Daily Republican., 1879-07-11
CITY COUNCIL.
A strong Protest ana a Stranger
Opposition 10 Its Inception
Tne Debate Upon-Tho Language
Termed Dfsrespecsifa aud Uu.
worthy Of lOms Id AraalOm.


The Debate Upon-The Laugusg
TerRsd Disrespecsifal aud Uu
worthy VI Consideration.
The City Council last evening me
in regular session, but instead of goinJ
to work with their usual promptnes
: began to discuss the truthfulness o
the minutes, that portion of them il
} relation to the adjournment on th'
morning Of the 4th. Mr.. Guthrie il
reply to demand for explanation from
Mr.. Chandler, said that the motion h,
made was for the council to meet OF
; the morning Of the 4th Of July, at II
! O'Clock, Notwithstanding it was after
. O'Clock when the motion was enter.
tanned and that the opposition said the
motion intended 10 call meeting on
the morning Of the 5th. Mr.. Guthrie e
explanation was satisfactory and an
adoption Of the minutes was moved.
! Before the vote was taken Mr.. Price
arose promptly TO his feet and offered
the following protest:
i To THE PRESIDENT AND MEMBRRs OF THE
CITY Council We the undersigned, mem.
berB OF the City Council desiring TO place our.
selves upon record In reference to the late
action OF Council In the matter Of the election
of the Street Commissioner on the evening OF
July 7th, 70, In which eleven members aided
In open and gross violation of rule IA, which
says: every member who is present when
"a question Is stated from the chair shall vote
thereon, unless excused by vote of two
thirds OF the members present, or unless he be
directly interested In the question In which
lease he shall not yote," allowing Mr.. Louis
p. Lynch a candidate for the efiice OF Street
Commissioner, and member OF council frsm
the Tenth Ward, to cast ballot, and we are
forced to the conclusion by all the circum-
stances surrounding the same. that his vote
secured his election and In order that there
shall be no misunderstanding about the At
ter or loop-hole for violators of law to escape
the responsibility Of their acts but to fix the
matter and place the odium and disgrace
where IT belongs, setting the law and time
h0n0red usage at defiance. We hereby testi-
ty that We voted on the final ballot a. follows:
For Francis McCloskey, Paynter and Hart;
| lor E. H. HOagland, Adams, Downing, Jones,
Price, Chandler, Evans. Wood and Licnten,
stein, making ten votes In all and as there
| were twenty ne votes cast we are forced to
the conclusion that Mr.. L. p Lynch voted or
him self and other members who sustaine
him In the vote are responsible for the
trampling Of rule IA under foot and having
the office OF Street Commissioner illegally
filled as at present In this matter we earnest
~ protest against the violation of the rule and
respectfully sugget that the rules are the
laws governing this body until they are pro.
perly amended or repealed, and as they were
adopted with calm deliberation, so they
should he repealel or amended, not ruth less
ly or violently set as de, as Of nOn-efieet
(wRen IL meets our convenience) In the heat
OF aSsionate debate, or 10 advance partizan
measures where they interfere, or for the pur-
pose o' advancing any person or persons am
bition or aggrandizement,,b but should be Ii o 4
up to until they are amended or repealed In
accordance 10 rule 3. which re DIS as follows
These rules may be temporarily suspended
"by unanimous consent, but shall not be re-
pea ed, altered or amended unless proposed
in writing two stated meetings before adop- |
"tion, and by Concurrence OF two-thirds of
"the members of Council" Because we |
firmly believe that If rule II Is null and void,
and OF non effect and thus Council has not |
power to regulate and carry into effect its or
dinances and rules (which we believe 1t has)
We have no rules or ordinances that can be |
enforced, anarchy and confusion would reign
In our midst. For these reasons we enter our
solemn protest to the action herein stated.
and certify that the averments contained
herein are substant ally correct.
SAMUEL A. PRICE,
JOSEPH X. ADAMS,
JOHN JoNEs,
HENRY EVANS,
PhILEMMA CHANDLER,
ALEXANDER }. HART,
LEWIS PAYNTER
II. w. DOWNING,
PETER WOOD.
Colonel Taylor, promptly-I have no
objection to the protest; hut consider
the language with which it is disre-
spectfully clothed, | recognize the mi
nority's right to protest; it is their
privilege. remember being in this
council when We on this side of the
house were in the minority, there be-
ing seven of US. We protested against
a measure but we did it in respectful
language. But in this case the Ian.
guage is very, very disres pectful, and
such that should not be used to brother
members. The protest says, "cast the
Odium and disgrace where it belongs"
There was no disgrace attached to Mr..
Lynch's election, nor is there any
Ddium. He was elected according to
rules, and therefore |
shall vote against accepting tie 'ro-
lest unless the language be changed.
AT the request of Mr.. McGlinchey the
protest was again read.
Mr.. Price said he had no objections to ,
altering the protest so as to remove the
offensive language. He had no inten- I
ion to hurt any ones feeling in the t
natter. ,
81 contend,' he continued there is ,
10 distinction between rules and ordi- ,
lances. We prescribe rules to govern
'ur actions, and We make laws to gov
'rn the people outside. 1t seems to me !
hat there are some who think that the i,
ules are simply there to be set aside at !,
will. 1t is not so. They must be lived =
lp to. The same body passes the rules /;
s we'll as the ordinances, and if we
annot carry out our own rules we Ger. :,
ainly cannot expect the people to carry !
ut the ordinances. =
Mr.. Norton: Desperate cases require :,
rsperate remedies 1t is a desperate a
lternative ard l do not wonder at the "
entlemen from tho other side protest !,
ng. They lost fine opportunity. u
hey feel very sore over it. But am VI
tterly surprised to see the names of !,
entlemen upon that paper who said W W
nat they were never so sorry in their :,
yes that they could not do anything " "
n Lewis p. Lynch. see their names ~ n
1ere and ! do not think that it is an ~ y,
onorable action. r,
Mr.. Guthrie: 1t strikes me unfavora- ~
|y that protest should be made ~
,ainst Louis P Lynch one of the best u
en- OF the city and in this council, and "
know it. If this was the first case ~,
le opposition might have some cause aMi M
r complaint. There are men on this n
'otest who have elected men in the ~
me manner. Why didn't they pass ca
ordinance. 1t is with a very bad az az
ace thew make their onslaurbt unon ~