Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-05-11

Inc Citizens by Majority of ae5 Al.
wise the
oo""ci' to Make a Contract Win ~
Augusta water Co.

""ci' TO Make Contract Win ~.
Augusta water Co.
IN accordance with the order na.soa H.
o'y Council, general meeting of .ho -.
.e"s was held in Or mite Hall yesterday a.
'er"oon Tor the purpose of taking vote n
see II the city would advise the Civ corno;,
70 make contract with the Augusta w.t.,
Co., the meeting to commence at . o,o,aoL =
the afternoon, the polls to omen q, .
O'CLOCK and close at 10 o'clock p AZ
OF the same day. At the hour of . who.
'he meeting was to begin, hardly a nor..
"ao appeared in the hall but ere MANY min.
a'es had elapsed the voters began to straou,e
IN. The flow rapidly increased and in af,eon
minutes the hall was well filled. There .ro
numerous excited discussions over rho o,o.
.'on 10 De voted on and citizens were profuse
III 'heir arguments pro and con, emphaticallv
expressing their minds in regard To the mo,+ar
AT 20 o'clock P. NJ, City Clerk blanchard
appeared on the platform and ,a,,aa tho
people TO order. He read the warrant and
drew the attention of the citizens to the far,
mat there was no article in the warrant ~,
thorlzing the election of clerk and aid -. =.
he understood that the Citv Clerk w.s ~
one to act in that capacity.
E. w.. Whitehouse, ESQ.,. moved that the
choice for moderator be bv accla-
nation and that Judge w. p. White
Whtehouse be chosen. The motion was
carried. was
onaee Whltehouse on taking the chair
orleny addressed the meeting, az follows.
Men of augusta:
for the dweliers in our cities there ia ord
nariiy no such thing as general debate and
deilneratlon concerning the numerous ones.
tons upon which they vote from time To
time in their respective wards: and modern
craftsmanship has sought in vain for soma
means to supply that training and education
Tor citizenship which were so well suppled IN
the generations gone before, ny the good old
fashioned town-meeting. But this apparent
oefect IN the system of government under city
charters has ben remeded to some extent
IN our city bv that provision of its charter
which r'quires the Mayor and Aldermen.
upon request of thirty legal vot-
ers, to notify and warn general
meeting of the citizens to consult
upon the common good. And it was a wise
forecast which thus made special provision
Tor the exercise of that great privilege guaran
teed to the people by the constitutions of both
State and nation, and which must be accord
ed to all men who would enjoy good govern
ment and liberty under law,-the privilege of
peaceablv assembling for deliberation upon
matters of special moment and concern. In
accordance with the notification given in pur-
suance of this provision in our organic Law.
you are now assembled for the purpose of de-
liberating and giving in your ballots upon the
proposition which has been read to YOU by
the city clerk, relating to contract for a
further supply of water. 1t ia not my prov
lnce or purpose to present any of the argu-
ments or confederation which in my judgmen mt
ought to have a controlling influence on your
minds. You have been liberallv informed
upon the subject during the last week by
means Of the public press and numerous cir
culars daily distrbut among you Indeed,
you NAV tnvr inferred from these sources
that great pubNc cav. rnrisrs are now stalking
rapidly upon hr i'ri f each other in eager
competition Tor the privilege of comforting
lasting benefits up"n cur city. | scarcely
need remind you that the proposition now
portant. on the one hand, as involving the
consideration of the health and comfort, and
the protection of the property of our citizens.
Ii is important Oh the other hand. as invOlv-
ing a considerable expenditure and a possible
increase of t'xation. 1t is important in all
respects as involving, to sem degree, the
permanent welfare and prosperity of the city.
| need not remind you that Use and judicious
action ian only come from candid discussion
and dspassionate Judgment. The question
before you is claimed to be legitimate bust
ness proposition, and as such it calls for the
exercise of Judgment uninfuenced by per-
sonal favortism and selfish interests on the
one hand or unjust prejudice on the other. 1t
is true that your action is expressly required
to be advisory only. But apprehend that
the honorable and intelligent gentlemen who
compose our City Council would not lightly
disregard the will of their constituents, when
regularly and fairly expressed. For obviously
the action inspired by the wisdom and sense
of Justice of the sovereign people should con-
troll municipal policy, as it has in centuries
pact shaped the policy of States and nations,
and must eventually control the destinies of
all the empires of the earth.
We are nov ready to proceed to the con-
duct of business.
Mr.. Heath arose and stated that a fair vote
was desired by all, and read the resolution
pripted in Yesterdays Journal, stating that it
had been agreed upon by all parties. He
then named the following committees to re-
ceive, sort and count votes: Ward l, l.. B.
Hill, Lyman w. Mason; Ward 2, w.
Rollins, C. B. Morton; Ward 3, G E. Grover,
II. w. Gould; Ward 4, C. Cottle, A. ID.
Townsend; Ward 3, George Hoyt, W. FL.
Libby; Ward 6. C. II. White, +. l.. Earring
ton; Ward Z, j. II. Wall. w. Hanks.
The committee was accepted by the meeting
By the time the committee had been chos-
en- the hour for the polls to open had nearly
arrived. and no discussion ensued as had
been expected. At 3 o'clock all had been
made ready for balloting Seven tables, one
for each Ward, with the requisite number OF
ballot boxes, had been arranged imm 'dia'ely
in front of the stage, Ward l being on the
left. The ward committees took positions at
their several tables. Eyes and mo
ballots were deposited in conspie-
nous place. One committee man
held the ballot box the other the list OF the
ward represented Each voter whose name
was not found on the March list was allowed
to deposit his ballot after writing his name
thereon: and such ballots were counted sep
aratelv. promptly a: thres o'clock the mod
orator announced to the meeting that the pro-
position of the Augusta Water Co. was TO
he baloted on and voting commenced al
/, 70, tItn al.