Daily Republican., 1877-04-16
u ,,"rasr Third and King Streets.

ls. ". ,,ornsr Third and King Streets.
MONDAY, APRIL 16, 1877.
Ehs Water Commission
There may be some reason that justines
the City Council in withholding the necess-
ary amount Of money to allow the newWater
commission 10 complete the reservoir. 1t Is
understood that objections arr urged by
some members against tho lameness Of the
bil more than against the Commissioners
themselves, the latter being honest upright
buainess men in whom the utmost confidence
isreposcd. II d mandatory upon the City
Council to fdrnish money whenever tho
amount necessary i demanded by the Com.
missioners7 This evidently was the intsn-
tion Of tho act Of the Legislature which In
stituted the Comnission, for 1t says In ex-
press terms that the amount necessary
"shall be borrowed by the said Mayor and
Council Of Wilmington at such time and In
such amounts - the Commissioners herein.
after provided for shall direct" This ID
easily understood, and yet in the first
paragraph OF the first section tho following
language occurs: "That the Mayor and
Council Of Wilmington, shall have power
and authority under an ordinance Of tho
City Council 70 be passsd with concurrence
Of two thirds Of all the members thereof tor
the time being. st any time hereafter to Dor.
row." 80.
Some members Of Council object TO this
phraseology though 1t may have emanated
from the wise solons of the State, and yer
psrtinentiy ask what is to become Of the
mandatory part II IL depends on the pass
age Of an ordinance by two thirds vote, and
why they ask did not the Legislature say in
the bill that every member shall vote Gay e"
upon the ordinance without running tho
risk Of . two thirds vote which It may or
may not get7
Then again, another weakness in tho bill
Is in the neglect to require them ~ give
bonds for. the faithful performance Of their
duty. The money 10 required 10 be raised
and placed in the city Treasury, and to be
drawn out only on orders from the Commls-
sion. Now, suppose the whole $4,000 was
raised and paid into the Treasury at once,
tho Commission can draw it all cut at once,
and apply It to their own use for time at
least, II they see proper to do 30, and without
bunds, II will snly be because the Commis-
E5n aIst th5zssr' nj ftg5 mi1asa men, 1t mat vi
may expect an honest expenditure OF tho
money. 1t may here be remarked however,
that when men are placed In high pos itions,
involving the expenditure Of either large or
lmall amounts of money, that bonds are re-
quired, even lfa mans word is as good ss
his bond.
Another defect in the bill i, where the
Commissioners are required tosive the work
out by contract. either in whole or in part,
but there is not syllable which requires
them to ask for eithef oral or sealed propo-
rails.
AS ths bill stands the Comu issloners may
demand of Council the raising of the money,
and Council must Immediately set to work to
pass an ordnance for that purpose, provided
two-thirds Of the members vote in favor of 1t
and II they don't, what then? Well We reckon
there will bs dead look, and nothing done.
1t will be seen that we are not criticsing
the Commission, but the extreme folly Of the
Legislature in passing such an risksty
act that will not hold water. Leather medals
should be awarded to every member Of that
body who voted for it.
II 10 true that the basin should be finished
and now that men want employment, and
labor ID cheap is the time it should be don't
but it 10 question whether the City Counoi
would be justifable in going ahead under tn,
circumstances. II Council! declines psssins
the odinapcs required, let tho blame fo
such failure rest upon the Democratic parti
kan Legislature. Had tho bill been passed
allowing Coancil 10 control Its own money
the work would have been under way by thi
time, and tho busy hum and hustle Of avtivi
ty would have resounded where there iy nov
nothing but desolate waste.
The LATEST FLASHES Of refined lansusg
in the cuseHe will bo found in Saturday
issue where 1t calls Governor Chamberlai