Telegram-herald., 1890-11-20
AID ANOTHER VETO
Mayer Uhl Tanks the CITY After
hey Compstent
ADDITIONAL COUNSEL UsSECESSlRY
Hs ssys tie fiasaSss VI GEAnd HaPtes
are Los aad tk2t EesnoGy
shogia he Pragtiesd a.
Esszs oPEsrtanity.

Monday agdt the Council sdopted g
Fesolution ia which the city attorney
VAS authorized - employ additional
counsel % conduct tie Alleu-sE open
ing ease. II wss urged that tie three
rzi.Foad attorneys would he likely =
swamp the city's legal representative,
BAT Mayor I'll evidently thinks other
wise IS the following veto viii show
TO the Honorable Common Council Of
tie CITY Of Grand Rapids
hereby suspend the operation Of s
resolution adopted by yonr honorable
body ~ It's session NOV. IL by which the
CITY attorney Is authorized 20 employ,
AZ The expense OF the city, additional
counsel la the matter OF the application
and proceedings now pending H. the
superior Court or Grand Rapids FOX the
opening and extension OF Al!en-st, IA
tins city.
/. The charter provides title ", see.
u that the city sttOrney shall conduct
ana Try all eases wherein the city or
Board OF Education - party, Ia any
court OF record in the state OF IN the
circuit court OF the United States. and
shall perform such duties As usually
deyOlye upOn an attorney and counsel
lOr-at-law connected with the business
of the city. lie shall be the legal adj
visor OF the Common Council and
officers of the city and in general shall
not engage ia any other business con-
nected with ms profession during his
term of office.
The charter also provides for the APP
pOmtment OF an assistant upon the
nomination OF the city attorney and
for clerical assistance IN his office.
Under these provisions, IN my opinion,
the circumstances must be eXtraOrdi-
nary and the case or proceeding itself
Involve unusual difficulty and novel
questions to justify the expenditure of
the public money IN the employment
Of associate counsel.
.. In tins case the city attorney has
not requested additional counsel, and
has not signltied ur Indicated that in bis
opinion any is necessary; moreover !
am persuaded that he feels entirely
competent TO conduct such proceed
ings without assistance, and in my opin-
ion such assistance Is unnecessary,
whereas the adoption of such resolu-
ton might be reasonably construed by
HIM as 4 suggestion by your honorable
BODY that he should employ associate
counsel.
3. lie has had much experience in
! this class OF cases and uDalded has con
Quoted many of them with great sue
cess, and Is perfectly competent to
properly represent the city in the prem
Ises. No new or complicated questions
are involved and the proceedings enl-
brace mere matter of routine with
which he is especially familiar. To the
statement in support of the resolutions
that ne will be opposed by several at
torneys representing railroad corpora
tons, the answer is that IN nearly all
street opening cases where large mum
Der Of prOprIetlrships are affected the
city ust expect to be met by a number
of yers selected by the severed own
ers -. the property and such has been
the experience of the present city attor-
ney. In one case, tO-wIt: the North
College-ave. opening, there were more
than a dozen lawyers representing
property owners.
4. AS the proceedings in the matter
of this opening are likely TO extend over
several days the expense to this city for
such additional counsel Will of neces-
sity be quite considerable. In the pre-
sent condition of the finances as dis
closed by the report of your treasurer
as of the first of November, showing a
large number OF accounts largely over
drawn and the others greatly depleted
IT was never more impeI alive than now
that the public business should be con-
Quoted with economy.
Respectfully,
EDWIN F. Uni,
Mayor.