St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-04-03
AN ADJOURNED SESSION.

AN ADJOURNED SESSION.
It was voted that an adjourned session OF
the council be held on Saturday evening Tor
the purpose of disposing of large amount OF
accumulated business
The election returns were referred to a
special committee composed OF Aids. john
son, Walsh and Cooley, for canvass.
Pending the report of this committee, the
rules were suspended and the committee on
claims presented the monthly budget OF bills,
and warrants for the same were ordered
drawn in favor of the various amounts de-
signated.
Ex-CITY ATTORNEY BENToN's BILL.
The bill of c. II. Benton forlegal services in
the case of the Manitoba Railway company
was reported back by the committee on
claims, with the recommendation that the
amount claimed, 81, 500, be allowed. Aid.
Holscher moved the adoption of the report,
and the motion prevailed. The committee
explaind that at first they be-
lieved the bill to be exhorbitant,
but afthr careful investigation they deter
mined that the amount was reasonable. AID.
Andrews stated that he was of the opinion
that the case would be taken into the supreme
court, and he favored retaining MIR. Benton
to care for The case, and explained III ad-
| dition that the committee had so arranged
with Mr.. Benton and the sum OF 81, 5CO
would pay for the entire legal services. The
motion that $1,000 be paid now and 81 600
as soon as the case had been carried through
the supreme court was. adopted, Aid. Lee and
Aid. Roberts alone voting in the negative.
A warrant for the ST, 500 was ordered drawn.
PETITIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS.
Janney q Kearney were granted permits
sion to erect fire proof building on Third
street between Nicollet avenue and First
avenue south.
A large number of miscellaneous petitions
and communications were read and referred
to proper committees and aldermen.
A communication from the board of water
commissioners, containing the notice Of the
Water Power company respecting cleaning
out the rocks near the water works. Re-
ferred to the new council.
STREET sPRINKLING.
Richard Forestal petitioned the council to
withdraw his proposals for spr!nkling streets,
owing to the fact that he had neglected to
make provision for sprinkling paved streets.
Aid. HashOw moved that the prayer OF the
petitioner be granted. The question gave
rise to spirited discussion, Aid. Watt hold
ing that it would be establishing bad prece-
dent to withdraw proposal after having been
submitted, giving any contractor an oppor-
| tunity to get out of contract in which he
had made too low proposals. Aid. Roberts
believed it would be a policy which would
offer premium for combinations among
contractors, as against the city. The motion
was lost.
AID Roberts offered a resolution to yacate
Twenty-eighth street between Fort avenue
and the Chicago, Milwaukee Il st. Paul COM
pany's right of way.
KEEPING SIDEWALKS IN REPAIR.
The city attorney offered a resolution from
the committee on streets, grades and addi-
lions, imposing additional duties upon the
street commissioners, in that they shall at
once report to the city council all defective
sidewalks which shall need reconstruction.
The resolution was adopted
The city attorney reported back the matter
of changing the materials for sidewalks
which have already been ordered co Instructed
FROM WOOD TO BRICK,
and advised against such action.
Aid. Glenn arose to explain that he had
moved to refer the matter to the city attor-
ney, and he stated that the city attorney had
evidently misunderstood his intention. He
wished the city attorney to give legal opinion
whether or not the city council could abate
assessments for paving streets and laying
sidewalks, after the same had been levied.
He thought it a hardship upon poor property
to pay the assessments in one year for side
walks, gutter and curb stones, and paving
the streets, explaining that he referred
to First street. He favored abandoning
the projected improvement for one year,
that is, abandon either the paving or else
the sidewalk, if it was in the power of the
council to take such action.
The city attorney was instructed to report
his legal opinion at another meeting.
PUBLIC PROPERTY.
The committee on public buildings re-
ported an invoice of the public property OF
the city, placing the total valuation at
1851, 1863, and giving detailed statement of
the same.
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