The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-09-03
THE CITY GOVERNMENT.
Remarkable Proceeding at the
Special Meeting on Saturday.
Municipal Courtesies to the Lord
Chief Justice of England.
The Mayor Makes a Mess of It.

The adjourned special meeting of the City
Council was held Saturday morning at 10
O'Clock. OF the Aldermen, Mr.. Emery was
absent, and of the Council, Messrs. Hallett,
Simonds, Russell, Bureigh, Mari, Shaw
and Winchester.
A joint convention was proposed and ac-
cepted.
After calling the meeting to order the Mayor
read telegram from Elliott f. Shep-
ard, asking if the Mayor could meet Lord
Coleridge on his arrival in Portland in which
he stated an affirmative reply had been sent
and also a second telegram that the party
would be here this Saturday afternoon. He
further stated that committee of the Cum
berland Bar called upon him and expressed
desire that the city should offer its courtesies
to the distinguished guest. The object of the
meeting, he said, Nwas to see il the city
should entertain the Lord Chief Justice.
Several members of the Council expressed
themselves on the subject.
Councilman McAleney said it was but lit
tie more than twenty years since that the
Prince of Wales had been honored by this
city, and that. net two years afterward, the
tile to the United States in their struggle with
the Southern confederacy. For his part he
had no inclination to entertain any more rep
resentatives of that nation.
Councilman Comedian inquired Of the chair
il, in case an order appropriating money for the
purpose should pass, the Mayor would, know
ing it came from taxes which were made up
from the widows mite, the orphans portion,
the hard-earned savings of the poor, and the
slender means of the middle class, feel willing
to give such an order his sanction.I
The Mayor replied that If the City Govern
ment should in its wisdom pass such an order,
it would receive his sanction.
The Councilman from Ward One then said
that the position of the Mayor was different
from the one he occupied recently, probably
referring to the order for the preservation Of
the shade trees.--EDs.l and was proceeding to
give the details of said recent transaction,
when he was energetically requested by the
Mayor to direct himself to the question before
the meeting and not indulge in personalities
with the chair.
AT this stage of the business Councilman
McAleney moved and Councilman Comedian
seconded motion to dissolve the convention.
The chair called for the fullest discussion
before putting the question. Queries were
raised by members Of the board and answered
and after few moments of debate the Mayor
offered the following resolution and declared
the question to be on its adoption.
The resolution read:
ReSolUed, That the City Council of the CITY
sws~ Al
of John Duke Coleridge Lord Chief Justice OF
England, desire to take the occasion of his
visit to our city to extend to him the courte-
sizes due his high position, and to express its
cordial appreciation of the kindly feeling
which exists between our respective Countries
by rendering him reception during his stay
in our city.
Councilman Comedian promptly arose to in
quire what had become of the previous motion,
and before the question could be answered, to
facilitate matters, Councilman McAleney
withdrew his motion.
No one heard the Councilman from Ward
One withdraw his second to that motion, but
prsumably he must have done SO as discussion
henceforth took place upon the adoption of the
Mayors resolution.
Councilman Comedian did not believe in
extending Inequalities to the citizens of other
countries whose policy and institutions were
not in sympathy with our own. He thought
the lawyers should entertain him, it was not
for the city to concern itself about the bust
ness.
Councilman Gallagher thought the enter
tainment of the Chief Justice BY the city was
not called for, and was opposed to granting
any money to this end.
Councilman Lappin believed this to be a
matter for the Bar; if the city should take il
in charge we would all demand a reception
which would be creditable to the city, and
this in the present state of the city finances
could neither be expected or desired.
Councilman Turner was not opposed to paw.
ing proper courtesy to Baron Coleridge but be
objected to the resolution on the ground that il
mentioned no particular sum OF money and
allowed an unlimited license in the disposal OF
funds.
The Mayor said that at the present time the
Representative of the First District was being
dined in London by many distinguished men,
and he thought that 1t would be highly fitting
for the city to honor somewhat this honorable
representative of the English judiciary. He
was in favor of the passage of the resolu ton
BY yeas and nays.
After these remarks vote was taken and
the resolution was defeated by q vote of in
favor to IA against, Aldermen Birnie, Gould
and Winslow voting yea, the others nay.
The convention then dissolved and the two
bodies adjourned.