Omaha daily bee., 1888-03-29
Defyinp the Courts.

Resolved, That J. S. HaScall, Michael Lee
and J. M. Counsman be and they are hereby
appointed a committee to arrange for and
procure and they are hereby instructed to
arrange for and procure, by competition or
otherwise, suitable and sufficient plans,
sketches and drawings for city hall build
monty known and designated as Jefferson
square, as site and location for the same,
and said committee shall from time to time,
and at as early date as practicable, report
proval, such sketches, drafts and plans as
may from time to time be planned and pre-
pared; and, in the direction of, and arrange
ment for, such plans, drawings and sketches
they shall be limited to the sum of $500 900 as
the cost in full, and in all its details, of said
city hall building.
This resolution is a fragrant violation
of both the letter and spirit of the in
junction issued by Judge Doane and
concurred in by Judge Wakeley. Every
councilman who voted for it has laid
himself liable to the penalties imposed
by courts for contempt.
Judge Doane's injunction order is
very explicit and cannot possibly be
misunderstood by anybody conversant
with the English language. 1t reads as
follows:
An order will be made temporarily enioin-
ing the defendants (or such of them as the
injunction should apply toy from annulling
or setting aside the plans and specifications
of E. E. Myers, architect for the erection of
the city hall building, as referred to in ordi
nance No. $50, adopted and ratified by vote
of the majority of the legal voters of said
city, or from proceeding under any other
plans or specifications or any substantial
change Of the Myers plans until an ordi-
nance specifying such plans, or substantial
changes in the Myers plans shall have first
been submitted to and ratified by majority
of the legal voters Of the city voting thereon.
Also from removing or destroying the base
ment or sub-basement already erected upon
lots 5 and 6 in block 116 in the city of Omaha.
Also from erecting or contracting to erect
city hall building upon any other
ground than upon said lots above described
until an ordinance proUtding therefor shall
hare been first submitted to and ratified by
q majority of the ICgdL pOterS of the city
voting thereon, or from using any portion of
the bonds voted for the purpose Of paying
for the construction of city hall for the use
of the city of Omaha called "city hall
bonds,n or the proceeds thereof for the erec-
ton of city hall on any other site than
upon said lots above described, until an ordi-
nance providing for such use shall have been
first submitted to and ratified by a majority
of the legal voters of the city of Omaha
voting thereon
This order will not interfere with the
changing of the site for city hall building
nor with the adoption of different plans and
specifications upon which to erect it, pro
Utded the question of such site and plans
shall be first submitted to and ratified bU a
majority of the legal poterS of The city
Uoting thereon.
In the face of this injunction nine
councilmen have recorded their votes
for proposition to locate the city hall
on Jefferson square, while the ordi-
nance locating the building on Eigh-
teenth and Farnam, ratified by the
people, still remains In force. They
have voted to incur liability of sew
eral hundred and possibly thousands of
dollars for architectural plans for a
building to cost 100000, when the court
expressly enjoins them from any such
scheme until the existing ordinance, by
which the Myers plans were ratified,
shall have been repealed by
the council, and that repeal has been
ratified by majority of the people.
Nobody knows the scope of Judge
Doane's injunction better than Hascall,
who acted in the double capacity of as
sistant city attorney and defendant in
the case. Nobody knows better than
Hascall that the resolution for which he
and eight other councilmen voted was a
defence OF the order of the court. Had
the resolution passed we have no doubt
that Judge Doane would have taught
Hascall and his followers to respect his
orders.
THERE could be no better evidence of
the inefiiciency OF Mr.. Villas as post
master general than is presented in the
fact that his successor is finding it nee
nnrn ~, In. nAiA,Ifa 4 ions intn