Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-11-13
OFFICIAL.
Proceedings Of the Common Council

Adjourned Meeting.
ST.. PAUL, Nov. 7, 1879.
President Rhodes in the chair.
Present, Aids. Allen, Dowlan, O'Connor,
Kittson, Grace, Bell, Sanborn, Griggs,
Smith, Brennan, Minea, Mr.. President-12.
81. r.., COMMUNICATIONS.
From his Honor, the Mayor
Returning the resolution of Aid. O'Con-
nor, "holding the Board of Public Works
liable for all accidents by reason of having
failed to have sidewalks built when ordered
by the Council"
MAYORS OFFICE, CRY OF ST.. PAUL,
ST.. PAUL, Nov. 7, 1879.
To the President and Common Council, St.
Panl:
GENTLEMEN: l return the annexed resolu-
ton without my approval. If it is intended
| as joke it seems to me joke in the wrong
have been passed hastily and without due con-
| sideration. The amount of business during
the past year before the Board of Public
Works would have taken very nearly, if not
fully, the entire time of every member, and
that can hardly be expected from Business men
for 5000 per year. Besides am aware that some
delays for laying sidewalks were not the fault
of the Board of Public Works; for instance,
Third street sidewalk. Many of our sidewalks
are sadly in need of repairs, and ought prompt
lY to be attended to, but cannot think the
passing of such resolution will either build
or repair them.
Respectfully submitted,
W. DAWSON,
Mayor.
Aid. Sanborn moved that the resolution
referred to be reconsidered.
The motion prevailed; yeas II, nays l..
The resolution being put on its passage,
the veto of the Mayor to the contrary not
withstsnding, it was lost; nays II.
From the City Comptroller
CoMPTRoLLEa's OFFICE, CRY HALL, !
CITY OF SAINT PAUL, Nov. Z, 1879.
To the Honorable the President and Common
Council of the City of st. PAUL.
GENTLEMEN-The attached estimate No. 7,
dated November S, 1879, and allowed by your
honorable body upon same day, to MIR. James
s. Burris, on his contract for the construction
of the new market house, appears to me to be
overestimated, the architect estimates for
5000 cubic yards of excavation at so cents
amounting to forty-6ve hundred ($4,500} dol
lars, which should be wholly omitted, as the
contract is for fixed sum of $58, GIG, giving
to the contractor the material of the old mar
ket house, and the stone from the excavation.
There is nothing in the contract authorizing
an estimate for the excavation. The value of
the stone should be equivalent to the cost of
excavating, as demonstrated by the contract
between Mr.. Peter Pfeifer and the city for the
excavating and grading of Cedar street, where
Mr.. Pfeifer paid one hundred and thirty-fve
dollars into the City Treasury for the privilege
of grading and finishing said street, 80 as to
obtain the stone from the excavation.
All estimates, before allowance, should be
considered with the greatest care. The archi-
tect is a gentleman Of the most honorable in
tegrity, but at the same time he is no officer of
the city government. having taken no oath of
office, or given bonds to the city, for the trust
posed upon him. Furthermore, it appears
to me that I am not justified in auditing any
more estimates to Mr. Burris upon his contract,
unless they are approved by MIR. j. q. sewall,
Engineer of the Board of Public Works and
City Engineer, ex oficio, rs anticipated by the
city charter, and properly signed in ink by
your honorable committee.
Very respectfully,
Torn, w Jo,r,