Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1894-07-25

pend chiefly on whether or not the
temporary injunction 10 made permn-
nent The COURTS order prevents
the sale, at least until the
date named, Of the S25, 900
In bonds which the city Council In.
tended should 20 10 the copper plant
company, under an agreement made
by a previous administration. This
agreement, the plaintiff In the present
case alleges, wa, Illegal, ami he SEX.
the court 10 prevent tue contamination
Of an unlawful act.
The Legality Of tho City Counoips
sciion was Questioned at the time the
appropriation was made. and the
mayor vetoed The proposition, but was
ovefruird. The News strongly took
the position that the Couacil was
exceeding It, o0rporats powers 10
using public iuudi "a tha. wayi
this opinion is unchanged. Il was
shared in by large portion VI tho PEG.
pie, who Will be- gfauhed TO have tho
courts specifically define the corporate
powers 90 this regard. Afterwards the
money was Appropriated ostensibly for
land that was 90 be- donated a. part
Of the copper plant bonus, the city 10
take the real estate and advance cash
IN lieu thereof, IN order 10 secure tue
location VI the copper plant here. IL
was almiiioi at the time that the cor.
p1rati0n was not 10 receive SIS 900
worth Of land, actual market
value. The land business was
merely Ca blind" to comply with
legal FORMS tho real purpose being for
the city 90 guarantee $4,000 OF the
bonus Ia cash, and take whatever land
might be contributed, whether half
that amount or le,s. Thus the appr5.
priatlon actually wnsa contribution 10
tile bonus iunI. IL IL upon this state
Of Affairs tha, the court will be asked TO
rass. II the city can appropriats
money to a private enterprise, then the
Ci,y Councils aclion will stand; n net
Il will fail. That appears 70 bo the
sum OK the legal problems involved.
Meanwhile the city IL placed In
an u1ouviablo position iu this
matter; not more uuenviable, perhaps,
than iu other oaso' tina, might he Ia.
stancoi, Tor tho Iministration OF the
CITY Council which did this work will
40 down in history a. having coupled
with 70 more Of dishou0r than any
other that hiss conducted municipal
atiaifs here. by having the matter 70
over 90 long, the city was In measure
bound In honor 10 .Osomethiug toward
carrying out IT. pledge, given in feck-
less and probably illegal manucr;
hence the action Of the present Ciiy
Council. which fcalIz I'd that the copper
plant people had been lrI 10 believe
they would receive $4,000 on tue
way to the 100000 bonus promised
them, AMI Of which they have re-.
coivod lees than $40, 900.
Now that The question has been
raissd In the courts, IL N TO ho settled
without sentiment one way OF the
other, aud upon the strict lines OF the
law. No matter what sentiment OK IT.
relative 10 paying the money to tue
copper plant the statutory provisions
must control. iithosu arc against the
former Councils Hctiou, A. many
people think, then that action must be-
tepuiiaied. Ai,erall, = strict compli.
ance with the law IL the only honor.
able course In the premlsos; anu
whatever there 10 Of disappointment
or wounded pride should be- charged
against tho CITY Council whose dltre.
gard Of thnprlprietics Of the case led 10
the present condition. Lot the buti.
ness be- settled quickly aud ior oil time,
one way 0rtho olhuil