The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-05-10
But Lack Of a Quorum Causes 1t
To Fall Through.
CITY INTERESTS SUFFER FROM A
CHEAP PARTISAN TRICK.

Reveal the Missing Aldermen-Just
How Alderman Guptill Has Performed
All the Skulkers Had Ample Notice.
A special city meeting was called for
last evening to arrange an important
matter relating to the temporary loan of
100000, bids for which were opened
and awards made ON Monday. This
temporary loan was authorized by an Or
der drawn up according to the form
which has been in use by the city gov
eminent for long time. This order has
been criticised as defective in times past,
and when Byron D. Verrill, Esq, as
counsel for the banks which are to loan
the money to the city began investigat-
ing on behalf of his clients, he decided
that a more explicit order should be
passed by the city government in order
to make his clients safe. The city is in
urgent need of some of this money, so
| Mayor Baxter called special meeting
for last evening to pass the needed order.
Two notices of this meeting were sent
| out, one in the morning and another
about o'clock p. m. Both notices were
printed, and the last one specifically stat
ed the object of the meeting, as follows:
City OF PORTLAND, May 9, 1888.
A special meeting Of the City Council will be
held at their room, at 7.30 O'Clock this evening,
| and any other business that may come before it.
| You being member are hereby notified to be
present Per order of the Mayor,
GEO. E. MACGoWAN,
City Messenger.
| One of these notices was given by City
Messenger Mcgowan personally to each
alderman, except Alderman Tolman
Oem.), who is understood to be in
Washington, and Alderman Josselyn
(Rep.), who was in Boston.
| When the hour of meeting came last
evening, Mayor Baxter and Aldermen
Strout and Prince were present. So also
were the Common Council, except four
members. President Randall called
them to order, and they waited for bust
ness.
But in the Board of Aldermen no quo
rum appeared. Neither Mr.. Guptill,
Mr.. MCGOWAN or Mr.. Bracket.
upon each of whom personal
notice had been served, was present.
They all must have understood that it
was to be an important meeting. Mr..
| Guptill is member of the finance com
mittee, and must have known that the
time for completing the loan expires to-
day, at noon, and that without the re-
quired action of the city, government
this loan must fall through. He also
must have known that the city is in ur-
gent need of money.
Yet he and his two associates who are
in town deliberately staid away, thus al
lowing the loan to fail, and greatly en-
barrassing the city. There is no room to
| doubt that this non-attendance was the
result of a deliberate scheme to break a
quorum and prevent any action by the
city government. Mr.. Tolman's absence
left the Board of Aldermen three Demo-
Gratis to three Republicans (supposing
Mr.. Prince to vote with the party that
elected him) and would thus give the
Mayor a casting vote. This was the way
the Democrats reckoned it out, they not
knowing Alderman Josselyn was in Bos-
ton. AS a matter of fact Mr.. Josselyn
would have offset Mr.. Tolman; but thew
did not know it. They thought proba-
bly, that there might be chance that the
Republicans could take some action like
the confirmation of the spe cial police
men appointed by Mayor Baxter, so
they resolved to stay away, break a quo
rum, prevent a meeting and even stop
the loan. They succeeded; but as the re-
suits showed they took much unnecessa-
| ry trouble.
l After the city government had ad-
journed without doing any business, an
effort was made by the PRESS to find the
missing aldermen.
Mr. Guptilps house was visited: but
his family were in utter ignorance as to
his whereabouts. He had gone out and
that was all they knew about it.
The same thing was true with regard
to Alderman MCGOWAN. He had disap-
pearediutterly.
At Alderman Brackets house the
PRESS representative was informed that
the Ward statesman had gone to Sac
carappa.
Late last evening it was ascertained
that City Treasurer Libby called on AL
derman Guptill and explained fully to
him the situation and the urgency of it.
The city owes the state over $65, 900, bal
ance of the state tax of last year, which
the Ingraham administration left unpaid