The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1883-05-05
CITY Council.

On Tuesday night all the authority OF the
late city charter was quietly buried by the
council that existed under It finishing theiI
lah0rs and adjourning sine ds. After which
an organization Of the new was duly effected,
and the mayor and ten aldermen, who consti
tute the new boaru unoer the general law
were sworn In.
Mayor Allen took the chair at the usual
time aud called the council to order, there
being present Aldermen Blake, McDougall,
Perkins, Looney, Hull, White, Skinner and
Griffith.
The petition OF g. Gates, asking privilege
to use the water.pipe Of the city not now in
use on Madison street, WAS referred TO the
committee on fire department, with power To
act. 1t Is understood that the privilege will
not carry with 1t any water permit whatever.
Leave was granted to Jason Peck to sink
an artesian well near the residence OF w. b.
Titus, west side, subject to the supervision
OF the street and alley committee.
On petition OF Rev. T. NJ. Gregg and 9th
era, privilege was granted to enclose the
sidewalk near Christ Church with fence,
the petitioners agreeing to put in turn-stile-
for the convenience OF pedestrians, the opJec'
being to beautfy the grounds.
Company was granted permission to
construct o shooting range on the east end
OF Chester street, east side, subject to the di
rection of the street and alley committee.
On the representation Of Township Assess.
or Crimmins, j. j. Witte was allowed a re.
bate on his taxes, 1t having been ascertaincd
that his assessment was TOO high.
The several official reports were duly pre-.
scented and fled that Of the treasurer show
ing the city's account at the bank to have
been overdrawn S63 Is.
Clerk Armstrong presented statement
relative to the duties Of his office, past ana
future. la this Mr.. Armstrong shows that
by close attention to business he collected for
the city the sum of 800, and received com
pensa,ion of Sl42-the city being net gamer
by his services Of $267 Complimentary re
marks were made by Aldermen McDougall
and Blake, and by the mayor. The comm
nication was received and ordered to be
placed on record, standing vote being
taken.
Alderman Hull, from the street and alley
committee, submitted an annual report, in
which they recommend that hereafter no
more wooden bridges be built by the city;
that all Improvements should be OF a sub
stantal and durable nature.
The finance committee submitted the mat
ter of paying the attorneys in the water
power bond cases, bills having been submit
ted by Lawrence, Campbell Il Lawrence for
$S,0Sl SO, and NJ. T. Moloney for S4,0i0 &c.
The question OF issuing bonds to pay these
bills was also considered. The whole matter
was finally referred to the new finance com
mittee.
A report was received and adopted from
the special committee on tree public library,
TO the effect that steps should be taken to es-
tablish such library. nucleus being formed
by the libraries Of the Ottawa Book Club and
the Young Ladies' Library Association, who
propose to give the city their books, aggre-
eating nearly two hundred volumes.
The finance committee also submitted a
1pfailp6 rpnnrf n a niAl Of
the city. The report was adopted and order
ed printed.
An annual report of the fire department
was made by Alderman Perkins, showing the
condition of the department and the charac-
ter Of the work done.
The matter OF paying Thomas Lartln his
bill OF $l03. II, reported back bv the city at
torney as being invalid, was discussed at
length, but no final action was taken.
On the recommendation of the license
committee, to whom was referred the matter
of RENTING certain fines, all fines imposed
for city oltenses prior to April lst were or
dercd to be RENTED.
Alderman McDougall, at the request of
Mr. Lynch, stated that it was designed by the
owner of the tract of land lying just north
and east Of the Fox river bridge To lease to
the high school said tract as n play. ground,
provided the city would cause certain Oh
strnctons 10 be removed from the street
(Shahbona) crossing said tract The marshal
was duly instructed to have those obstruc.
tons removed
The report of the sidewalk commissioners
was presented, adopted and the city attorney
instructed to take the necessary steps to have
the provisions thereof carried out.
Bills aggregating $3.50. 16 were ordered
paid.
The mayor in few well chosen remarks
addressed the retiring council, thanking
fpr tha cordial oEa "a N rnDl rad him
in the past year, &c. This was responded to
by Alderman McDougall on behalf of the al
dermen. After which the council adjourned.
THE NEW.
Mayor Allen and the ten aldermen recently
elected were duly sworn by Arthur Lock
wood, took their respective seats, and an.
Swercd to the roll call by Clerk Bradford.
The mayor then addressed the new body
upon matters pertaining to the coming year,
referring them to the several annual reports
to show the condition OF the city aud its flu
tura prosperity; heartily approved the work
of the street and alley committee of the past,
and recommended good, substantial work as
being more economical: advised a careful at
tention to sanitary affairs: cOmplimCntcdI
the fire and police departments and adviseda
fostering care of the same; and desired al
more satisfactory and cheaper light for the
city than is at present obtained. IN regard
to the liquor licenses for the coming year the
mayor said:
| know there is much difference Of opinion
whether they shall remain at the present low
rate or be increased Both sides hold very
pronounced views, but have no doubt ma
jority of our citizens are in favor of higher
license. My views, as | presume is well
known, are that higher license is best for al
parties concerned, ana that includes every
man, woman and child in our city. IN my
opinion 1t is better, not only for the citizen
not engaged in the business, but for thcI
liquor dealer himself; that it will give their
business q standing and character much
above what it LOW holds; that it will tend toI
closing the low drinking places, which are
the hot-beds OF crime, thus reducing the
number and circumscribing the business,
bringing it down to the reasonable necessi-l
ties OF the city; that the respectable sRloonI
man land know there are many such in the
city, will feel that he has a standing and re
speciality as business man among busi
ness men, which he cannot have on the same
plane as the disreputable aud vicious. be.
lieve this is the feeling OF the better class of
saloon. keepers; that they would be in fsvorI
of higher license were they assured of per-
manency, and that, when licensed they
would be protected in their rights and BUSH
ness, the same as any other class Of business
men, as they certainly should be. There is
also an economic side to this question, one in !
which we all, as tax payers, fare interested |