The Portland daily press., 1882-01-10
CITY GOVERNMENT.
ADJOURNED MEETING OF THE COM
MON COUNCIL.
The Policemen's Bill Returned to the Al
dermen.

President, Mr. Soule of Ward one was elected
president pro tem.
THE PoLIcEMEN's' BILL.
The first paper before the board was the
following order passed by the Board of Mayor
and Aldermen at their last adjour ned meeting
and sent down:
Ordered, That the City Treasurer is thereby
named policemen their salaries in full as they have
become due viz: Pennell. Hanson, Coyell and
Slower, the same to be charged to their salaries
Councilman Mari asked for information, and
called on Alderman Tukesbury from the COM
mittee on police, who was present-as In fact
were His Honor the Mayor and most OF the
Board of Aldermen as spectators-to supply
Mr.. Tukesbury said some of the police had
been sick and asked for their pay The AL
dermen had voted to give it to them.
Mr., Mari asked if any of the policemen
mentioned in the order had been paid in part.
Mr.. Tukesbury said he believed some had
some had employed substitutes and had paid
them.
Mr.. Mari asked if officer Covell had sub
stitute.
Mr. Tukesbury said yes, employed by the
deputy marshal and paid, as he believed, out
of the police contingent fund.
Mr.. Mari asked if this wasn't paying Covell
twice.
Mr.. Tukesbury said the arrangement was
that Covell should have substitute and draw
his full pay.
Mr.. Mari asked if Officer Langmaid had
made claim for pay while sick.
Mr.. Tukesbury said he had heard such a
claim was to come up but knew nothing de-
finite about it.
claim wouldn't hang on Covell's and if there
wasn't rule about paying policemen twice.
Mr.. Tukesbury said there is a rule that
policemen shall be allowed ten days and, in
Officers Pennell's case he had been paid up to
Dec. LIST anyway.
he didn't belong to the police committee. He
could only give his ideas on the matter. He
understood that the affairs relating to the
police are vested in the Board of Mayor and
Aldermen by the city charter. The men who
claim pay had it stopped by the Mayor. They
applied to the Aldermen for redress The
Aldermen referred the matter back to the
police committee who reported the men en-
titled to pay. The men then endeayored to
get their pay and the Mayor vetoed the order.
Then this order was offered. The City Solici-
tor had stated that the ten days rule had
city government with the police when they
passed the salary bill. A years salary was
voted them then and they could get it.
Mayor Senter was called upon and explained
about the police force. He said that when
there is deficiency in the force, and men are
up the deficiency las approved by the Mayor. The
force had been one man short, and it was nee
eSsary to employ man outside OF the force.
He (the Mayor followed the rule that has been
followed for twenty years until a few months
past. Officer Langmaid hired substitute as
others had done for twenty years and paid him.
have, said the Mayor, the petition of Mr..
Langmaid now in my possession asking to be
reimbursed for the money SO expended, and l
do not see why every officer who has SO en-
ployed substitutes for the past six years
within the statute of hmitation-may not do
the same thing. A salary bill, appropriating
salaries for 125 teachers, is passed in like man
ner every year. When the teachers do not
work they have substitutes, and 1 do not see
why they may not equally ask to be reim-
bursed. This question, or order, was sent be-
fore the Common Council because it was prop
er for them to decide whether, when they APP
propriate money to pay policeman for SER
vices, he should be paid if he does not render
them.
Mr.. Clark thought that the Council passed
the salary bill agreeing to pay policeman $3.50
yerr, and that this Board had nothing to do
with their appointment or compensation. AS
long as the members of the police were on the
force they should receive the salary voted
them. If they didn't render the services paid
for the Board of Mayor and Aldermen, who
appointed and confirmed, should dismiss them
and pnt on men that did. He did not think
the order had any place before the Common
Council
Mr.. McAleny didn't believe himself, and he
didn't believe it was the sentiment of the
Council if policemen did not render services
they should be paid.
The President pro tenn. here ruled that the
order was not properly before this Board.
Mr.. Mari, before the ruling, said he thought
the point well taken, which he had seen, to the
effect that Mr.. Sterling, substitute for Officer
Coyell, received Mr.. COvell's pay and signed
fbo and 10
pay him twice.
The Clerk then put the ruling of the chair
to vote, by rising vote, and the chair was
sustained, II to 5. So the paper goes back to
the other Board without any support from this,
and the Treasurer, it is understood, will not
pay the policemen without joint order from
both branches.
OTHER MATTERS.
Papers passed at the last meeting of the AL
dermen received concurrent action.
Messrs. Mar, McAleny and Galley were
added to the committee in relation to the sell
ing of the eity's gas stock
Messrs. Mecher, Clark and Bradley were
added to the special joint committee on petit
ton of the Maine Electric Light and Power Co.
Mr.. Mari offered the petition of M. @. Pal
mer President of the Portland Electric Light
Co., for the permission to introduce and estab-
lish system of lighting by electricity in the
streets, public and private dwellings in Port
was referred to joint special committee of
both boards and Messrs. MARI, McAleny and
Galley appointed on the part of this Board,
and petition sent up. Adjourned.
The Congregational Club.
The annual meeting of the Congregational
Club was held last evening at their hall.
After splendid supper the following election
of officers took place:
President-Wm. Ell. Fem.
Vice President-Wm. w. Tho mas, Sidney
W. Thaxter.
Secretary-A. G. Dewey.
Treasurer-John f. Liscomb
Executive Committee-Charles A. Dickin-
son, Charles j. Chapman, John j. Gerrish.
Mr.. w. E. Gould then read an interesting
paper of which the following is an abstract:
can inquiry into some of the causes of
modern doubt" The speaker defined doubt
as hesitancy or questioning; and modern
doubt in religion as that tendency in the masses
among cultivated thinkers on other subjects,
whereby the principles of revealed religion are
treated with suspicion and Indifference and
questioning. A careful review was made of what
are conceded to be the principles of revelation,
and then it was contended that for men to
have faith in religion there must be firm
belief in certain principles. This is one func-
tion of the church to enforce these principles.
Such enforcing leads men to conservation.
But how comes abont the tendency towards
doubt? By relaxing of these principles in
their proclamation and in their exhibition,
and in proportion as men see the ideal lower
ed they become doubtlers and Indifferent 1t
was then charged that the church by lending its
aid to all sorts of ''isms'' and by putting on a
par with its high mission the low manifesto
tons too frequently allowed in its services,
men get to view the whole scheme as common
place and contemplate, and then by natural
roads from Indifference and doubt to denial
and unbelief
A better service, more decent attitude in
worship, divorce of the church from all side
shows, and an aggressive and high toned con-
ception of Gods work for men is what is need
ed to rescue the church from its too frequent
tendency towards gush and boorishness, and
from that danger which is very alarming viz
the driving of well informed men into absolute
contempt of that which should be theil
highest inspiration.
The subject was fully discussed by Rev. G.
II. Dickinson and Charles F. Libby, Esq
Thurstons quartette furnished excellent
music.
Lectures.
1t is with much regret that we announce
that there will not DO any lecture this weeI
before the Woman Suffrage Society at Con