Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-02-06
THE CITY COUNCIL.

THE CITY COUNCIL.
Regular Meeting Yesterday Afternoon
Large Amount of Business Transacted
The Social Evil Problem Referred to a
Special Committee to Report at Next
Meeting.
The regular meeting of the City Council
took place yesterday afternoon, President
Dawson in the chair. A large amount of
business was transacted relating to the open
ing and grading of streets, etc.
The president read the following commu-
nications:
OFFICE OF THE CRY CLERK,
St. Paul, Mimi, February 5th, 1873.
To the Hon. the President and Common Council
of the City of st. Paul:
GENTLEMEN: The late Grand Jury of Ram
sey County was pleased in their final report to
the district court to arraign me before the bar
of public opinion, charging me with such neg
hgence or misdemeanor in the conduct of the
Office of city clerk, as to virtually abolish the
elective franchise. As have no other means
Of vindicating my official integrity and con-
duct, respectfully ask that the Common
Council will take the necessary steps for thor
ough and impartial examination into the
charges preferred by the Grand Jury.
II 10 uuc w VIC puDllC aS wen as myself, GQaG
this examination be had. If the charges be
true am not proper person to discharge the
duties Of city clerk; if false, the public should
be 30 advised, and the city clerk exonerated
from the odium of a charge which, unless dis
proved, necessarily must do him and his family
much 1, harm. Assuring you, gentlemen, that l
will afford you every facility in my power to
aid you in getting at all the facts,
am very respectfully, Your Obed't Servant,
NJ. J. OCoNNoR, City Clerk.
Aid. Allen moved to refer the communica-
ton to committee of three.
Aid. Rhodes moved to make it a commit
tee Of six. If Mr.. O'Connor is innocent of
the charges, he wanted his justification
made as strong and emphatic as possible,
and the report of six men generating him,
if they should deem him innocent, would be
of much greater weight with the public and
be of far greater benefit in righting the
wrong which had been done.
Aid. Allen accepted the amendment and
the resolution was adopted unanimously,
whereupon the chair appointed the following
committee: Aid. Allen, Smyth, Griggs, Dow
Ian, Cleary, and Dries.
The petition of John X. Davidson, agent
for the owners of the Opera House, protest
ing against the payment of an annual Ii
cense of $3.50, and asking to be relieved
f.om its payment, was read and referred to
the committee on licenses.
WOOD MEASURED.
The report of Wood Inspector Louis Ton
Ghetto, showing that during the month of
January he had measured 39l cords of wood,
and received therefor $52.65, was accepted
and tabled.
FIRE ALARM.
The Superintendent, on the petition of
the property owners and motion of Aid.
Smyth, was ordered to place fire alarm box
on lower Seventh street, near Posts side
track.
The contract of the Board of Public Works
with James Starkey for the construction of
a sewer on Saint Peter street, from 9th to
10th, was confirmed
REPORTS OF CITY OFFICERS.
The reports of city ofticers-City Treasur-
er, City Clerk, Board Of Control of Aims
house and City Hospital, Clerk of the Mu-
nicipal Court, Chief of Police and Chief En-
gineer of the Fire Department-were read
and laid on the table.
The report of the Clerk of the Municipal
Court shows fines, costs, fees, &C., for Jan
uary to be $6l1.2l.
The report of the City Clerk shows aggre-
gate receipts for licenses to be $7,772.5O, as
follows: Liquor licenses, 81 100; beer licenses,
$175; butchers licenses, $3.50; express IL
censes, $3.50; and miscellaneous, $34O.
The report of the Chief Engineer shows
the appraised value of the property belong
ing to the fire department to be $77, 1886.
FIRE DEPARTMENT.
The report of Aid. Grace, chairman of the
committee on fire department., shows the ex-
penses of the fire department for all pur-
poses, including permanent supplies and new
material, for the year to be 1924. 883.12, and
now in as good working order as possible
| the apparatus being in good condition, and
the men prompt and efficient.
The petition of Messrs. Blodgett & Osgood
asking to be allowed to pile their lumber on
5Oxl5O feet on the southwest corner of
Sixth and Minnesota streets, was referred to
the committee on fire department and Aid.
Smyth.
| COMO AVENUE.
The matter of opening and extending an
avenue 80 feet wide, known as Como avenue,
was referred to special committee, Aid.
Allen, Dowlan, Smyth, Dries and Griggs.
ELECT1NG CITY ENGINEER.
On motion of Aid. Dowlan. it was resolved
that the committee on legislation be in
structed to incorporate section in the bill
they are now preparing, to provide for the
election of city engineer by the people at
large.
CLOSING A SEWER.
| On motion of Aid. O'Connor, the Board of
Public Works were ordered to close up the
old sewer on Sixth street, between Wabashaw
and Minnesota streets, without necessary
delay.
THE GREAT UNsOLvED PROBLEM
! The Clerk read communication from
Rev. Mr.. McKibbin in relation to the social
evil, and the best means for it's suppression
After the reading of the communication
Mr.. McKibbin asked to be heard, and on
permission being granted; said the preva-
lence of the great evil has marked the moral
character of people. He asked simply for
the enforcement of the law. It was prob.
lem very difficult to deal with and serious
question. He took the ground that the pres
ent system of dealing with it is of such a
nature that we become joint participators in
u.,o many, s'nu u1vAue VIII Iuen 1ts proHtS
The records of the municipal court showed
that the law had never been enforced in this
city, except to make it practically licensed
The Council now is placed in the position Of
defying the law. The evil is assuming here
prescriptive right. His object there was te
ask the Council to say that this thing must
be enforced. He had consulted with the city
officials. and with Mayor Maxfeld, who said
that if the Council would express wish te
have the law enforced, he would have those