The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-07-08

Iror the Dispatch.l

propose, through the columns Of the Dis
patch. to furnish the public with the main
points bearing on the matter. Such pub
llcation, we think, would be OF interest TO
your readers, and simple Justice demands
that certain facts should be known, so that
the action OF the late anti-Mahone Council
may appear in its true light. In order to
o thorough understanding OF the matter, II
will be necessary to make some extracts
from the charter OF the city OF Petersburg,
and also from the ordinances passed by the
City Council. Before doing that, permit
lis 10 say that as the charter OF the city
does not say when certain officers (who are
elected by the CounciD shall be elected, II
NAV he that when the charter was obtained
from the Legislature by the Conservative
party OF Petersburg that omission was an
Intentional one, so that If the Republlcan
party elected majority OF the councilmen
at the spring election, after such charter
was obtained, that the Council then IN a,i-
thority might fix an ordinance OF tne
Council so IL could elect all the officers for
two wears. and thus put il ont OF the power
OF the incoming Council to make any elec-
ton until about two years afterwards.
The charter says that certain officers 10 ne
elected by the voters OF the city "shaii pe
elected on the fourth Thursday in May ana
every second year after" Bear IN NINA
! that by the charter one half OF the members
OF the Council are elected every two years.
! At the last election for councimen (Which
took place on the fourth Thursday in May)'
twelve colmcilmcn were elected. The other
twelve held over for two years longer-the
latter consisted OF four Democrats, one In
dependent Headjuster, and seven Ma
honeites. As Governor Cameron carried
every ward of the city at the election
lest wear. the followers Of General
Malone felt very sure that they would
elect all of the twelve councilmen who
were to he elected at the election in May
last. When it was ascertained that the OF
position had elected six out OF the twelve
counciImen, and when the Mahoncite party
called to mind that one Of their members
OF the Council was the Mayor-elect, one
| the Civ TrcaSurer-elect, and that another
one at the time OF bis election was by At
tornev-General Blair's decision a state Off
Ger. things did not look so lovely. Very
quickly move was put on foot to contest
the election Of two anti-MahOne members
elect to the Council from the Fourth Ward.
The contestants did not pretend to charge
"any fraud" but took the grounds "that
!
mistake in counting the ballots" While it
il is supposed that Judge Mann belongs to
| the same party as the two who contested
the election referred to, yet, we think, he
cave them such "sittng-dOwn as they
will not forget soon. Things turned out at
the MAY election so different from what the
Administration party expected that it Is
common rumor that Governor Cameron,
| General Malone. and Mr.. Wise were all
called in to prescribe for the sick patient.
Some people think that Governor Cameron
and General Malone both made CAST week.
a second VISIT 10 Petersburg to see how the
trouble could be tided over. Now, bear IN
mind that the charter Of the city don't say
when the officers who are elected by the
Council = shall be elected" The time to
make such an election was by an ordinance
OF the Council fixed as OF July 1st, il not
Sunday. Now, also, note the fact that any
rule or ordinance OF the Council can at any
regular meeting (and such recent meetings
of the Council on the 2Sth, 10Th, and Both
OF June were but adjourned meetings
from the regular June mccting) "be sus-
pended by Il two-thirds vote" The anti
Malone party. consisting OF one lndepen-
dent RCadiuSter (of the Big-FOur stripe
and fifteen Democrats, made such num-
Der as were able to repeal the ordi-
nance, naming the lst of July az
the time for electing certain officers
that the Council could elect, and then to
pass an ordinance making such officers to
be elected at the regular June meeting.
Having legally repealed the ordinance
named, and there being nothing in the char
ter OF the city to prevent them from doing
so, the Council then elected in June officers
who were, by an ordinance OF the Council,
heretofore elected OH the LIST OF July. II
such action was not lawful, then we don't
know what action would be. While we
have not lived in Petersburg rs long aS
some other people, never before i'll our day
did ii come to pass that such ridiculous
contest was made rs was the c0ntesting OF
the election OF MesSrS. Patterson and Gates
(as councilmcu), and never before did q
mayOl-elect or treasurer-elect OF the city
fail to qualify so as to be able to enter on
their duties on the morning OF the 1st July.
Mark you, both gentlemen had sought the
votes of the people for such offices,
and we feel sure that they both
promised, :" II elected, 20 attend faithfully
/ TO the duties OF such Offices" NOtwith-
standing this, neither one OF the parties
was in condition, having Gas is generally
supposed refused to qualify, and so re-
fused with view Of serving "our party"
In old times it was well understood that
when an officer was elected his first duty
was 10 the people. Now, you will observe
that the Council has alone the right to fix
or name what the salary OF both the Mayor
and Treasurer shall be except, Of course,
il can't Ike reduced during their terms OF
Office.
II the Administration mayor-elect and
the Administration treasurer-elect, before
qualifying, had right (as cOuncilmen)
to go into the Council and vote. then it
can't be disputed that they had right TO
cote on any question that might he brought
up. II the latter be so, then it would APP
pear that in Petersburg local officers elect
have the right to vote TO increase their own
salaries fouriold or more ii they choose so
to do, and afterwards to qualify to the Offices
to which they had been elected hy the poo
pie. If this lie law, what is TO prevent all
aSpirants 10 local Offices elected by the
qualified voters OF the city from first get
ting elected 10 the Council, so a. if they
are elected TO one Of the offices referred to
above they can before qualifying to I'LL such
Office have hand in voting to increase
their own salary? III any English-speak-
Ing people ever before gave local officers
| eject such right we have failed to find ii
recorded in al our reading. We feel per-
fectly satisfied tina. had the mayor-elect and
the treasurer-elect qualified so as to hav,
: been ready On the morning of the 1st OF
July to take charge OF the Offices they were
elected to by the people, the anti admins.
tration members OF the Council would not
q have altered the day for the election OF
: officers elected by the Council. The re.
Z cent Council, or rather the majority Of it
Q were not willing TO permit, as they be-
n lieyed, an incoming Council, by ar
unlawful majority, to elect certain city
Officers. Ihc cOnSenllcns.e was that fhl