The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-04-24
The Sudden Adjournment of
the Board of Alder
men Last Night.
WHAT PRECIPITATED IT.?
Talk About the Mayors Salary
Revolution and a New Finan-

The adiournment Of the meeting of the
Board of Aldermen last evening was a
good deal more interesting than it's bust
ness session.
The members had settled themselves
down, apparently. to comfortable
nights work, wheno sudden Alderman
Jordan sprang to his feet.
"Move we adjourn, p he shouted.
Alderman Reardon. in his quiet, nervous
way, almost as soon as Alderman Jordan
had delivered his motion from his lips.
Moved we adjourn, " shouted President
O'Neill, while loud calls were yet being
made by others of the astonished mem
bers for roll call. ''All in favor say
ayel Carriedi Board stands adjournedp'
Down came his gayel on the stone with
such impetuous force that the head flew
off and narrowly escaped taking City
Clerk Scott's left ear off in it's flight, in
which case his left ear wouldn't have
been his left ear any longer
AsToNIsHED ALDERMEN
Seven astonished men stood up in their
seats and looked around at each other in
bewilderment O'Rourke was the first to
find his tongue.
eve called for the ayes and nays before
the motion was put he said.
"That's all right, retorted President
O'Neili as he slid from his desk off the
dais and gathered his coat and hat from
tho book that c1Ipuarfpd than
But seven members call for the ayes
and nays!' O'Rourke persisted as he
looked around on Aldermen Reardon,
Marinus, Shawda, Salinger, Elliott and
Jewkes, who were standing in their seats
in an attitude of mute expectancy
sit don't make no difference" was
O'Neill's parting shot to the seven statues
as he left the chamber.
81 direct the clerk to call the meeting
to order,n was O'Rourke's next move
"There are seven members, a quorum,
here"
City Clerk Scott stood irresolute and
O'Rourke repeated his instructions.
'The President of the Board has de-
clared the meeting adjourned, said City
Clerk Scott, sand thas would seem to put
it beyond my power to act. I"
All, what's the use!' exclaimed Alder
Jewkes as he put himself into his light
spring overcoat and thrust his head into
his hat. "O'Neill's declared the Board
adjourned. and we can't do anything"
Then he joined the six Aldermen who
had fled from the chamber. His depart
ure destroyed the quorum and put an end
to all moves for a continuance of the SeS-
sion.
ABOUT A NEW FINANcIER.
There was a broad smile all around
And then everybody began to enquire of
everybody else what it all meant.
What did Reardon and the rest propose
to do?
What did O'Neill and the rest run away
from?
''Why we were going to elect a member
of the Board of Finance" said Alderman
Shawda, when l approached him for in
formation
bergh's resignation had been read and ac-
cepted by the Board before the fun began.
His was the place they proposed to fill.
"Ahr' remarked. 'tand whom did you
propose to electf'
"Henry Lembeck," was Shawda's re-
sponse.
The man who was most excited by what
he described as O'Neill's arbitrary ruling
was Salinger. There were rumors around
that it was he whom the surprised COM
bine contemplated fitting to Mr.. Harden
bergh's shoes.
1t is not quite clear what particular
point is. to, be, gained by electing, or the
failure to elect, q member of the Board of
Finance. 1t will leave the old Board of
Finance with only four members, and so
make it easier, perhaps, to destroy the
fighting quorum of the Board.
Those who were smiling loudest, how
ever, did not say anything about the Board
of Finance vacancy. They talked rather
about the possibility of action under the
new bill enabling the Board of Aldermen
to fix the Mayors salary Mt $1,000, or at
any other figure on the biggest side of
$500.
AN ODD DEADLOCK.
'It looks,n some one said, "as though
there might be a deadlock between sal
ary and appointments. The Mayor may
defer his appointments till his salary, is
fixed. The Aldermen may defer fixing
his salary till his appointments are an
nounced"
There's no question about the Mayors
salary in the business Alderman O'Neill
explained to me when sought him in his
saloon after the adjournment. eve all
want to make his pay IS, 900 year-give
democrats. And when the time comes
Wen fix his salary without any trouble"
But it seemed to be a question as to
which side. and who of which side, should
have the honor of introducing the resolu-
ton to that end.
"a certain Alderman went to the
Mayors house." was the explanation a
shrewd headed leader, who was smiling
all over his round face, gave me, ''and Of
fered to introduce the resolution fixing the
salary Later he made overtures looking
to the appointment of himself or q friend
of his to place in the Mayors Board of
Fire Commissioners If the Mayor cannot
have his salary raised to d figure commen-
surate with the work he does, without
putting himself under pledges, why he
does not want it raised at all. 7"
why did you go to Mayor Cleveland 8
house to offer to raise his salary for himp'
| put the question to Alderman Shawda
only because he happened to be the first
Alderman who ran in my way after had
heard the story.
LUCKY SHOT.
His reply showed that had made a
bull'seye shot.
why" he answered, mayor Cleveland
sent for me to 90 to his house. He wanted
to see me about some stock or something
that had belonged to Jim Startup at his
death. We talked about that, and the
conversation drifted into other matters,
and finally to the question of his salary.
/ told him l thought 5000 was little
enough for a man who had to do the work
imposed on him, and that would offer
the resolution for the increase, which ap-
peared to be agreeable to him."
'Did you afterward ask him to make
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