
The bond is signed by Mr.. Cooke, and by
Hugh Warnock, Isaac Negus, S. S. Guyer
and David Don. 1t is not at all likely that
these men were rousted out of bed after
the council adjourned that night to sign q
bond and it is, therefore, probable that
the bond was written and signed before
the meeting was held--which was all right
enough.
But why the mayor should approve thf
bond before he approved the ordinance re-
pealing the fees, is what the people whC
pay these fees would like to know. Bott
documents were before him at the same
moment, and if he desired 10 save the PEG
pie from paying the fees hi
should and would haye approved the
repeating ordinance at the same
time that he approved the bond
What did he do? The papers show that
he left the repeating ordinance untouched
for five days, and on the Sth of April hi
approved it, 1t would take effect in five
days whether he approved it or not-un
Jess he vetoed it. But he was not content
to let it go into effect without any action OF
his part-he indorsed upon it his approva
April s, 1S76,-but he left it unapprovec
long enough for Mr.. Cooke to enter upor
his new year and thus compel every person
who takes license to pay Mr.. Cooke mo
the city, the old fees. The action Of the
mayor can not be explained on any othe
! hypothesis than that he intended to il.
things so that the people a0Ould be com
PEELED to pay the old fees!
Has the mayor power to approve bonds
If he has, then he has compelled the pee
pie to pay these fees for another year.
he has not that power, then the people ar
not compelled to pay the fees, and Mr.
Cookies bonds are not yet approved. Tn
city charter, Art. III, Sec. %, (page Al
requires that the clerk bond shall be ar
proved III the city council, before he enter
upon the duties of his Office. 1t has NJ
yet been so approved, and the repealin
law has taken effect. If the city charte
has been altered or amended taking ava
from the council the power to approx
bonds, and giving it to the mayor, the
the mayor has, by his action, fixed thing
SO that the people will be compelled to pa
the old fees. That he has tried to do
s plain.