Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-04-27
PLEAD NOT GUILTY.
THgNBXBgRS OF THS SECOND BRANCH OF
COUNCIL sNTBR A DBMURRBR
And Say Ii is Not The Fs1,. Of That Body That City
Legislation IS Gong Slow-Whai Was
Sad al Las, Nights Session.

Yesterday morning the REGISTER, IN IT'D
editorial columns, called the attention o
Ccurcii IN the fact that some matters o
municipal legislstion and some measures
Of public improvement had not been expe
dited al a rate proportionate to the inter
ests involved, aud suggested that Council
could, with entire propriety, DO something
| TO make amends.
During the session Of the Second Branch
last night, President Cruise, taking advan
tage Of momentary lun in the proceed
inga, said:
Il am glad to see the representative O.
the REGIsTKR here. have a great regard
for the REGISTER, and feel that it would
not do an injustice willingly, and feeling
thur, I desire to call attention to some
thing the paper said this morning. In al
editorial in this mornings edition, certain
structures were made upon Council az
whole. wabt to say that in my opinion
this Branch Of Council has been diligent,
and its members hardly deserve what the
REGISTER said. call the attention Of the
REGISTER representative to this This
Branch deserves something better"
Mr.. Seeley then rose in his place and
said:
Mr.. President. you have hit me right
where live ] read the article to which
YOU allnde more than once to-day; read
n more than several times. l tried TO gel
some comfort ont OF 1t for the Second
Branch, but failed to do 50. In the trs'
place, the writer Of that article failed "a
understand that this is new Council. lts
members came into the service OF the city
green at legislation, and unacquainted with
the city's needs. But the records Of TINS
Branch will show that since we have
been here-n0t vet three months have
performed vast amount of work. We
have found il necassary to undo some oil
the legislation which WAS found in ex-
istencs. and which We felt it expedient to
remove from the ordinance book, as well
"a TO devise new laws and transact the
current business Oftte city. think that
II the City Solicitor we're pnt on the stand
and asked the question whether or not
Council had been working, his answer
would be such a one as all would agree TO
lie has been az work every dag SINCE his
installation in office. TINS Branch, MI
President hiss not dilly-dsllied. There
has been but one occasion when this Branch
didn't clean its table ofbusiness before ad-
iourning. and then the business was post
poned but for one week. Now, they are
blaming us for don't know Just what to
call it-but lack of interest N the recon
structiou OF the Main street bridge; moth
ing hiss been done. FOur-htths OF
that iault lies with the old
Council. and with the old Bosrd
of Public Works. We took that thing
bankrupt of their hands, and in one night
We passed an ordinance through this
Branch. Pm talking about the Second
Branch. now. Some of the structures OF
the REGISTER were proper enough, but
unfortunately, they did not get the right
pig by tie ear. Then take the Police and
Fire Board ordinance They say We hur-
riedly knocked il out, and provided moth
ing. That WAS mistake. When the Or
dinance Committees report came before
Council 10 went TO a special committee,
and when that committee reported we
passed the ordinances. Then there's the
Finance Committee. l have been puzzliDg
nv brains to find out some law on the
subject, requiring that committee to re-
mort. and the only law | can find Is one
which says the Finance Committee report
NAV bs in the bands of Council in the
month Of May The time may
be extended until June. l find,
IN looking back over the records, that on
no two years has the Finance Committed
report been presented to Council on thu
same day. Twice the report has been
presented in April, bat once it was as late
az July. went 10 the Chairman OF the
Finance Committee, aud he says he hiss
been waiting for the report OF the City
Clerk. showing the estimated receipts, etc.
When he gets that report, the committee
will he ready 10 20 on. Mind, am no,
speaking for myself now, but for the COM
mittee: that's what It's chairman says.
Now. Mt President, I claim this: That
while some OF the STRUCTURES OF tue lsh6lS-
TER are lust aud true, some others are
wropg. But the main wrong lies in plac-
ING the blame in the wrong place. 1t Ia
not in the Second Branch. This Branch
has done its duty Every special meeting
of Council, 70 expedite business, has been
called bv the Second Branch, and not one
by the FIRST We have often been ready
TO 20 on with business, while the First
Branch has adjourned. Therefore, l say
the blame WAS wrongly placed. II the
fault lies with the FIRST Branch, or with
certain members OF that Branch, then let
the REGIsTER say so; let 1t point them out
let II gige IL 10 them. But the Second
Branch has done it's duty"
Mr.. Davidson said:
II want to concur in what Mr.. Seeley
has said. have not seen the article, bat
think this Branch has done its duty.
We have had meetings enough, God
knOWs'
This ended the discussion.
After the adjournment Of Council the
Committee on rire Department met in the
office of the City Clerk and passed a nun
Der Of important bills.