Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1890-02-14
COMMUNICATED.


number of citizens appeared before
the Town Council AM presented to
that body a petition, signed by fifty
odd voters, asking that the Council
order a special election to be held one
week before the corporation election,
at which special election the question
of license, or no license, be submitted
to vote of the people. The petition
ers gave as the reason for this request
their belief that it would be for the
best interests of the town TO eliminate
entirely the question of license, or no
license, from the corporation election.
The petition stated further, that, if
necessary, the expense of holding such
special election would be borne by
the petitioners.
The petition was read by one Of the
Councilmen. The Mayor asked if
there was anything to be said on the
subject, and several of the petitioners
present made remarks, explaining the
petition and asking the Council to
give it consideration. A motion was
then made by member Of the Coun-
Gil to grant the petition. He said at
the same time, such an election would
be illegal, as proper notice of it could
not be given four weeks in advance.
Another member of the Council said,
that because such a vote had been
disregarded, as he asserted, by a Coun
Gil some years ago, he would always
oppose submitting the question of Ii
cense, or no license, to vote OF the
people. There the matter rested.
After waiting awhile some of the
petitioners present inquired if the
Council did not intend to take any
action whatever on the petition. The
Mayor replied the motion TO grant the
petition had not received a second,
and could not be put to vote with
out second. The Mayor also said
that one of the Councilmen thought
such an election would be illegal. One
of the petitioners then asked the May
or if the answer of the Council was,
that they would not consider the pc
tition because the special election
would be illegal. The Mayor replied,
No. have no authority to answer
for the Council The Council have
taken no action on the petition and
have given no answer To it, and | can
not make them do So"
The Mayors reply stated the plain
fact in the case-the Council had pre-
scented to it respectful and reasona-
BILE petition, signed by fifty odd citi
Zens, and the Council took no action
on it and gave no answer to it.
1t is not desired to criticize the
members of the Council. There is no
personal feeling against any of them
prompting this communication. For
some of them there is personal friend
ship and regard. Nor is it the pur-
pose of this communication to deter
mine the motives which governed the
members of the Council in this mat
ter.
All that is wished is to place before
the public the action of the Council,
or rather their failure to act at all on
the subject, their treatment of the
petition and petitioners, as it was cor
rectly stated in open Council by the
Mayor. The Council have taken no
action on the petition and have given
no answer to it.
The right of the Council to take any
action they pleased on the petition is
not questioned. If u motion had been
carried to deny the Petition if mo-
ton had prevailed even to consider,
or not to consider, the petition; if any
action whatever on the subject had
been taken, with or without reason
assigned, however much the petition
ers might have disliked that action,
they would nevertheless have been
forced to admit the legal right of the
Council to take whatever action it
pleased on the subject.
But according to the public state
ment of the Mayor and according to
what everybody present must have
seen and heard, the Council took no
action whatever on the subject.
In parliamentary usage matter of
this kind is not formally before de
Lucrative body until some motion
with regard to it has been made and
has received a second. And so as a
matter Of fact this respectful and rea-
sonabe petition signed by fifty-odd
citizens of our town was not permitted
by the Town Council to come before
it at all in a formal way.
1t was only by the courtesy Of the
Mayor and the sutferance OF the Coun-
Gil that the petition was even read
and that anything was said informally
on the subject. The Council abso-
lutely have taken no action on the |
petition and have given no answer to
It,"
The right OF petition by anybody
on any subject is universally admit
ted under our constitution and gov
eminent. The quiet ignoring OF that
right by the Council, the silent indif-
ference with which the petition was
treated, was plainly an abuse of au-
thority, and a wrong done the petit
TONERS, and as such will be con-
demned by all fairminded people,
whatever their opinions may be on
the merits of the petition,
CHARLES GHISELIN.