The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-04-18
TIE CITY CLERK has NOT LEGALLY
ENTERED UPON Els DUTIES UNDER
HlsNrw APPOINTMENT.
HIS BOND NOT YET LEGALLY
APPROVED

HIS BoHD NOT YET LEGALLY
APPROVED.
The Fees he has Collected Should be
Returned.
1t is plain that Our New Caesar" in
tended to fix things 80 that he could seem
to be in favor of abolishing fees to the city
clerk and yet manage to have the clerk get
his fees this year. AS evidence of the fact,
he hurriedly swore in the clerk on the
night of the 3rd OF April. and as hurriedly
endorsed his bond approved" But he
was careful to leave the ordinance repeal
ing the fees unapproved so that
the clerk could claim the benefit of
constitutional enactment which says that:
The fees, salary. or compensation of mo
municipal officer who is elected or ap-
pointed for definite term of office shall be
increased or diminished during such
term"
Mr.. Cooke was elected for definite
term-one year-and that year expired on
the second Tuesday in March last. Since
that time he has been holding over,
temporarily, until his successor could be
appointed and comply with the law, before
entering on his duties. His successor is
5. f. Cooke, and he stands in exactly the
same position as would any other man who
had been appointed to the position, viz: he
can not enter upon the duties of his
present appointment until he has COM
piled with the conditions of the charter
What are those conditions?
LIST. Appointment by the mayor and
approval by the council. That mas been
done.
2ud. To take the oath of Office. That
has been done,
Bird. To give bond, which must be ap-
proved Gy the city council before he can,
under has ne,o appointment, enter upon the
duties Of has office.
He has given bond, and it has been
endorsed approved" by the mayor, but
that does not comply with the law.
Our city charter, page SO, sec. l3
says:
The city marshal shall,
before entering upon the duties of his
office execute bond such as the city coGa-
ca mot the mayor shall approve
And the charter also says, page Al, sec.
%, that
The city council shall require of the
clerk, treasurer, marshal, police constables,
collector and street supervisors. and mag
require OF the other officers of the city,
before they enter NpOn the duties of their
respective Offices, to execute bonds to'the
city of Rock Island IN such sum and with
such securities as the council nsdu approve,
conditioned, &c. &C., which bonds, ,oith
the approval Of the city council, certified
thereon by the clerk, shall be filed in his
Office"
1t will thus be seen that Mr.. Cooke has
not yet entered upon his duties as clerk
under his new appointment, and cannot DE-
SO until his bond shall have been approved
By the city council. And as the law res
pecting his fees has taken effect before b,
has legally entered upon his new year, al
the fees he has collected this year ar
illegally collected and should be returne,
to the persons from whom they have bee
, collected; and he cannot legally collect an
: more fees.
> A reporter for this paper was sent I
!; Mr.. Cooke to ask him to point out til
authority for the mayor to approve h
s bond, and Mr.. Cookies answer was:-
Il can't do it. You had better ask til
u city attorney"
Tie reporter then found Mr.. Gest, IL
city attorney, and told him that he had bee
. sent by THE ARGUS to ask him to sho
:, the authority for the mayor to approve al
bond. His answer was
Il have never been asked to look up Il
law and don't know as there is any law
it"
y The reporter was then sent to May
% Butler to ask him by what authority
% approved Mr.. Cookies bond. Maj Butt
= said
h Il do not know as there is any law
= it. 1t has been the custom, and four
q a blank printed on the bond for til
re purpose and supposed I had right
approve it"
" There's the whole case. The clerk dor
know any law for it; neither does the CT
t. attorney, or the mayor. Because son
~ city clerk got the blanks SO printed that dor
le make it legal Because other mayo
D. have followed an illegal practice dor
in make it lawful. The lao requires all bon
gs to be approved By the city council before t
officers giving them can legally enter up
as therduties And the little plan by viii
y 'Our New Caesar attempted to give t
as clerk right to levy fees on the peor
won't work. The sooner all the fees viii
have been collected are returned to t
e. people who paid them, the better for 20
g, New Caesars" administration. And, her
oh after, no one taking out licenses shou
R. pay any fees.
The Brunswick Bros, Stephan & Ha
ne Co., st. Louis, Cincinnati, and Chicas
claim to make the finest billiard tables
r. use. Orders solicited and promptly file
r. TO ROCK ISLAND ALDERMEN.