The daily gazette., 1881-01-14
COUNCIL LAST NIGHT.

| bk OASIAAANS 1n8 %ODAIAON VA
| CAN'T.
City Council met In regular session,
last evening, President Sharpley In the
chair.
On the petition Of Geo. w. Bush, ask
Ing for extension OF water pipes on Du-
Pont street, below Eighth, the Water
Committee reported that the pipes were
ALREADY 20 extended: Adopted.
| The City Treasurer reported balance
! in bank TO the credit ofcurrsnt expenses
Of Sit, o,65l.i0.
The Chief engineer reported 27 men
employed In the Water Department; pay
roll, $20s.70.
The Street Commissioner reported II
men and two teams employed In the
Street Department; pay roll, $76.6o.
| A petition was read from The VIII
mington IL Northern Railroad Company,
asking Council to grant them permission
to lay track along Water street, from
] French street 10 the western boundary
OF the city, In accordance with the pro-
visions OF an ordinance TO this effect
passed May ID, 1874,
Also one from Fl. n. Pickels and
others, complaining Of the condition Of
East Fourth street, and asking that the
iepasing Of the street, with Belgian
blocks, be referred TO q special COM
mitIee.
Both petitions were referred to the
Street Committee.
Under the head of uniinished business
came the Cloud-Lynn contest for the
Inspectorship Of the next city election
In the Ninth Ward, which was brought
fairly under discussion by the following,
offered by Mr.. Merris Taylor:
WHEREAS, The hearing of the cleo
tion contest cf w. s. Cloud, against
James Lynn, who was returned rs In
spector Of Election for the Ninth Ward,
has developed cases OF illegal voting in
sufficient number 10 vitlate the election;
therefore, be II
Resolved, That the said election Of
Inspector be and Is hereby declared IL
legal, null and void, and the Office OF
Inspector Of Election for the Ninth
ward declared vacant.
On the question of the adoption of the
preamble and resolution, Mr.. Rodney
took the floor and claimed that no illegal
votes had been proved by the contestant.
In relation TO the five negro men whose
not assessed six months prior TO the city
election, he held that the law only re-
quired them TO be assessed six months
prior TO tha State election, and that any
way their failure to be assessed was the
fault Of the Assessor and the Levy Court
was merely correcting an error In placing
them on the lists In March.
MIR. r. II. Taylor replied that last year
not being the year of general assessment
the Assessor was not required 10 60 from
house 70 house after names, and there
fore these colored men could have been
assessed by calling ct the Assessors
office.
Mr.. Rodney Afterwards drew the name
/ or Sharpley Bullock into the list Of IL
legal voters, by presenting q certificate
Of the Clerk Of the Peace to tho effect
that Bullock was convict. He asked
Councilman Barnhill some questions In
relation 10 Bullock which Mr.. b declin-
ed TO answer. He then questioned Mr..
Moore, who said he thought Bullock was
Democrat.
Merris Taylor said this testimony only
added one more TO the list of illegal
voters, making ten in all or more than
enough TO overcome Mr.. Lynn's ma
jority, which was only eight. Il was n OF
presumed 10 prove for wnom these IL.
legsl votes were cast, az that would be a
hard matter TO do but IL was sufficient TO
know that enough illegal votes were cast
10 nulllfy the majority received the sue
cesstul candidate, and thus vitlate the
election. Mr.. Taylor reviewed the testi-
mony In the case, 10 show that the votes
Drought into question before Council
we're clearly illegal.
President SharpIey took the floor and
made keen, ,ansly tical argument In favor
Of the resolution. He claimed that when
the witnesses whose votes were ques-
toned came up and admitted that they
had voted, they answered the only ques-
tion. They we're privileged under thesl
10 refused 10 answer, as 1t criminated
them. But when asked for whom they
voted, question which would not
criminate them, they were instructed not
TO answer, thus virtually admitting that
true answers to this question would be
adverse TO the party calling them to the
stand.
President Sharpley ther reviewed the
testimony as TO the legality of cert ain
voters. He dwelt with particular severity
upon John II. Coyle, who when giving In
his testimony before Council affirmed
Instead OF swearing, and said lle did not
swear when his vote was taken at the
city election. Yet Mr.. Frank Gallagher
clerk Of the election, and one ofthe most
respected citizens OF the ward says that
Coyle did take an oath ..on this oc-
casion. President Sharpiey held that
there were at least eight illegal votes
cast which equalled the majority OF the
candidate returned as elected and war
ranted Council In declaring the election
void.
After some further dicussion, Council
took vote upon the preamble and reso.
luton offered by Mr.. Merris Taylor,
which were adopted by q strlc. party
voe-Democrats In the affirmative and
r, p Iblicans In the neg gative-as follows
eas-Aoele, Barnhill, Blake, Carmi-
chaei, McKenna, McMenamin, Mention,
Paynter, Shsrpley, Shaw, Merris Taylor,
X. Ill. Taylor. Townsend-13.
Nays--B4iley, Beecher, Moore. r od-
ney, Robinson, Smith, Talley.-7.
Mr.. ALeie presented the annual report
OF Myers g. Conwell Chief Engineer of
the Surveying Department, 300 copies
of which were ordered TO be printed.
IL then being after 10 o'clock, Council
adjourned until 5.s0 O'Clock, Monday
evening.