The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-12-02
CITY GOVERNMENT.
Monthly Meeting of the City Council.

Monthly Meeting of the City Council
The regular monthly meeting of the City
Council was held last evening, and the follow
lug business transacted:
IN BOARD OF MAYOR AND ALDERMEN.
Samuel C. Rundlett was appointed special
policeman without pay.
e 1. d. Cushman was granted license as
auctioneer.
The petition of Charles H. Hersey to MAIN
tain fish market on Oxford street was refer
red with power
The petition of n. B. Noble 6, Co. for rs per
cent. abatement of their taxes was referred to
the appropriate committee.
| ORDERS PASSED.
That the city government be directed to petit
| ton the legislature to change the easterly line
| between the town of Cumberland and the city
of Portland so that the line shall run substan-
TALLY as follows: Commencing at the point of
| intersection of the southery line of Falmouth
with the westerly line of Cumberland, thence
south "a degrees 80 minutes east, true meridian,
one and twenty-one thirty-seconds statute
| miles, to point in Chambers cove; thence
| south, true meridian, to the open sea: and that
the city give the necessary notice required by
| statute.
That the City Treasurer be authorized to
| pay for the moving and repairing ofthe powder
| house, not exceeding $369.S5.
That the City Treasurer be directed to pay
| the bills contracted for the building of the new
| powder house. not exceeding the sum OF $685.
| S.
That the committee OH cemeteries and pub
| lie grounds be directed to sell at public auc-
| ton the old powder house, the proceeds of the
same to be placed to the credit of of appropria-
| lions fer cemeteries and public grounds.
Al, ~ I-
new list of the votes cast in this city at the
late election, as the list previously sent to Au-
| gusta recorded as Scattering all gubernato-
rial votes excepting those bearing the names
! of Garcelon, Smith and Davis. In the new list
| the scattering votes must each be properly
| credited to the one for whom it was thrown.
The joint standing committee ON judicial
proceedings and claims, to whom was referred
the petition of Dorcas Murch for damages caus-
ed by alleged defect in Congress street. report
ed recommending that the petitioner have
leave to withdraw.
Alderman Cunningham called for the report
| of the committee appointed at the previous
meeting of the Board to inquire into the matter
of the building of the Walnut st. sewer. AL
| derman Waite, chairman of said committee,
arose, and called for additional time Mr..
Cunningham then read from the report of the
meeting of last month in the Argus, in which,
he was made to appear in rather disadvan-
tageous light. 1t was more than limited in
that report that Mr.. Cunningham had caused
a sewer to be begun on Walnut street, unbe-
known to the other members of the committee
on drains and sewers, and in face of the fact
that the appropriations for drains land sewers
was exhausted. Mr. Cunningham, however
explained his position in reference to the Wal
nut street sewer jim a clear and satisfactory
manner. AT meeting of the committee it
| was decided to build said sewer with the under
standing from the Mayor that moneys, outside
of the drains and sewers appropriation, should
be used to pay for its construction But, final
ly, to accommodate the city, Mr.. Cunningham
advanced the money himself with which to
pay the contracts. This statement of Mr.. Cum
bingham the Mayor endorsed, and then Alder
man Waite made short explanation in which
he said he had looked upon the appointment
of the investigating committee as a joke and
had treated it as such. He moved that the
committee be discharged, which motion was
carried.
A commu nication was received from Mrs
III. D. Barbour and the heirs of the 'late Elias
Merrill, stating that by an agreement with the
committee ON laying out new streets in 1873
when West street was widened they gave
without compensation over 100000 feet of their
land, with the understanding that the rest OF
their property on said street should not be in
creased in valuation, from the fact of the
street being widened. But the assessors this
year have increased the valuation of this prop
erty almost double what it stood on the books
in 1878. They therefore petition that the
agreement made with the committee Oh lay
ing out new streets in 1878 be kept inviolate
and the aluation Of their real estate be put
back to what it was in 1878. The communica-
| ton was referred to the committee ON judicial
proceedings and claims.
IN COMMON COUNCIL.
The petion of N B. Noble & Co., for abate-
ment of taxes for 1S7S-79 was referred to the
committee on judicial proceedings and claims
and sent up.
Papers from the upper board passed in con-
currence.