Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-05-09
COUNCIL 70 1svEsrlaArn.


loaded, which provides for the deposit OF
the Street and Sewer Commission funds
at the will of the commissioners. 1t will
be remembered that Council had decided
not to disturb the present system OF de-
posting the funds, and that when the
Legislature was called upon by the
bankers il decided that IL would not In
terfere In any case so clearly within the
Jurisdiction of Oounoil, and bill taking
the Street and Sewer funds entirely out
Of Councils depository was voted down
almost unanimously and could not have
passed either house of the Legislature.
However, on the closing day OF the ses-
sion harmless bill with rider adroitly
attached was presented by Lewis o. Van.
degritt, Esq, Counsel for the several
banks, and unsuspiciously passed by the
General Assembly. This rider contained
just the provisions relative to the Street
and Sewer fund that the Legislature de-
cided it should take no action upon, and
by this trick the General Assembly M
consciously voted directly against its
previous action, which was unanimous.
There are several, very many, cironm-
stances attending the passage of this
rider which convicts its advocate Of Ito
put it mildly rank dupiioity.
Even those who favor q distribution Of
tire oity'a funds, denounce this piece Of
trickery through which the measure was
in d small part accomplished, and there
is not voice raised in defence of such
disreputable practices as were employed
in the passage of this measure. The
members of this Legislature have already
discussed the calling of special session
to restore the operations OF the paaled
supplement referred TO, and thus rebIke
suoh methods as were used TO impose upon
them. No member thus far expressing
himself seems cognizant Of the passage
OF the measure and surely no one was
familiar with the repeating rider. SO the
whole affair was apparently conceived in
darkness and contaminated by triekery.
The statement of some of those who we're
OF Dover at the time and interested in
honestly opposing the distribution Of the
fund presents the methods by which
the Legislature was tricked.
Willard salisbury, Jt., Esq, in re-
viewing the matter, states that when the
subject came up two years ago IL the
| Legislature there was difference between
| the Street and Sewer Commission and
the Water Commission actf relative to the
! urpObllol AAGlI k0A-
tlemen who were advocating the street and
Sewer Commission act were spoken 10 by
me at the suggestion of the late Victor
DUPONT, Esq They disclaimed any il.
! tention of purposely making any dis
tinction between the friends Of the two
departments and said the matter oil
deposits OF city funds had not
been Thought of. The gentlemen
/ A. M M
j. A. Draper, A. G. Wilson, j. L. Oar.
penter, Jr., and others. They were afraid
1t would jeopsrdize the measure to have
the Senate make the amendment and send
it back 10 the House for concurrence
being understood that it would moi
pass the House second time,
Under these circumstances they agreed tc
recommend the passage Of supplement
that would place the fund in the SAINT
position as the water department moneys, il
no opposition was presented to the pas
sage Of the bill as it then stood. Thii
was agreed to and the gentlemen
referred to united in petition
to the Legislature asking tn,
enactment of the measure and it passet
without opposition. Then the matte
rested for two years until the fight owe
the deposits began inSOounoil when a
is well-known the advocates for diyi
sion OF the funds were defeated.
The fight was then transferred TO tn
Legislature and bill introduced dividing
tle city moneys into six funds su,
directing that no two OF said funds shout,
be deposited in any one bank. This bill
was fully discussed one evening betor
the Senate-by all parties interested AM
the next day by the unanimous vote OF tn
Senate the bill was indefinitely postponed
Then bill was introduced in the Senat
through Joseph L. Carpenter, Jr., an
Il. q. Ysndegrift, Esq repeating tn
supplement to the Street and Sewer Com
mission bill. which is designated as CHAP
ter 1883. Volume XVIII. Upon learning
that this act had teen introduced sav
Mr. Carpenter end recalled to him tina
he had recommended the passage of tn
act (the same supplement) and told hir
that 1t would be very bad faith on hi
part TO advocate the repeal OF thi
measure after he had secured ths
portion of the law in which he was intel
ested. ] also made the same statemer
20 various members of Che Senate sayin
l had already so spoken TO him NJ,
Oarpelter
'Jhe bill repeating the street an
sewer supplement could never have passe
the Senate. l know positively OF onl
two votes it was sure OF. There might,
think, have been three votes in its favor
know there would have been four vote
against it, which would have defeated il
and two members of the Senate woul
have taken no part whatever.
"Ihe bill was reported unfavorabl
. from the committee on revised sta
u.ss on She morning of April 26tt
the last day of the session an
it was never called up for passRg,
was satisfied on Friday morning tbs
everything was all right, so far as th
oity's moneys were concerned, ana
went into the Senate at o'clock in th
morning with the intention Of remainin
until the final Adjournment. About l
O'Clock / WAS told that Mr.. VAndegrii
: wanted to see me in the house and l in
! mediately went over to ascertain what
wanted. He stated, ss near as / can II
member, the words, that he sent for me
let me know that he would introduce in III
! House the same bill that WIS pending
the Senate and that Mr.. Gray would offe
the measure under the title Of an act i
relation to manufacturers. MIR. Vandt
grift further said that while he did nc
think it was absolutely necessary that h
should let me know concerning his in
teutions, he wished to be perfectly fran
} about it and not take any advantage Q
do anything in an underhsnd manner.
'Being satisfied that the bill in tn
Senate would never pass, immediatel
went over into the House TO prevent il
passage there. Within q half hour ba
tine assurance of 10 or 15 members the
they would not vote for the bill when
was introduced, ii being unfair, as the
held to undertake to rush Though
measure of the sort without possible or
portunity of discussion.