Evening journal., 1888-12-07
COUNCIL IN SESSION.
Mayor Harrington's Bin Once More
Refused Payment-A Petition Provid-
Ing for Two Detectives.

dent Farra in the chair There was a
full Council. excepting, Mr.. Thomas John
son Of the Third ward. The city auditor.
on motion Of Mr. Quinn, was directed to
enter lien against the estate of Jacob
Herdmann, deceased, TO the amount of
$l2350, for paving done by the Board Of
Health in front Of Spring alley on French
street. The Police Committee presented
report in favor of retaining the police
man at Eighth Street Park, and another
adversely upon the bill Of Dr. i. II.
bravo for S27 for services rendered at the
police station. A communication was
read from II. II. Carter, superintendent
of the P. W. & b. II. r.. stating that
orders had been given to the employees of
the company not TO allow cars to remain
on the street crossings.
The report of City Treasurer Griffith
showed balance in bank TO the credit Of
current expenses amounting to Sl68. q
SOC. IS. and park fund S427. o.; receipts
from E. p. Moody of $627; M. J. Mealey,
81 600; w. Y. Swiggett. So; w. b.
Hyland, S936.sS; Patrick Dillon s57
Frederic IL. Robinson $04 So.
City Auditor Newell reported that he
had examined the accounts OF f. T..
Moody for the year 1886 and found them
correct. The Finance Committee made
similar report. They recommended to
allow So, IA for errors, and also to in
struct the clerk to notify the city treas
urer TO settle in full with Mr.. Moody.
The monthly report Of Building Inspec.
tor Dillon for November stated that he
had issued eighteen permits for the cree.
ton of buildings valued at $50, 100. and
had collected $57 during the month Coal
Oil Inspector Samuel Durney reported
the examination Of 1850 gallons Of oil
during the month of November.
The pay roll of the members of City
Council amounting to S343. 20 was pre-
scented and read At the conclusion Of
the reading Mr.. Sharkey moved that the
pay roll be referred to the joint commit
tees on finance and law. In his opinion
some members were receiving too much
money. He could not see how thirty five
meetings could be held in one month
The motion was defeated by the following
vote Ayes-Messrs. Bower, Hawkins,
Mcbride. Mccall, McMenamin, Roberts
and Sharkey-7 Nays-Messrs. Ayars
Raugh, Beale, Chambers, Coley, Davis
Dillon, McGonigal McKenny, Ryan
Quinn, Forrest, Sawdon, Shea, White
and President Farra-17.
The joint committee on finance and
police presented two reports on the pay
ment of the mayors bill for the employ
ment Of detectives. The majority report
was signed by Messrs Quinn, McGonigal
Sawdon, Baugh, Ryan and White, and
was as follows
Gentlemen The joint committees Of
Finance and Police to whom was referred
the bill amounting to 1894. "a for services
of special officers employed to assist in
the prosecution and conviction Of certain
persons engaged in Illicit selling of
liquor, etc, respectfully submit: There
is no appropriation out Of which the same
can be paid, nor has Ito the knowledge Of
the committed there ever been one even
remotely considered.
while your committee are satisfied
that the executive or the prosecuting
officers Of the city are bound and should
take cognizance Of any and all informa-
tion to be used in enforcing the laws and
ordinances or the prosecution for viola
tion or infraction Of the same
1--WE think in this case, viewed in the
light Of a previous action Of your honor
able body, that authority has been some
what exceeded as no legal or other pro
vision has been made to meet the case.
1--WE would further submit to your
consideration that our municipal govern
ment rs such, through it's official chan
nels to hire men, to be a party to induce
or inveigle others to break the law and
to profit by it, is not proceeding, to our
minds, based on sound ethics Moreover
your honorable body on recent occasion.
nv ttskof t~o.s ..,uufI,,.oI rod IN,
lent reasons, refused to divert certain
revenues for the same purpose. We can
not see how this can be paid without
your previous action and plac-
ing premium on an assumption of your
vacillation. We. therefore, report adj
versely to the payment Of the aforesaid
bill.
The minority report was signed by
Messrs. Chambers and Moore, and was as
follows:
1--WE, the undersigned, being members
of the Finance and Police Committees of
City Council, having met in joint session
on Wednesday evening, the 9Th instant
TO consider the communication and bill
presented to Council by his honor the
mayor, said bill contracted by the mayor
in employing detectives to ferret out
those who are guilty of gross violation Of
the liquor laws, they respectfully submit
the following as a minority report of said
and would recommend that
Council pay the bill. Our reasons for
such actions are thus:
Il. We believe that there is a fragrant
violation Of law governing the sale Of
drinks to such an extent
that its demoralizing and communicating
Influences are blighting society
- That we believe il to be necessary
to hire detectives on this work on account
Of their ihcognito, as it would be an inn
possibility for policemen, who are well
known 20 law breakers, to get the re-
quired evidence to convict them.
%. That the city treasurer has received
1891. % in fines from those convicted
upon the evidence Of the detectives three
times the amount Of the bill. We also
believe shat society has been benefited by
the work accomplished by this method to
that degree that would be an impossible
ity to compute in dollars and cents
While the argument taken against the
payment of the bill is that il was con.
tracted contrary to the ordinance controll-
ing the disbursement of the public's
money. While this may bctrueit is not es-
tablishing a precedent. as hundreds Of
dollars have been paid for bills similarly
contracted, often cases where the public
received but very little benefit We do
not question the methods Of the detec-
tives, IS that is their legitimate calling
and recognized as their right even by the
the national government itself. It
is an indisputable fact that
those convicted We're law breakers