The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-07-02
municipal Shortcomings.

The City Fathers, or q portion oil them
at least, are working up ateputation that
bids fair to become rather odorous in the
nostrils Of the people at the present high
range Of the Thermometer. There Is .
neglect Of the plainest requirements Of
law that Is extremely culPablei a
disregard for the plainest principles OF
political economy, or any other kind Of
economy, tina. 10 refreshing, simply be-
cause Of its exceptional character in the
history Of our municipal affairs. II there
Is one thing in the laws Of this State more
explicit than another 1t is the statutory
provision regulating the appropriations
Of money by the city Of Wheeling. It
specific lily requires that the municipal
budget shall be made up 10 the month Of
May or June; that'is to say, the amount
OF available funds that may be placed
at the command Of the four lead
log committees having been AScer-
tanned, the sum SO ascer,ained shall
by ordinance be appropriated TO the
work Of said Committees, in such
amounts Us the Council may determine.
We say that the law Is specific as to the
time when and the manner in which this
distribution shsll be made, and yet by
the action oi.the Second Branch 10 re-
fusiug To assemble last Friday evening
the appropriations have been suffered to
70 by default. In other words, the Coun'
oil has committed a fragrant violation Of
the law. What its effect from q legal
stand. point will be only the future can
determine. II proper case should arise
tits more than likely that the Council
will have cause to regret its culpable ne
glsct Of an imperative duty. 1t is ques'
tionabIe at leas, whether their appropri-
atoms in the future will be Of legal effect
unless made under the four.fitths clause
Of the enactment, which will be exceed
ingly troublesome In It's operation. The
responsibility for this clear violation Of
law lies a. the door Of the Second Branch
Of the Council.
At the meeting Of Tuesday, June 25th,
the opinion Of the City Solicitor was Civ
en- in writing that the Council must con.
fine It's appropriations to its known
available funds, and thatit was powerle's
10 borrow money without the consent OF
the people, expressed according to law.
It therefore became necessary for the
Finance Committee to review its action
based upon the proposal to borrow forty
thousand dollars and 10 frame the ordi-
nance in accordance with the actual con.
dition Of the treasury. With the knowl-
edge that very limited sum Of money
would be applicable to the necessities Of
the four leading committees the Second
Branch proceeded to the consideration oil
the report Of the Committee on Streets
Alleys and Grades, the most extrayagant
in It's recommendations that has been
presented to Council for long time.
Because the First Branch after the
proper notification, without waiting the
action Of the Second Branch on said re-
pert, adjourned to meet on Friday night
the President OF the latter dismissed il
without notification to meet on the nigh
fixed by the First Branch.
We are reliably informed that the
President Of the First Branch, and Mayor
pro fem, directly forbade the Sergeant to
notify the members Of his branch to as
ssmbls on Friday night, but afterwards
when the Importance Of the matter was
pressed upon his mind, did give his con-
sent that the members Of the distinguish
cd body over which he presides might be
called together or notified at least to meet
on Friday evening. A few Of the mem.
bers obeyed the summons and the Pre-.
sident was not one Of those who came
early. There was failure to get quo.
rum and consequent failure to act upon
the ordinance in legal manner.
The First Branch succeeded in getting
quorum and received the amended re-
port OF the Committee on Finance. The
committee found little less than twenty.
six thousand dollars available for the
use Of the four leading committees, and
recommended the division Of the amount
as follows: Water Works, $4,000;
Lights, s2,OOoi Fire Department, $4,000
and Streets, Alleys and Grades, $4,000.
The First Branch adopted the recon-
meudation Of the committee and pro-
ceeded to amend the ordinance as passed
by the Second Branch, by the in.ertion Of
the above sums. The action Of the First
Branch, however, does not give vitality
to the ordinance, nor can the future &C.
tion Of the Second Branch do so. It ha'
passed the metes and bounds OF the law
and the Branch in fault will have to bear
the responsibility Of this palpable viola.
tion OF the statute.
WaShipctOn County News,