Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-02-04
MORE MONEY FOR THEPOLICE
An Ordinance for an Extra
Appropriation.
Mr.. MURRAY MAKES A PROTEST
1t Is Claimed That Council
Cannot Help Itself.
The Police Commission Can Contract
Bills at Pleasure, But Council Must
Pay Them--An Interesting Discussion
mt Thursdays Meeting OF City Council.


Bills amounting to $S15.64, for the
collection of garbage, were ordered
paid.
The law committee reported that the
ordinance entitled an ordinance regu-
lating auctions and auctioneers and the
ordinance amending the ordinance
creating payroll system for the de-
partments of the city contain nothing
contrary to the city charter. The ordi-
nance governing auctions and auc-
+ tioneers was passed and referred to the
mayor.
The city treasurer reported that
Council has 69,0S3.19 in Union
National Bank and 1880 in each of the
four depository banks to the credit of
current expenses and $4 ,454.62 in Union
National Bank to the credit of special
fund. He also reported the following
receipts: From Collector Mitchell, 1920,
city and school tax for 1890; from Ad-
ministrator Mealey, 800, horse and
mule tax for 1890, $100, city and school
tax for that year, and 500, horse and
mule tax for 1891.
AL The city auditor certified to the cor
rectness of the accounts of the city
treasurer and reported the total amount
Y In bank to the credit of Council to be
e89, ,S37S1.
no the committee on fire companies
vas referred petition from Chief Engi-
1eer Robinson of the fire department,
y skiing that telephone for the use of
the department be put in each of the
engine houses.
tI& The annual report of the president
) md the secretary and treasurer of the
y Board of Health was received, its read :
Ming in detail was dispensed with and 500
Ri copies were ordered printed, the cost
not to exceed $50.
a AN EXTRA APPROPRIATION.
Mr.. Cotton introduced the following I:
WHEREAS, The estimates of expenditures
for the fiscal year ending June Both, 1892,
were made and approved May 7th, 1881
previous TO the passage of an act to provide
for the appointment of u municipal police
commission for the city of Wilmington,
passed at Dover May 10th, 1891 which act
removedth control of the police depart
ment from the mayor and Council and
provided for additional officers, increased
expenditures, and
WHEREAS, No provision was made by
the preceding Council for the increased
expenses, it has become necessary to make
an extra appropriation to defray the ex-
penses for the balance of the fiscal year
therefore, be it ordained by the Council Of
Wilmington;
Section |. That the sum of - be and
is hereby appropriated and credited to the
appropriation for the police department,
Section .. The amount so appropriated
shall be paid out of the taxes, rents and
receipts of the present fiscal year il the
same shall be sufficient and in case the
amount OF this extra appropriation shall
be in excess of the taxes, rents and receipts
of the present fiscal year, then such
nmOunt Or thn pNppSg pf SiIpl unnount
shall be provided Cor and included in the
appropriations made and taxes levied for
the ensuing fiscal year.
Pending the motion for the "iirst
reading" Mr.. Murray asked SIS il an
extraordinary appropriation In reply
President Benson said YES" "rhen,"
continued Mr. Murray, sit should state
what the extraordinary occasion is. II
requires an extraordinary occasion for
an extraordinary appropriation. Pro-
vision was made for the police depart
ment this year just as much as Tor last
year. The sum of $4,000 was appro-
priated and yet there remains only
about Sl79 for the remainder of the
year. The appropriation was not for
salaries but for supplies. The police
commission act was passed before the
general appropriations We're made and
Mr. Cotton was member OF the finance
committee when they were made. If
the police appropriation was too small
he should have said so then. Themem-
bers of Council are personally liable if
they vote to create an extraordinary ap-
preparation. The police commission is
extravagant. | said so the first night its
bills came in and say so now. Council
has encouraged the extravaganza. 1t
will ra bFof ff,tt hr 20,
the ordinance. Why not prepare an
ordinance to transfer or draw from the
other appropriations | will not vote
for the orliess ace unless | see some ex-
traordinary OCCASION. II Is unfair to
the taxpayers to make an extraordinary
appropriation. With economy we could
pay from other appropriations the
police bills. One extravaganza on the
part of the police commission was the
removal of the patrol station, which
necessitates the employment of three
extra patrolmen."
Mr.. Cotton read from the police COM
mission act that the expenses of the
police department, including salaries,
must be paid by Council and said it is
the opinion of the city solicitor that
Council must pay all bills of the police
commissions contraction. "As mi
nority member Of the finance committee
of the late Council" he added, II pro-
tested against the police appropriation
when it was made. | told the late
chairman of the committee it was too
small. The preamble of the resolution
states the extraordinary occasion"
Mr.. Murray-"lhe police department
has no right to go beyond its appropra-
ton unless there be an extraordinary
occasion, and will read section 65 of
the city charter and get the clerk to read
sections n and ~ (Which was done) to
show We have no right to create an ex-
traordinary appropriation. | cannot see
how any member of Council can vote
for an extraordinary appropriation in
the face of this"
lr. Murray started to talk of cur
tai Ing expenses, when Mr.. Mckelvey
ar Sc to point of order, declaring that
Mr.. Murray was objecting to bills in-
stead of discussing the ordinance. Prcsi-
dent Benson ruled that Mr.. Murray's
remarks were relevant to the question.
Mr.. Murray-"l was merely giving
4 advice
MIR. Colton-"In justice to the finance
committee of the preceding Council it
could not ask the Police Commission,
the latter not being formed, for an esti-
mate of its expenses. In April we can
ask the commission for an estimate.