The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1884-02-06

Pending discussion, the hour of the reg
ular order arrived and the bill to amen'
the charter of tie city of Jackson va
| taken up.
Mr.. Montgomery. Of Bolivar. said it va
a bill which affected the interests OF ever.
town and city of the State. and offered q
q nendment to include every city and town
IN the bill; men who voted ag inst the MAJ
now in Office objected TO the passage OF tn
bill.
Mr.. BramIette spoke against the amend
ment, and moved to table.
NJ. Montgomery, of Bolivar, on the mo
/ ton to table. said the bill was wrong anS
he to * his stand on principle, and callet
| for the ayes and noes. The motion to tabl'
was withdrawn.
Mr.. Williamson renewed ihe mo.ion II
table.
SIR. Montgomery cal ed for the yeas ane
nays OF the motion to tab,e, which motion
prevailed by the following vote:
YEAs-Messrs. Alexander, Bake-, Baird
Barks iale, Bassett, Beeman, Bell, Bolton
BOSWELL, BramIette, Bridges, Butler, Cam
eron, Cook, Cory, Cowan, Crawford, ,Crunp
Currie, Denham, Eason, EloclIs, Evans
Favre, Flowers, Gordon, Gore, Gnvan
Guynes. Harper, Harrison, Howi I'd II 'yle,
Huff, Hughston. Jones, Kendrick, Kit rell,
Lamkin, Lewis, Love, Magruder, McCool,
Mo Neely, Montgomery, of Oktibeha- Nj ,ore-
of Monroe. Moore, of Yalobushl, Mu lins.
Murry, Myers, Nabers, Nash, Norfeet, Nor
rell. Odom, Pound Powe, Reagan, hogers,
Rowan, Russell, of Clay, Russell, cf Rank n,
SaI ders, Selman, Simpson, Stevens, Stra-
har, Underwood, Waldrip, Narfeld, Wat
ling toa, Watson. White, Whitman, William {,
Williamson, Wilson, Mr.. Speaker. Total
II.
NAYs-Messrs. Applewhite, Askew, Glenn
ems, Coates, Ferguson, Foules, Henry, Hor-
ton, Hudnall, Johnson, of Carroll, Mcleod,
Montgomery, of Bolivar, Moore, of Issalu
ma, Parker, Poets, Peyton, Pope, Robin
son, Settle, Spencer. Total-2l.
Mr. McNeeIy spoke to the merits of the
bill. His position was peculiar one. In
presenting the case he wished to do justice
to all parties. The Judiciary Committee
had examined the case calmly and delib-
srately, and had withheld their opinion un-
til the last testimony was taken, and on
final consideration it was recommended the
original bill should pass. Later the sub
stitute was offered and while the committee
was not unanimous it was the prevailing
;entiment that it should pass.
In ls75. one John McGill was elected
Mayor and had been reelected for five con-
secutiye terms. Four years ago Il e people
getting tired, tried to make n cl ange. A
man was brought out whom they all could
endorse, but he got counted cut. Two
years ago an attempt was made to upset
the administration, but the stronger their
complaint the less success they had in throw
ing off their yoke. At the late election the
people thought they must change the ad-
minis ration, and leading men, ministers
included. took an interest, but the cohorts
rallied about the saloons and other hooks.
and the result was the coils of the serpent
grew tighter. Then the people appealed
to the Legislature for relief.
He read the petition of the oppressed
citizens setting forth their griefs. Upon
the introduction of the bill, it was referred.
Is the recommendation of that Commit
tee of any weight. Whose names appear:
Are they of the rabble, or are they the
names of men of consequence?
Mr. McNeely read The names appended
to the petition. and commented on the
merits of the gentleu en- who had signed it.
He quoted the standing of the papers of
the city of jackson on the subject, and ex
pressed much wonder why THE CLARION
had taken no part in the discussion on any
side in the battle (As the speaker left
rHE CLARION. and got on to the walls of
Jerusalem. at this particular point, the re-
porter lost the line of his argument.) He
said there was no oIitical significance in
the bill. All parties had signed the bill. In
1882 the Legislature passed an amendatory
act to the charter of the city of jackson,
and read section ten of the charter which
provided for a re ular report from the
Board of Mayor and Aldermen yearly; the
DILL was introduced from the fact that the
necessity existed, for this report had been
neglected. No complete showing had even
been made of the taxes collected by the
present administration, although it was
computed they amounted to thirty thous-
and dollars annually. This fact was oEe
of the strongest points on which the speaker
dweIt. and lie stated it was incontroverta-
BILE
Continuing his re. ding, he read that
$32 600 had been cole: ted from the city in
1882. and the officers of the city were
placed there as servants of the people and
IS such wJre bound to make a report of
their stewardship. The people had tight
demand complete and correct balance
,heet; the reports of tie finances of the
city were very unsatisfactory. He took 1t
for granted that the members of the House
took an interest iu the cause that he repre-
sented. The streets of jackson were al
Iuded to-What is their condition? The
people had voted for good streets and good
sidewalks, but he hadn't seen them yet, nor
had the visitors to the city, and posterity
wouldn't be apt to see them under the pres
ent administration. Mr.. McNeely then en-
tered into minute discu. sion of the wrongs
complained of by the signers of the petit
ton to repeal the charter, and supported
his argument by reference to divers doCu-
ments. He argued the power that made
could unInake. and took his seat after
speech of an hour and halfs duration.
Mr.. Bell said the bill was aimed at one
of the fundamental principles of govern
ment-a right secured after years of labor,
of fights through veal and woe and bloody
tide of battle. Have the people of Jackson
violated any contract under which their
charter was granted, that their grievances
should be thrust on this Honorable body?
No, they had gone into the conflict with the
divine principle that Democrats must rule
and had elected Republican mayor, and
for that reason must be disfranchised.
He referred to the dark days in the his
tory of the State, when the evils of misruIe
caused heart-throbbings and rising In the
throats, and those who complained mostly
then were now calling for what they then
complained about. The people who COM
plaine had but to go to that same tribu-
nal presided over by John McGill and make
afidavits and the evil would be corrected
Why did they. not do it! If things were
rice rsrsG. things would be different. 1t
made difference whose OK was gored. In
regard to the honorable names annexed to
supervision, he liked and regarded them
but he deemed them signatures to petl-
ton of this nature as of no more conse-
ouence than that of Christopher Columbus.
Mr.. Bramlette SPOKE in favor of the pas
sage of the bill. He said the bill was an
act to amend the charter of the city OF
Jackson. and not to abolish it, as had been
stated By the newspapers throughout the
State.
Mr.. Mcleod said the question was one,
neither partisan or race, He opposed the
substitute as he would have opposed the
original bill. 1t restricted the right of
1000 oulIified voters of Kinds county. and
sueh restrictions were contrary to the prln-
cinles Of the government under which we
i've. He asked if there was a remedy pro-
posel to the alleged evils complained OF
The proposed bill did not. The oFiglnai
bill was a bill to turn ont the people who
were now in Office. The substitute propos-
ed to keep them in but tie their hands.
The act of the proposed commissioners
can nuIlify the act of the officers elected by
the people. He asked, does the record Of
1865 reject credits Viii the proposed bill
remedy the evils complained of No line
Of action was laid down. and although
charges and charges had been rung through
the hall against the administration, upon
investigation they fell to the ground. The
taxes had been properly collected and prop
erly disbursed. Only quarter of cen
tury ago the idea contained N the biil was
evnloied on the field of battle at
a expense of millions Of money
and the sacrifice Of q million lives
Regarding the printed reports of the city
osicers he said that prior TO the time they
were printed, the record would show that