Daily Republican., 1886-06-30
CITY COUNCIL.

HsS iiSe rom Iho Mayor Containing
Tsome Excellent suggosaons.
An adjourned meeting of City Com.
cil vas be!d last evening with Pro6i-
dent Eckel in the chair. The Rel .as
called, after which the standing eon
init ices were called.
The Opening StTeeta COMMITTEES re-
por led number of bills, and Mr. Newell
mo ved that they be- allowed and orders
drown for the amounts. Mr.. Murray
said that he found the committee had
out % left of their appropriation an6 he
wanted to know where the money was
TO come from.
Mr.. Newell moved that 1t be taken
from the incidental aud miscellaneous
appropriation, which still has several
hundred dollars to it's credit, when Mr
Murray contendeG that 1t could not be
done except by ordinance to that effect,
which would have to be passed by O
two-third vote of Council.
Mr.. Merris Taylor denied the neces
sity OF an ordinance, and said there was
no law in relation to the matter. che
bills OF the Street COMMITTEES, or any
other COMMITTEES, could at the end Of the
fiscal year be paid frofc any unexpended
Appropriation. It had always been the
custom TO do this, and he had tried al
the last session of the Legislature TO
have n law passed designating the City
Auditor, or some other competent per-
son, TO decide which Vnexplred appro-
prtation such bills shohld be D. 4 from,
bat had failed 20 DO &c.
Mr. Murray had the clerk re5d from
section 65 of the revised charter, which
provides that it shall not be lawful to
pass any ordinance or resolution TO
transfer from one appropriation TO
another, except eunh transfer be fret
approved by the Finance Commit zoe
aud orlored by two.thiTd vote OF
Council.
President Eokel also resd part of q
section which provides that all trans
iars from one appropriation TO another
shall be by ordinance.
Mr.. Merris Tavlor again spoke in
81 oport OF Mr.. EeVell's motion, and
{ clntended that rs all this money has
been appropriated for the expenses OF
the city, aud while sone appropriations
we're exhausted aud others we're not,
Coancll had perfect right to say that
bhis could be paid from any appro.
priation.
Mr.. Newell said it had always been
the custom at the close OF the year to
pay bills in that way, and there had
heve- been any dispute about il before.
Mi. Moors replied that he Wss aware
that 1t had always been the custom be.
fore the law just read was passe1, but
he 1ouced that since then it had not
prevailed, and called attention to the
fact that fey weeks since, when the
Com mitt-e on Streets had exhausted
their appropriation and desired to AXE
some money from another appTopri'
alton, II had TO DO done 6y an ordi.
nance.
Mr.. Murray said that be did not wish
to be understood as opposing thase bills,
for he thought the men should have
their money. still he wanted iL TO be
paid In a legal manner. The majority
of Council had prevented his being on
any committees, consequently he knew
notning about the bills until after the
committees passed upou them and
made their report to Council.
Mr.. r II. Taylor said that while Mr.
Murray might be right in regard to the
law, he made a misstatemeDt chen hC
said that he was prevented ssSrins on
tho committees. He had been Of.
fered place on the Finance
Committee, but refused to take it
the same as he refused to accept place
on any OF the committees. He CHARGED
him with having shirked his duties and
said that he was nothing bat an obstruc
ZIONIST aud fault.fnder.
Mr. Murray rose and was about to re
ply, when the President informed him
that as he had already spoken severa
imes he would not be allowed TO say
anything further, unless no other mem
Der wished 10 speak. He said that he
wanted to vindicate himself, but upon
being ruled out of order took his ssat
President Eel1el then said that ac-
cording to his understanding OF the
provisions of the charter, the billf
could not be charged to another ap
preparation, and therefore decided that
the motion to pay them from the ap-
preparation from inoidentRls as not in
order.
Mr. Merris Taylor said that with ell
due respect to The President, he begged
leave to differ from him, and again
contended that it would be perfectly
legal to pay these bills in the way pro-
posed.
President Eckel replied that if he
was in error in the opinion he had Just
that as the City Solicitor was present,
be would, If it was the pleasure of
Council, be pleased to hear from him,
and If his opinion of the law was diff.
eIent to his decision he would defer to it.
Mr. r. II. Taylor wanted to know
whose opinion Council was to be gov.
erued by. He thought the members
had something to say in the matter,
and as the President had decided the
question they would have to abide by
1t or appeal from his decision.
Mr.. Moore contended that as the
Solicitor was the law officer of the city
they were bound to be governed by his
opinion, when Mr.. Taylor reminded
him that he had changed his mind
within few years, as when this same
Solicitor decided some time ago that the
act creating the Water Commission W was
legal Mr.. Moore and his Republican
friends had refused to accept the opin-
ion.
Mr.. Newell asked leave to Withdraw "
the bills and made a motion to thai
effect, when Mr.. Murray objected and
another animated discussion ensued
which continued for some time.
Mr.. II. II. Taylor raised the poini
| that as the president had decided the
motion to approve and pay the bills 81
being out OF order they were not before
Council, aud the matter was ended by
the president declaring the point wei
taken.
The Finance Committee reported IL
favor of refunding So overpaid tax to j
G. mearns, and on motion of Mr.. Taylor
an order was drawn on the incidenta
appropriation for the amount.
The Fire Committee reported in favol
of awarding the contract for eight fir,
alarm indicators to the Gamewell Com
pany at $l25 each, and the report wa
IAccepted