The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-12-17

4
asa ruse ngseneod fte police ceHrfz wheaeye-
eaa1ed 1po.. baf n aczzs iEstAEces have bee1
saahze % appSar o ssnd . s1bsEtEze- / woasd
Yecontmeaa Il e. krsecsai assistant BE given TIE
esgy axssvney II tee police courts. 70 Be paid
stated salary ~ { psres1EaSs 81 the fines col
ieetsd b this means mare vigorous prcSe-
eets0u Of law breakers woHs6 rssnls ard ths e.
lara 81 sk4 police wgal1 be IsrgssT snpPte-
menfs1-
Tsuhssf his s6s.erzeat. together win my res-
iwnaraoD. fsEilng fsKi eaaaOt properly pursue
aay other course. The oeEee OF ezsY ssEcEney was
crested - tine waen tae legal hsas pees q tee
city was com p4Fafzveiy fn&iGaineaat- Wild tEe
growth e. the eIty. sae dates &ad exeefious 81
tie g.Bce Esss casrespcrdiagiy DslsipAesL l
Do naf feel. neder the Circumstances. thai with
5uzssen 90 rnysgit or 70 the p1hEic. shoaId loc-
ger undertake 70 administer this comprehensive
and Faoxt responaibls uast. Gnot.ng from Tie
yersors ~ wfieh reteFred. i reel that no atsor-
ney. however eo.apetens aud faS@sszigsls.
eouse hnpe D. discharge eHieiensiy the mas-
fifanSzs. duties 80 whiea I hare referred.
fee. morseveT, tkst ! should plainly SAP SO.
Year honeTabis BODY nxy noe agree With ny
views Ia ne premises The limited aid have re
cessee fn sae discharge OF my dztfcs has doubt
Ics4 appeared - yeEr honors Is liberal as the
circumstances wo1lf Justify. Whist have szsd
5 not in the spirit Of criticism TIE relations,
personal and Official. that haFs existed between
"a. have been o. s uniformly pleasant character,
ard I regret 20 srader them But personally
and ~ official c0aaEa Grieatioa. have endesF-
orcd 10 SET forth the imperative need Of furnish
issg relief 70 my ovegbHs3ened Office without be-
Ing ahie 20 secure the assistance that ] deem
demanded By the exist ng state Of the public
business. am unwilling 70 b. held responsible
for the fate oi momeus0us interests 10 which /
have 20 opportunity 70 give proper attention.
a sense o. duty TO myself and the obligation
owe 10 the public conktgain me tender my Fesig-
ration herewith. and 10 request the eppoan Mt
raens OF nay successor Al the earliest convenience
OF your honorable body. / remain, your 0bedient
servant,
Il b ALsxkrs0S. City Attorney.
The resignation vas referred 20 the Judiciary
committee without any debate whatever.
The former communication 70 which the city
attorney referred was published in the Posi-
IETELL5GExcEg Of October ] having been IRE
sented to the council the preceding evening,
and was as follows
GENTLEMEN ] took occasion 81 q recent meet
Ing Of your body 70 cali attention in gen
eraiway 10 the bread scope OF my duties
rs city attorney and tbs multitude OF
weighty interests entrusted To ny official care.
A segixs OF duty % the public and TO myself now
eonstxaips me 20 present the situation more
deliberately in order that the status Of the LEGAL
business of the city aay 10 thoroughly under
stood and proper measures taken by your hon
orabse body in the premises. Al the close Of
eases nov on the docket Of the distrirt court.
showing In detail the character OK the litigation,
the amount Involved and the present state OF the
pleadings with reference 10 the nature OF
these actions, Il viii be found that eighty five
have been brought by the city upon delinquent
street grade assessment. The city IS plaintiff In
three and defendant III two Injunction SUITS Is
defendant ia one damage suit. and is defendant
In suits brought BY the holders OF street grade
scrip issued by the cts. IN addition, there ere
on the docket twelve condemnation proceedings
for the widening and extension Of certain
streets None Of these proceedings have pro-
crossed far enough for the levy of tax 70 meet
the cost involved, I'D IN several instances the
appraisers have failed to file a report / have
made every endeaYor 10 bring abous promptness
OF action ia these matters, and shall hasten the
proceedings by 81 means In my power. II wiz
he seen that the great volume Of the city htiga-
ton is with reference q the street Improvements
OF the eighiy-five street grade eases Low on the
docket she great majority are musty with age.
But one suis OF this character hes ever, that
can discover, gone 10 a trial Servics has never
been perfected ia many instances, while large
proportion now stand upon demurrers and mo-
tons. The legal questions involved IA this
branch Of the city litigation, and the issue OF
which Is OF such vital moment TO the public.
have never been passed upon by the dis
triet court aud in the prosecution Of these
eases. the closest legal research is
demanded of the city attorney in addition 10 the
labor ct investigating obscure matters of the
past Apart from the task OF pressing suits that
have already been brought, there remains 10 be
instltated q multitude OF actions upon long
siumberiug street grade assessments. II Is highly
Important that suits should he brought without
further delay upon all Of these delinquent As.
sessments, aud would recommend here that
list OF the came be made out and furnished the
city attorney for that purpose, and that here
after actions be promptly begun as soon as an
assesSs.ssIaent falls due. Delay in this respect
has caused hardness and absolute neglect on the
| part OF mgay who otherwise would doubtless
hSye promptly settled aud nothing bat yigor-
| Gus action on the part OF the city can bring
about a punetaai payment Of such assessments.
While referring 10 the suits OF the city IS
plaintiff. deem II proper 20 advert 10 class Of
actions Of a serious nature that the city VIII in
/ ail probability be Obliged to defend. | am not
able to state the total amount Of street scrip IS
sued ~ the city that Is now due. Tbs sum is Of
/ a magnitude, however. that eonfroEts the city
/ with grave and perplexing situation large
amount al this scrsP Is OF such ancient date IS 10
border on the outlAwry Limitation, and the city
IS already defendant IN two cases brought By the
/ holders OF such warrants. the precursors of
! m&ny more that threaten 70 follow as the har Of
! ire statute Is approached Your attorney VIII
| be called uuoa 20 defend against these mont
! mental claims. The responsibilities of the trust
/ are emphasized IN the bare statement
u ia FAR from my purpose TO reflect in any
manner upon Tay official predecessors in re-
/ legriHg 20 this Volume OF accumulated and an.
j hnissted business. Owing 10 fatalities On the
! bench aud the crowded coalition Of the court
/ docket the cases 81 the city, as OF private lia.
Eauts. have bcca necessarily continued from
( term 20 term. Daring ths short time since my
accession 70 the Office. Il hiss bern impossible to
ger any % these actions on the trial docket Bus
/ IL now seems possible that vigorous psoxeou-
/ uoH wiH result without much further delay in
their anal ADJUDICATION. But the work invoived
Ia shis prosecution yet remains 30 be eanc Not
theory but "a embarrassing condition. If
things Is presented.
In pointing The moral Of this report must
also advert 30 another important branch OF mr.
/ esaesai duties The city attorney Is called nposl
10 pesAaesss> ~ criminal actions asoEghs against
the city. where the defendant appears By coaa-
I sci Under exlsslag eondittonS. he is nos able
to give TIE attention 10 these cases thai shoai8
properly * s-<foWpd ] have. however 70.
sFsended in nearly eTssS fz<sSace 70 the calls
made spaa nae srom that quarter. A few eases
have been dismissed hscAase OF Qfacisl engSEe.
meutS thai prevented nv attendance al tne
hearings. TIE sfs0gasY tos he city Is al beet
haFrica inhe trial wsfhoaf "a opportunity "a
gen4gser ~ say Anee fse charges preferred aud
has na oFpersaasSy 80 Supplement- the eaarfs q
E shc fss5ssa wsSA tha en0ANal aa3 NlgtlAas Co
orersEssn thas Should ~ leat ia that digaclior.
We're tAe f<oseeaiiaE oghees enahsea 10 give
more active assistance IN enforcing chs city o.
ainAarcs. nes on}g weala tire maintenance "A
good aseeF es pzeuaossd fAsrssy. ezt the rcyeuue
{ IL xNs CTS wouAa d eorresraaaingiy increased
] viii no< dwxli araa tas Wcrk attaching 10 Eay
ossic0 IN canaecsiaa via ths essFEent easaess Il