The Morning herald., 1878-12-13
THE CITY COUNCIL.


tfT -35a=L1 tF5
RxaULAR MEETING LAST NIaHT--THE CITY
TREASURER OFFERS A LETTER IN WHICH
HE PROPOSES TO FIGHT IT OUT ON THIS
LINE IF IT TAKES ALL WINTER, AND
Mr.. GUTHRIE SAYS he WILL ABOLISH
THE OFFICE or ACooUNTANT--rIGHTINa
THE CITY. Ia
The City Council met last evening.
President Lichtenstein in the chair.
The interest in the matter of the Ac.
countant in City Treasurer Vlncent's Office,
was sufficient to draw goodly number Of
spectators, who occupied nearly all the
reom outside the railing.
None Of the Committees had any report
to make except upon bills.
The City Treasurer reported balance in
the Union National Bank to the account of
current expenses Of $10,733.6s; he also re-
ported having paid out to the Water Com>
nissionsrs on Cool Spring Reservoir, since
last report, $7o.2s, had paid out in total,
$l4s, ,sss.ss. ''"
The Street Commissioner reported 20 men,
4 single and 8"double teams employed in
the Street Department for the week ending
Dec. 7th, with y payroll of $1S6.32.
Chief Engineer Mcintyre, of the Water
Department, reported 80 men employed
under him for the week ending Dec. 10th,
with > payroll of $247.08.
Mr.. Guthrie presented the following COM
munication ~ "1 '4
To the Honorable, the City Council Of vii
mington:
RESPECTED GENTLEMEN;-I,e on the 11th
inst, received formal notice by the gentle,
men of the Finance CompittAe-Mr. Guth-
rie, the Chairman, and Mr.. Hart-that you
have appointed Mr.. Cornelius stinson, &C.
countsnt, or clerk, IN my Office. As am
held under $50, 900 security for the faithful
performance Of my duty, and as 1 am re-
sponsible for the action Of my clerk in my
Office, as did not know the gentleman,
(although with great pain) I felt constrain.
ed to refuse him admittance to my effice or
allow him to have anything to do with my
accounts. My reasons are as follows:
| The Treasurer is by law the appointed re-
ceiver, and the custodian of the city's
money. For this he gives security for ev-
cry dollar received by him as money re-
ceived as Treasurer, md so his returns are
made to the Council. He is also the custo>
dian of the bonds, books, Containing blank
bonds) and records of his Office. And
again he is ordered to see that the Council
do not overdraw their appropriations. If
he allows them to do this he Is subject to
the penalty of $500 10 each case, and also
the amount of the sum overdrawn. His
duties are prescribed by law and so are
those of the Council. The Council have
no power beyond what is given them by
their charter-neither has the Treasurer.
And again the Council give no security and
are therefor pecuniarily irresponsible, The
Treasurer gives security, is therefore pecu
Eiarily responsible. a .3 t'f p.
New these matters being as have stated !,
render it imperative on nae to have none
around me except those in whom have
implicit confidence 1t is different with the
other offices OF the city. Their assistants
can in no way involve them as my assist
ant can involve me. For instance, as I
have said above, the Treasurer is subject to
penalty OF $500 every time he allows the
Council to overdraw their appropriations,
ard it takes the constant watching, both of
himself and his assistant to prevent this.
| An unfaithful assistant might ruin me.
do not allude to the present Council alone,
but to preceding Councils also. All are in
this respect alike. The first year was
Treasurer found six appropriations at
tempted to be overdrawn. The gentleman
assisting me at that time was not aware OF
It,, but found 1t out, and afterwards be-
came extremely watchful.
Now the business of my Office, from the
manner of conducting 1t, has increased
more than three fold since I first entered
1t. People are coming in every minute upon
business, requiring information on every
subject connected with the Office. have
to trust to my assistant to look to the ap-
preparations An unfaithful assistant,
through neglect, ignorgnce, or fraud, might
involve me in penalty. Again l have to
send him to bank with money. Again, /
have the custody of the bond books of the
city, and one disposed to fraud might dam
age my reputation by forging and selling
bonds, and so I might mention q list of
perils to me from these circumstances,
almost without number. Now Ia the present
gentleman / have full condolences; he
knows my Office and the laws binding 1t
from four years. service, and the complex
but complete sytem Of book. keeping which
adopted through the recommendation OF
Council. A stranger coming in is ignorant
of it all.
Again, will say to your honorable body,
that there is a mass of business to be per-
formed at the Treasurer's Office which,
although interviewer with 1t, and extremely
convenient to all to have done for them, still
is no part of his duty, and that would not
undertake this duty or allow its introduc-
tion into my Office until promised an assists
ant. was then informed, as was also the
Finance Committee, that nc, one could come
into my Office without my consent, and the
outline of the first ordinance called for
bonds from the clerk of the City Treasurer.
Afterwards, with my consent, the present
ordinance was drafted and passed the