St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-03-18
CROwLEY-wILLIAMs CASE.
A Spirited Discussion by the City
C0uncil--Is It n Whitewashl

4 Spirited Discussion by the City
COunciI--Is It n Whitewashl
The Crowley case came up before the city
council last night through a report from the
board of supervisors of the poor. The re-
port was read and Aid. Lawrence moved
that it be placed on file. Aid. Walsh moved
as an amendment that it be referred TO
special committee for investigation. The
question proved veritable fire brand. 1t
provoked an exciting and spirited
debate, occupying considerable time.
Aid. Walsh, who was the champion of the
cause Of making a thorough investigation,
said the matter looked very dubious 1t is
no credit to the board of supervisors because
il is not responsible. He argued that the
matter should be investigated at once and
the responsibility fixed. The president
seemed to be OH the other side of the fence,
and was manifestly greatly agtated.
President Clark-Ald. Walsh, / should like
to have the city attorney submit an opinion
on this matter. have got no axes to grind.
The city attorney said that an original
motion could be submitted to censure any
city official Any independent action can
be taken on the information submitted. He
declared that the board of supervisors is an
independent board, and consequently the
city council must take an independent action.
The council can take any action at once if
it wishes. These are not reports to the
city council. The supervisors are not a
committee of the council, but an independ-
ent board created by the legislature.
Aid. COmstock moved TO refer back to
the supervisors.
Aid. Hashow undertook to take the floor
but the president called him down with the
statement TO refer was not debateable. but
Md Hachoxy irncisfad fba+
able, and the president, while insisting that
he had no axes to grind, acQuiesced and
listened to Aid. HashOw's debate. He
moved as an amendment that the matter
be referred to a special committee TO inves-
tigate. Aid. Comstock explained that he
wanted to refer it back to get more in
formation. Aid. Marick said that full re-
port had already been made, and he could
not see what more The council desired. nor
what more the supervisors can give.
Aid. COmstock took the floor and again
stated his motion. He reiterated that the
report was
NOTHING BUT A BURLESQUE,
and the council could not act intelligently
upon the information given. Aid. ClOugh
took a like ground; he could not see
what more the body could ask for.
Aid. Noerenberg then arose and eX-
planned that the board had voted that all
matter pertaining to the Crowley-W illiams
case be submitted to the council. The
superintendent has not seen fit TO carry it
out, and the alderman could not under
stand what more could be done. Aid.
Swanson thought the motion to refer
back was only q scheme to stave off the
matter. Aid. Sly recited the status of the
case. He said the council must adopt one
or the other report, the majority or the
minority reports. Laying the question on
the table looks much like lodging the
issue. Aid. Hashow stigmatiZed Aid.
Comstock'S motion to refer back as more of
burlesque than was the report proper.
After the president had ruled that no report
had been submitted, and that the whole
discussion was out of order, Aid. Walsh
was suffered to say he had not waived his
position in Difference TO the chair, but in
Difference to the opinion of the city attor-
ney. He had asked for a report. and was
willing to accept the report received as
bona fide report, and he was anxious to con-
slider the question, A vote on AID. Com
stocks question defeated it.
Aid. Clough here took issues with AID.
Walshs expression. He wanted TO state
that the communication from the board of
supervisors was only for information.
The chair then put the motion which had
been made by the third party member from
the Eighth ward to place the communica-
ton on file. Aid. Eichhorn asked to be
excused but was not. The same NAV be
said of Aid. COmstock. For the reason. as
he said, the whole matter is intended TO
censure the superintendent. AID. Pratt
voted aye on the question. The motion