, 1877-12-07
i: shttw!n, II. nctanccs, ". Miller r, llnrlrtouc,
Ing to Tho sum Of $:,J D0, wcro audited and ordered
AID. GlLBERT's REPLY TO THE TRIBUNE
EDITORIAL,

Of youf paper, entitled ''A DANGEROUS ManIeinai
Experiment" ls in error to It's conclusions and
In Judging OF my intentions. ! ssrce that tho
present City Chhftcr il not IA good It should bc.
and deprecAte tho methods OF its adoption. and
wond gladly Nce batter cnc passed; but that Ia
sot the aate Legislature, not the Municipality 10
consider. We havs adopted this Charter, md arc
acting under It Tho powes, sishss, and dnslss
of tho Exeeu.tre and Legislative branches arc
governed by tho Charter. Any ordinance which
might. b fsamcd would add to or lessen thosc
ElRl,ta. Ordinances, In case like tho present,
arc simply to dcdnu the powers that tho INV 9ivcf
and simplify the methods OF obtaining knowledge
Df what those powers arc.
Ny resolutions were not Introduced either
to make new offices OF to interfere with tho !ta'l-
mate power Of tho Executive or tho Legislature.
II would bc absurd to attempt any such thing, AZ
tic Charter pscscr!bcs tho powers OF each, and
any ordinance purporttnR 70 interfere would be
pnwcfs than tho taw allows. and tho exercise Of it,
bowers s mot contingent on ordinanees, hut ain,-
'fo show tlin p4lpable ,nJu.t,ce Of yonr conclu.
ttons, will ntato that the Council could not. by
;nsdlnansa % Or othos method, nrInF into exf.teaeoa
se a. vd .s e. merge Ss k.se
tive and Legislative into by on aet Of tho statn
l:ce'slatatc:, 10 mako everything aubatryicnt 10
n law granting such powess, An orttlnnnee Is aim
rly method Of EXPRESSING tho law. and showing
s3e manner OF 4t3 enforcement.
The present Doati oi County Commissioners cx.
iata " virtue OF law; mud acts which arc In con.
..avea!ton r.. 10 law ars nnl!tttes oi " eva sol.
tisc any. n,ore than The council ean naotgo them.
knowledxe q the Charter viii clearly dcuon.
sts T III %d % md gh s
Sey Hsss haTss' g. a in'fs fsSssaa as
good sovesn,nent Tint they should 30
run IN . slIpahod mannor. 70 ayold this.
# seemed TO mo better plan 10 aystcmatizo and
g. tinties s,ss. sad po%sts i }he Geaae saa md
ont departments of the CITY. il wa not to Md to
or ~ lustcn, ,-s!npy to ascertain tho extent. Ily
ordinance, the duties and relations Of each depart
Council and the Mayor can be defined. ii doing
~ It might be found ont that smaller cotcrio Of
soGa nssiorm tho s!cs Of ths d.
and matters and mv.hod, generally sinlpl'aed.
II tns sonnsso" VII * t1st an epPosssa
e*er., think that tho Department Of Pnblie Works
should By run by tcsponstb!e head, tike Super.
THO Fire and Police arc run tint way. aud think
satisfactorily; and all departments ahoa'd bo 10
Cndcr Tho Charter, tho Mayor cannot hold any
other oiies In the c,ts Government. 70 avoid
teat; .na H. g. r of H. then Hoard e Public
difficulty. Thtto have confidence In Mayor
1ient1. % Mayor. still u Ia bad precedent to aow
nny officer Or branch Of government TO permanent
y exercise dutca that do not bc1onx to that oace.
Il can readily bc Imagined how such things cuuld
be abused. to ttln great dttrtmcnt Of tho city.
was not awnse TIL after introduced tito reso-
lntfnns that tho Corporation Counsel had been en-
Gagged preparing sImt1af Ordinances. don't think
TINT gentleman has any desrc to suhyert tho Gov
cfnmcnt, or attempt 10 interfere with thu rights
Of tho different branches Of tho Municipality; but
simply by ordinance to express what tho law d.
reefs. and define hcet he can tho rights, duties,
md powers Of tho Legislative and Executive
branches; how the departments arc connected, te.
responsibility srs what can "a secured
! agrees with TnE TnlMunx thAt. lurin9 tho past
year md 4 half, tbs Council and Tho MaJoe hnyo
run tho Government with certain objects In viaw:
{" decrease te public indebtedness, 10 lessen thu
fh!a ob]ect, and simplify the methods. TINT con.
Department. Or 10 tho Council. Thcsc aro always
atnnlo opportunities in oil brnnehea Of govern
ment4o form them. aud they often exist whero
least suspected. and were protcststous of tonusty
and apparent respectabi(aty would contradict.
Again. thaTb Aro those who, not examining suf.
hclcntly tuhlect and tnqulring intu tho n1ottrc,
tntsronstrlc tho Intention and Will form concln-
kions uf tho legal results of effort. that are anpor-
nclal and crE1ne0uR.
Without egobsn, l can say that my record In tho
Council docs not Justify nny concln41ns, At lchst
print 1ltle, that my acts and intentions arc othcr
than for tho lntcress OF tho city, and aRntnBt all
r,ngr, dishonesty, aud suc!, monstroa!t,cs u
good Of tho public wea without pay or emolu-
nlents, fIould: II rightly ntlct at least tavc it,
reward In tho thanks, not tho and
curses. Of tho public. JANIS II. GtLuEnT.