Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-02-19
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
TIE WEEx1Y MEETING YEsrERDA1

of President Rice-Gen. Sibley
Elected as His Successor-The Fort Smell
ling Bridge-The Como Park Business
Salaries Of County Officers Retrenchment
Meeting Tomorrow.
Upon the assembling of the Chamber of
Commerce yesterday morning Gen. Sibley
arose to privileged question, and read the
following letter:
ST.. PAUL, Feb. 10th, 1878.
To the Board of Directors of the Chamber of
Commerce:
GENTLEMEN-As other duties will claim SO
much of my time, find it necessary to place
my resignation of the presidency of the cham
Der in your hands.
With due acknowledgment for the courtesies
received from each and every member of the
directory, and with thanks to the gentlemen of
the city press, the secretary and his assistant,
ing out the efforts of the board in promoting
the interests of st. Paul and the State, /
have the honor to remain
Your obedient servant,
HENRY NJ. RICE.
Gen. Sibley paid high tribute to Mr..
Rice and his labors for the city, and ex-
pressed regret at the resignation, but having
talked with him, was confident he felt he
could not longer discharge the duties. He
accordingly moved the acceptance of the res
ignation, and offered the following resolu-
ton:
Resolyed, That the thanks of this body are
Rice, for the ability and zeal with which he has
discharged the duties of President of the Cham
Der of Commerce, for the past three years.
Mr.. Banning stated that he wished to
second the resolution, and said he had also
urged Mr.. Rice not to resign, but he felt it
was necessity.
MIR. Ingersoll regretted the resignation,
and suggested that perhaps some arrange
ment might be effected to retain Mr.. Rice's
valuable services.
Mr.. Noyes announced that he had urged
MIR. Rice not to resign, but he Noyes) could
assure the Chamber that the resignation was
positive and would not be withdrawn.
The resignation was then accepted and
the resolution adopted.
The Chair (Mr. IngersolD said the election
of President of the Gambler was now in
order.
Captain Barney nominated Gen. H. H.
Sibley, and the Secretary was unanimously
instructed to cast the vote of the Chamber
for him.
Mr.. Banning congratulated Gen. Sibley
that he was now in position where he could
not move to adjourn.
Gen. Sibley, on being conducted to the
chair, rendered his sincere thanks for the
nnanimity with which the honor had been
conferred on him. He would accept the
position with the understanding that when
ever he may be compelled to retire on account
of ill-health or other cause, the chamber will
accept his resignation of the position they
had SO unanimously conferred on him.
FORT SMELLING BRIDGE.
The Fort Smelling bridge matter was then
taken up and Mr.. Lee called for the reading
of the bill.
Mr.. Ingersoll sent up and had read, COM
munication signed by thirty or more citizens
of Hennepin county, asking that the bridge
be built, and saying that many of them would
then do their trading in this city.
Mr.. Smith thought there would be no diff
fculty in the matter if the chamber would
agree to the clause submitting the matter to
vote of the people and also of raising the
amount to $4,000 instead of $4,000. II
this were done, the delegation in the Legisla.
ture would support the bill without.
Mr.. Ingcrsoll was willing to pay his share
of the tax.
MI. Lee was opposed to voting any sum
unless submitted to the people.
| Mr.. Smith moved to amend by substitute
ing 1915 900, or so much thereof as may be
necessary and restoring the clause of sub
| mission.
Gen. johnson moYed a division of The
question, which was agreed to.
Mr.. Lee called for the ayes and nays, ant
the vote being first taken on the 5000
clause resulted, ayes IA. nays 81.
Mr.. McClung moved to strike out $75, OO(
| and insert $4,000, when Mr.. Lee moved tt
indefinitely postpone the whole matter
thereby leaving the matter in the hands O.
the Legislature, and the motion prevailed.
| COMO PARK.
| Mr.. Thompson submitted the following
with the request that they lay over unit
next week.
Como park purchase has been frequently com
mented upon in this body and elsewhere in con
nection with questions of retrenchment taxa
tlon and increase of municipal indebtedness
and
WHEREAS, Responsible citizens assert that il
is quite commonly believed that the Como parl
measure was conceived and consummated tt
benefit private interests; and
WHEREAS, 1t is desirable that all question:
ettecting taxation or the increase of the public
debt should be considered and discussed solel,
on their real merits, and that the Como parl
should no longer be used to strengthen or i'm
pair the force of any tax payers opinions OF
the present and future policy Of the city
therefore,
Resolced, That the City Council is respect
fully invited to appoint three Of their humble
to act in joint committee with like numbe
of members of this chamber to be appointed
by the president whose duty it shall be to thor
oughly investigate and report to both bodies
upon the following points:
! Frst-trom whom and in obedience to wha
demand did the scheme for large suburban
park originate?
! Second-Who requested the passage of Law
authorizing the purchase?
Ihlrd-Was the purchase made by authorit,
of law, and the issue of bonds authorized b7
vote of the people?
Fourth-Were commissioners appointed will
instructions to make the purchase?
Fifth-Who were the commissioners, and die
they execute the trust disinterestedly and solel,
| with view to the public interests2
Sixth-Was the selection of ground the best
which, at the time and under instructions coult
have been made?
Seventh Was the price paid for the propert,
above it's then current valued
Eighth-Were any attempts made to influ
ence the commissioners in favor of the proper
! ty selected?
Ninth-Was any bank or citizen interested
in the purchase or it's results. directly or indi
rectly with view to collect or secure debts o
otherwise?
Mr.. James Smith, Jr. unprecedented til,
resolution grew out of a remark made b,
him the other day, which he had understood
had been construed as impugning the motive
of certain parties connected with that trans
action. This was a mistake. All he de