Morning journal and courier., 1889-01-19
AN ..ourLY1NG DISTRICT, ,,

AIN tsOUTLYHNG DHsTRIOT.o westvile speaks upon City and Town Consolidation at Her School District Meetlng-Plucky George Mansheld- The Resolutions Adopted - What Some ofthe Town Men Argued-But one Discordlng Man.
 A special meeting of the Westville school district to consider the consolidation ques- tion was held in the Westyille school house last night. The basement room where the meeting was held was crowded. c. s. Clapp was chairman, and A. 2. Downes secretary. It was evident from the first that the oppo- nents of consolidation were alone present, and what little debating was had was due to the pluck of one man.
 To begin the proceedings Hobart L. Hotch- kiss offered the following paper:
 Voted, That in the opinion of this meeting the proposed consolidation of town and city govern ment is opposed to the spirit of our institutions in forcing upon a system of government that we do not want and which in our Judgment would be % Ss dtt sS the % %0Gyng ana f same.
 George Mansfield immediately offered an amendment to this providing that com- mittee of three be appointed to confer with
 
 Der of Commerce to make conditions for just and equitable plan of consolidation. In defense of his amendment MT. Mansfield said: "Any system of taxation should be consid- cred according as the resultant benefit the people taxed. We have been benefited was the establishing of police force. An other step was the putting in of electric lights. The question is whether we can go any farther and receive proportional benefits. It has been stated by high authority before the Chamber of Commerce committee in New Haven that consolidation would save $50,- GOO to our town taxpayers. It will surely come and any reverse action we can take will only delay matters" MT. Mansfield contin- tinued to defend his measure at some length. When he had finished he was sharply assailed with questions by Selectman Beecher and others present. MT. Mansfield seemed to be the only man in the room who had courage to oppose the idea of consolidation. MT. l.. W. Beecher said that as to MT. Mansfeld's that consolidation was sure to come, death was also sure to come, but he didn't intend to commit suicide to help it along. "As we are now," he continued, -four solid vote counts as one against the city, but if we are incorporated with it we will have but ,5o0 against 50,000. Then they will have ma jority and we cannot hold the horse if it runs."
 MT. Hobart L. Hotchkiss jumped up after MT. Beecher had finished to add his weight in sitting upon MT. Mansfelds amendment He began by trying to sit upon the daily papers of New Haven H said they had consistently represented but one side of the question and didn't give the town any show whatever. "Why, ex Mayor Lewis himself said after he heard our side that he didn't for once sup- pose that so much could be said against the measure" MT. Hotchkiss went on: "As 8 matter of fact, cities don't give any kr k1pS- akr a%o hoI been part of the city we wouldn't have had an electric light here as long as we lived. Your lots and other property would depreei- ate in value, for we wouldn't have as many improvements as we do now. The Court of Common Council don't care a straw for the city. They are elected by wards and look out only for their own constituencies. Where would Westville be with only ore alderman against all these ward traders9 It isn't the city of New Haven that favors consolidation, but the same old seven or eight city taxpay CTS whom we have met before and who have now got into the Chamber of Commerce" MT. l.. w. Beeoher then arose and asked Mir. Mansfield to withdraw his amendment for his own sake, for it would surely be voted down.
 'sNo," retorted Mir. Mansfield, "no, you can't get me to withdraw it by that threat, I've been voted down in these meeting too often io fear that. put forward the amend ment because it is what I believe and will stick by it."
 A few more remarks were made and the amendment was put to vote. MT. Mansfelds bold "aye" was the only vote for it and so it was lost. MT. Hotchkiss' resolution was then carried. The following paper was then presented by MT. H. L. Hotchkiss and passed:
 Voted, That L. Wheeler Beecher, Burton Dicker- man, Joseph D. Payne, M. E. Terrell, John N. Aus. tin, George E. Bradley, E. L. Hitchcock, Hobart L. Hotchkiss, Robert Veitch, jr, and M: J Murray be hereby appointed @ committee in behalf of this district in the matter of the proposed consolidation with full power to take such action and adopt such to protect the interests of the taxpayers of the district, in their judgment the matter nected with the proposed change may from time to time require.
 After passing this vote the meeting sd. journed.
 over the Metallic Circuit.
 The COURIER office employees were treated to some fine playing on the harmonics last D,;I