Daily Republican., 1889-06-28
CITY COUNCIL.
THE LAST MEETING OF THE
FISCAL YEAR.
Blood on the Council Moon, but 1t Hap
PLY Disappeared-To Have "a Police
Matron, Free Parades and
Noisy Fourth.

lug. President FarrR was in the chair,
and all the members were present.
Mr.. Forrest, from the Law Committee,
reported favorable bill of Sl59 for pay
ing witness fees and incidental expe ses
OF the G rider bill investigation.
Mr.. Sharkey objected to the payment
of the bill. He wanted to see it itemiz d
and zee how such bill was created and
| what Tor. He thought the bill was eXor-
bitant, and he did not elieve the wit
nesses wou get the fees anyhow If the
bill was allowed.
Mr.. Quinn very Indignantly arose and
called MIR. Sharkey to order, as he was
rejecting upon the integrity and honesty
of the committee. "He might as well
call the committee pack of thieves, "
said Mr.. Quinn, land he would not dare
| to make snch an imputation In my pres
ence outside of this chamber" Mr..
| Quinn sawed the air with his arms, slap
ped his desk violently, and demanded OF
the chair decent protection from such
insults.
| Mr.. Sharkey looked on, half scared,
and half amused at the tempest he had
aroused, and said, "the gentleman from
the Second ward can be accommodated
outside, II he insists but, from q sug-
gestioh from the chair, he tempered his
remarks and said he meant TO impute no
dishonesty to the committee. He called
for the "ayes" and "nays' on the pas
,ry, n, ,,., hill and his call was seeonded
by Mr.. White.
The bill was ordered paid, by vote Of
% ayes, to two nays, the latter beir g
Messre. sharkey and White.
But If not greater storm q greater
surprise awaited council, when the Law
Committee reported the bills OF w. T..
Lyman and II. X. Kenney, Esqs., attor-
neys employed ty the committee on the
q rider investigation, for $500 each, end
Ing with recommendation from City
! Solicitor Turner, that an order for Sf0U
be drawn in favor OF W. T. Lyman to pay
the amount. Members looked at each
other In a surprised manner, and at Mr..
Sharkey to see what he had to say.
Mr.. Sharkey was soon on his feet and
wanted to know how many more of these
rider bills were back yet to be paid. Here
was one for $500, one for Sl59 has just
passed, $50 had been paid before; how
many more are coming2 1t was out
rageous
| Mr.. Quinn said he expected such an
outburst of feeling from the member
from the Tenth ward, who could not be
expected to grapple with such questions
He then gave brief account OF the his
tory OF the G rider bill, the appointment
of the committee to investigate 1t, and
the authorizing of that committee TO en-
ploy counsel. He was as much In favor
OF economy as anybody, but in the faca
of such Infamous legislation as the ridel
bill, he was In favor OF millions for de
fence, but not cent for tribute" These
attorneys had been employed by the CON-
| niftaa n Ea Mt knnWn xyh haf IN,
oil work would be required, and conse.
qnently no agreement was made as to the
price to be paid. Some lawyers wruld
charge 5000 for five minutes advice,
while you can get some for S5 an hour.
| Mr.. Hawkins was in favor OF post.
poning the bill. 1t may be all right, but
he wanted some better recSmm ndation
than the City Solicitor that it was right,
and Mr. Lyman could easily afford to
walt couple Of weeks longer.
Mr.. McMenamin did not see how
Council could help but pay the bill. The
committee had employed counsel IS au-
thorized, and the claim had been recon-
mended by the law officer OF Council, and
1t might as well be paid now as at any
other time.
Mr.. Chambers said the term OF the
present Council would expire tonight,
ard 1t should pay the bill out of the ap-
propriations for the present year.
Mr.. White objected to the bill as being
too high anyhow. The City Solicitor gets
81 200 a year for looking after this kind
OF work, why could not he have done 1t
Mr.. Turner, City Solicitor, was given
permission TO speak, and he said that
owing to report that he was concerned
In having the g street rider passed, he
was forced to abstain from taking any
part In the matter. He gave his consent
that the committee should employ special
council, without which consent this
could not have been done. He endorsed
and recommended the bills presented by
the attorneys without thought of
whethtr they were too high or too low.
1t was not for him to Judge of that.
After Mr.. Turner's explanation, Mr..
Sharkey said he saw that there was no
escape from payirg the bill and he would
now vote for 1t.
the committee thought that Mr.. Turner
had hand In having the G street rider
passed, but aiter full investigation he
was fully convinced that he knew nothing
about the matter.
Mr.. Turner stated that it would appear
from the statements made how very indie
llcate 1t would have been for him to have
taken any part in the investigation.
The bill then passed unanimously ex-
capt Mr.. White, who voted against II.
A letter from William P. Bancro;t.was
read stating the terms upon which he
and his brother had donated some IS
acres OF land to the city for park rur-
poses. The communication was ordered
filed.
The chair presented aud had read to
the Council the following communica-
tion from Mayor Harrington, vetoing the
Fourth ofJuly ordinances:
THE COUNCIL: The ordinance sub
mitted to me entitled an ordinance pro-
hibiting the firing of guns, pistols, IRE
crackers, or o'her fireworks, within the
limits of the city, passed at the City Hall,
September z, 1882, l herewith return
without my signature, for the following
reasons:
'Un the evening of June last, through
the courtesy extended by your honorable
body, l stated that 1t was practical
with the limited police force at present
existing, to enforce with any degree of
striotnees the Fourth day of July or the
day celebrated as su l., the ordinance of
September 1852, which at present is the
law. Accordingly suggested that some
change be made which would be for the
better, and as a result an ordinance was
framed having two sections and was in
troduced in the Council on the 18th inst,
the first section of which exempted the
Fourth of July from Its provisions, ex-
cept so far as related "to the firing of
cannons, guns, pistols and other fire.
arms" the second section of which pro-
vided that the mayor be "authorized and