The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-08-07

changed to the southerly corner.
Alvin and John W. Deering sent a com.
munication to the board asking that they be
| reimbursed for money they paid out for land
| which had been sold at auction for debt and
| purchased by them, the Supreme Court having
decided that the sale was not legal.
The resignation of Mr.. Hayden of the CouL-
Gil was recsived, and it was voted to insert an
article in the warrant for the September elsc-
| ton for an election to fill the vacancy, and an
order was passed to that effect.
The order for the payment of the bills for the
celebration of the Fourth of July was passed in
Concurrence after Alderman2 Cushman had
GRATED at some length upon it.
The report of the Committee on Accounts
from the Council was read, but Alderman
Cunningham asked if the report had been
agreed upon at a,full meeting of the commit
tee. 1t being shown that it had not!been the re
port was sent back to the council.
Other papers were passed in concurrence.
COMMON COUNCIL.
The Committee on Accounts presented the
following report:
To the City Council of Portland:
The Committee oDs Accounts would submit
| the following:
On examination Of the bills against the city
for the month of July, certain bills were of
such nature in the judgment of your COM
mittee, that they could not be allowed without
first being sanctioned by the City Council. In
the bills for the celebration of the Fourth of
July were included, 'The ringing of bells,
firing national salute, compensation for extra
police duty, steIeopiioan exhibition in City
Hall and band concert"
Your committee allowed the first two without
question as by concurrent vote of both branch
es of the City Council, the Mayor was author
lied to contract such bills and pay the same
from the contingent fund.
The third being bill for the compensation
for Al extra police, was allowed inasmuch as
they were legally appointed. and should be
paid
The fourth being a bill for 40 dinners
| for the police, while, perhaps, due to our
worthy police force for the arduous duties per-
| formed on that day, was nevertheless dsal-
lowed, because your committee recognize the
principle, so systematically stated by our
Mayor, that dinners. should not be INDUCED in
at the cty's cost, and do not find any authority
for contracting such bills vested anywhere
except in the City Council.
The fifth. being for stereoptioau exhibition
10 City Hall, your committee were obliged to
disallow, finding no authority for contracting
such bill, the Common Council having refused
any appropriation except for ringing bells and
firing salute
The sixth, being for band concert. was disal-
| lowed for the same reason as the fifth, and in
addition, because the Common Council specfi-
cally voted not to engage any band on the 4th
of July.
Your committee are under the necessity of
reporting their action and their reasons there
for at some length, as the two latter bills have
been paid from the Treasury by order of the
| Mayor, before being allowed by the Committee
| on Accounts, as required by the Ordinances;
and some action must be taken by the City
Council sanctioning the payment of s1ch bills
| before the Committee on Accounts will have
authority to allow their entry uron the city g
| books.
Your committee believing that moderate
expenditure of money in celebrating the 4th of
July is judicious. and that the above named
features of the celebration were generally ap-
proved by our citizens, would suggest the pas
sage of the following order:
Ordered, That sum of money be expended
| from the contingent fund sufficient to defray
the extra bllfs for celebrating the 4th of July.
1877, and that the bill for the police dinners be
paid from the police contingent fund.
(Signed) CHAs. J. CHAPMAN,
BENZ. T, ANDREWS.
| The report was accepted and the order passed
| by vote of Il. to- 6.
The resignation Off. L. Hayden, councilman
ward 4, was accepted and new election order
ed to fill the vacancy.
The ordinance in relation to the sinking furd
laid on the table at the last meeting was taken
| from the table and indefinitely postponed, 10
yeas to 9 nays.
Order for the pavement Of cutters on Fox
| street was referred.
Business from the upper board were disposed
| of in concurrence
| IN JOINT CONVENTION.
A joint convention of the two boards was
held and the following business came up:
The Mayor read communication from
Councilman Hayden in Ward rendering his
resignation, as he had moved from the city.
The communication was referred to the Com
mon Council.
A. E. Randall, Addison Goodhue, T. B.
Lynch, E. A. Webster, John E. Banks and
| Edwin Coolbrotb were chosen weighers of
hay.
John M. Stevens was elected surveyor Of
| lumber and measurer of wood and bark.
Lyman W. Hanson was chosen constable.
Mayor Butler read the following message:
To the City Council
After being out all the night before the
| Fourth of July, the entire police force were
| kept ON duty as usual throughout the whole Of
that day. and were not permitted to 60 to then
| order of the City Marshal, dinner was furnish
ed them from a restaurant at the police quar-
ters, while thus on duty, at the reasonable rate
of rs cents per plate and the bill therefor pre-
| sented to me for approval. Being in my Judg
| ment clearly legitimate municipal charge
| payable out of the contingent police aappropria
| ton specially provided for incidental expendI'
| lures of that department, did not hesitate t.
approve it. The Committee on Polic'
and the Board of Aldermen II
l whom with the Mayor is vested
by the charter the administration OF the police
department also approve it. The City Solicitor
| to whom the matter has been submitted, con'
ours in my opinion above expressed. Refresh
| ments furnished by the city to our wardens an(
| clerks in attendance at the polls on election
days, presents parallel instance. The. dis
tinction between a case of this kind and ex
| penses for junketing and entertainments witt
| ertraS included, voted themselves by munlcpa
| bodies is very obvious. 1t would be hardly
| creditable to the character, or beneficial to tn
| interests, of the city to keep its police thu
continuously on duty without providing then
with necessary refreshments. The late expe
rences of other cities teaches the lesson tina
| our police should be sustained and encouraged il
all things reasonable and calculated to promot
their zeal and efficiency. While have no doub
on the subject myself,a majority OF the standing
l committee on Accounts question whether the
are authorized to allow the bill. The part
furnishing the refreshments ought to nave thei
I pay. therefore recommend the passage OF tn
, accompanying order for its payment.
Two other matters connected with the FOurt
OF July desire to call your attention to.