The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1880-07-23

ave CKo4se % vvAo@ Be- 10 W0e.
NJ EkEsr: In view Of he loeah Cd eam-
munications which have lately arpmsed In lhs
Fsiriet and yCus own paper eEitlcising he city
council, i nay not be amiD Sur me, - mem-
be- ofsthat body. 10 restrict those criticisms 10
their proper suh5scas ~ gising n aocsnnt Of The
circumstances which called I'm forth
At . meeting, which did not attend, there
was proposition made by citizen 70 compsle
the city ordinances A COMMITTEES was appointed
to report at the next meeting the probable cot
Of prhfing Che compilation. They, however,
did not make any deAnite report, or give any
statement by which could arrive ii any con-
clusion m to what the work would cost But
nevertheless, . resolution that the ordinances
should be compiled, and appFspriaiing three
hundred dollars for that puFpose, wa introduced
by alderman Watkins and On being pnt to vote
was passed aldermen Watkins, DeCoursey,
Wesley Davis and Harrison voting in the affirm
alive, aldermen Ball, a. Davis and myself vot-
ing in the negative. alderman Fitzgils mot being
present. Thereupon another resolution was In
troduced by the Same party. that the contract
for compiling be given the chairman Of the cOun+
ell at the sum appropriated in the former resolu-
ton, he to furnish the city with one hundred
copies, pamphlet form.
Before this resolution was put TO vote alder
man Harrison, evidently to avoid voting on il,
left the council chamber. While he was out,
the motion on the adoption of the resolution was
put, and aldermen Watkins DeCoursey and
Wesley Davis voted in the Affirmative, and alder
men Ball, NJ. Davis and myself in the negative.
There being tie, the chairman of the council,
with some delicacy, cast the deciding vote IN
faoOr Of tie motion. Just then alderman Har-
rison returned, and, thinking the matter could
be made no worse, and hoping that there might
be tie, moved that he be allowed to vote on
the question. This motion was carried, and, on
the clerks calling his name, he, with seeming re
luctance cast his vste in the affirmative. This
affording the chairman an opportunity of being
relieved from his embarrassing position, and he
was allowed to Withdraw his vote, and the clerk
directed to make no minute of ii.
On the next lay, or the day following, alder
man Harrison having declared his intention oil
moving to reconsider the resolution, the mayor
at the request of several members of the council
called a special meeting for that night, and the
members of the council were officially notified
of the call When the time for the meeting ar
rived the chairman and aldermen Watkins, De
Coursey and Wesley Davis were absent; and
aldermen NJ. Davis, Ball, Harrison, Fitzgiles
(who had been absent at the previous meeting,
and myself were present The clerk was absent
on account of sickness. There being quorum
present, l was chosen temporary chairman, and
Mr.. Ball acted as clerk. After ! had briefly
stated the object of the meeting, alderman Har.
rson, who had voted in the affirmative, moved
that the resolution passed at the previous meet.
ing be reconsdered which motion was unani-
mously carried, and the resolutions indefinitely
postponed But this did not end the matter
At the next regular meeting, upon the question
of the approval of the minutes of the last meet
ing, alderman Watkins made q motion that the
previous meeting be declared illegal and the min
utes not be allowed to go on record. In support
of his motion he stated that the meeting was
illegal, as the chairman and clerk were not pres
emit that the proceedings of the meeting were
void, as they violated the obligation Of con-
tract, and finally, that alderman Harrison had
made oath to him that he had never made .
motion to reconsider, and consequently the min
utes were untrue Upon this charge being made,
alderman Harrison rose and Indignantly denied
it. Notwithstanding the opposition, the min
utes were approved, and the scheme defeated.
With this statement of facts before the peo-
pie, / think they will join with me in saying
that the criticisms, which have appeared, have
been entirely too general.
1t must be remembered that am the oaly
pronounced Democrat on the council, and, in vot-
ing as did, simply followed my own convic-
tons, having no party feeling to even uncon-
sciously influence me; but the other members,
voting against these resolutions, and when pass
ed tor their reconsideration, deserve great credit
and the thanks of the citizens Cor their manly
opposition. Alderman Fitzgiles, vine was not
present at the original meeting, as soon as adj
vised of the action Of the council lent every en-
deavor to the correction of the evil And es-
pecially does alderman Harrison deserve 10 be
excepted from those sweeping criticisms, for 1t
is much harder to do right after having gone
wrong, than il is to do right from the beginning,
and it required considerable strength Of purpose
for him, colored man, to reconsider his former
action, particularly when hOunded by the pro-
moters of the resolutions; and when charged in
open council with having denied making the
motion to reconsider, in Tepelling the charge he
said that after voting for those resolutions, he
felt that he mad done great wrong, and deter
mined to rectify it by making every effort to de.
feat them.
In conclusion, l believe our citizens, after
reading this exposition Of facts, will be ready to
GIVE CREDIT TO WHOM IT Is DUE.
FRED T. MYERS