Daily Republican., 1885-02-23
a select Brsnch Of the C,,y Council


dred Thousand dollars 10 pay of the 7
floating Indebtedness OF the city. That l
the 'ity m ust have the money before I
the next fiscal year, July, cauuot be
we'll Disputed. The question In, how 4
shall that money be RAISED, by an act
OF the Legislature authorizing the Dor l
rowing Of the amount named, and add
II to the funded debt OF the city, TO be-
paid off in teu annual installments, or
shall 1t be ra sed by temporary loans
from the banks of the city until the
next fiscal year and then meet it, or
part of IL, by the appropriations Of the
next year Unfortunately, the ques.
ton has assumed somewhat of a par
tisan aspect, by the action Of the City
Council, twelve Democrats favoring
the appeal to the Legislature. and
eleven Republicans ;avoring the raising
OF the money by the temporary loan
plan. Outside of rhe City Council
there is more of anon PARTISAN division,
many OF the leading Democrats being
opposed TO asking Legislative interior
ence in the matter, preterring to shout
der our own burthens and to fight IT |
out on the home line. In either c.se it |
soeident that there mast be more |
practical economy in the future, no |
matter what party is in power, and a |
more judicious expenditure of the peo-
pies money, or the same floating debt, |
or rather one like IL, will pop up tS
stare the people in the face at the close
of every fiscal year.
1t has been definitely ascertained that
the Legislature is not in hearty sym
pathy with the plan of passing acts
whenever demanded, to add TO the
funded debt Of the city the floating
debts created from time to time Will
mington is the only city in the State
that can really be called a city, and
they do not want to see it bankrupted.
They, like reasonable men, argue
that a million and a half dollars of pub.
lie debt is as much as a city of fifty
thousand population can bear. and, as
reasonable men. they do not want to
add to the burthens already inflicted, II
there Is any other way out Of the diff
Guilty.
Even If they should pass an act per-
hitting the borrowing of one hundred
thousand dollars, they are looking
around for some plan by which the cres-
tion of a floating debt can be avoided IN
the future. senator McWhorter spent
last Saturday in calling upon several of
the leading business men and heavy
Taxpayers of the city TO get their
opinions as TO the best plan to be pur-
sued, and the expression Of feeling as
far as he had gone, was found 10 be in
favor of dividing the City Council into
two branches to be- called the Select
and Common Councils, as in Philadel-
phia, Lancaster and many other cities.
1t was believed shat one branch would
act as check upon the other. Senator
Nc Whorter, though he had no definite
plan for the formation ola select branch
of the City Council, suggested something
like this
Take one-third of the number of tn,
present City Council, which would b
about eight, or make 1t seven If need be
and. let those seven or eight be elect.s
by wards or districts and let them b
substantial freeholders, men who pa
large taxes in the city. A branch thu
constituted he thought il given prope
power and authority, but no more tina
given TO the lower branch, would b
sufficient to prevent all jobbery and Iii
tie populations that often occur. II
would have all appropriation and rev'
nue. bills TO originate in the lowe
branch but they would have 10
passed upon by the upper branch, an
no bills should be paid without r,
ceiving the sanction of both branche
The Senator was aware that his prop
sition would be met with the accusi
ton that this was but another plan
create additional Offices for Democra
to fill, but his proposition to not il
crease the number Of Councilmen ";
TO avoid that objection.
Such proposition is worthy of CO.
sideration. IL is found TO work We
In Lancaster city, and notwithstan
ing the alleged Encouragement of IL
CRY gJvernMent of Philadelphia, Il
select Council Of that city has repea
edly thrown itself into the breach VIII,
large and doubtful expenditures we
coLtem plated and prevented the co
summation Of the project.
1t will be very apt to appear 10 me
people that If a select branch Of {
City Council is formed that the
should be one from each ward maxi
the number of members eleven, a.
that the number OF mem bers of t
lower branch should consist of at les
twice the number in the select branc
which would make 1t twenty-five vii
Dub COUNTING the Irtslutnt VINO
elected at large and clothed with
functions and powers of a Councilma
1t is quite likely, too, that there wot
be lively opposition to the large IF
hold plan for the select branch as
these days Of liberal ideas, brains a
common sense are looked upon as
more value than money.
II a select branch is constituted
eleven members, that would be an
ira expense 10 the city of a couple
thousand dollars a year. This, it
said, however, ran be offset by 7
venting CoSdcilmen from earning
salary of $3.50 year by at,endi
Council and the committees, when
law only allows d.llar for each IN,
ing Of Council and fifty cents for e;
com mittee meeting.
II is not however, our purpose
discuss the proposition TO create sci
branch of the City Council, but to int
duce the subject TO the people Of v
mington, that they may discuss it in
various phases.
If a select branch of the City Co
ell can be tcrea ed free from parti
control, that will insure better g
eminent and more economy with
checking public Improvements,
question Is worthy Of consideration
Camden and Lancaster cities that h
Ralact Conupila ran hattar ron