The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-09-05
THE CITY COUNCIL.
Minutes Of a Regular Meeting Of the
City Council

/ Minutes OF Regular Meeting Of The
City Council
The city council net IN regular monthly
sessio2Ias1 night az The CRY hall with II
members present. Alderman Schneider
novel 4 cal Of The council, which was
ordered II being f0snd that only one
| absent alderman was aviIable. the cal was
suspended.
| The reports Of the various city officers
were received and referred 10 their proper
! committees without reading.
| Information was received from the water
and light commission that the water plug
at the capitol gate would be moved to the
court house corner, as has previously been
requested.
The water and light commission also
| recommended that Mr.. Z. H. Burchard
| and colleagues, who intend 70 erect q cot
ton mill here, be allowed the following
rates:
Water power at 81 per horse power per
annum, provided 80 horse power be taken.
Electric power at so per annum for the
first two years and at $3.50 per annum
thereafter. The report was adopted.
Another report was received from this
commission, recommending that the total
SIX and foUr-inch mains be reduced to %
miles and that enough two-inch pipe be
laid 10 reach al water consumers. The
report was adopted, with the additional
recommendation that each councilman re-
port % the water and light commission
any changes in mains that he may deem
necessary in their respective wards, said
reports TO be made by Thursday.
At this time the matter Of enga ging the
.4w=a1 - \ L
the city in the United States supreme
court in the case of the Penn Mutual
Life Insurance company vs.. the City of
Austin came up for consideration. This
matter has OccasiOned considerable rowing
at each of the three preceding meetings,
and last night was no exception to the
rule. Alderman Taylor was Of the opinion
that $1,000 was rather steep for an atr0r-
ney's fee; but it was Alderman GIascock
who raised the biggest row about the
matter. He very promptly put City At
torney Pendexter on the stand to ascer-
tain as TO whether he could not conduct
the case. Mr.. PendeXter pointed out TO
him that the city charter did not provide
that the city attorney should conduct suits
for the city outside of the State. He also
stated that while he might go to Washing
ton and procure a license to practice in
the supreme court, that he did not feel
penses only, and he hardly thought the
council would ask it of him.
Mr. GIascock asked him if he had not
conducted the New Orleans suit Mr..
Pendexter replied that he had, but he had
done so voluntarily and received no pay
outside of his travelling expenses.
With this, Mr.. Glascock allowed Mr.
Pendexter to leave the witness stand and
addressing himself to the council said
Il make a motion that the ordinance
committee be required to draft an ordi-
nance apprOpriating $2JOtopay Mr.. Pen
dexter's expenses to Washington"
There is no use in doing that" inter
rupted Mr.. Pendexter. for tell you right
now l will not go to Washington, conduct
this case and possibly lose a months time
from my business here solely for my ex-
penses."
We'll, you just wait until 1 am through
with my motion" said Mr.. GlascOck, Il
don't like to be interrupted, Mr.. Pendex-
ter, when | am making a motion. You |
wait until l get through and then you will |
hear what l intend doing. l move that |
SD be appropriated to pay Mr.. Pendex- |
ter's expenses while conducting this case |
in Washington and that the mayor be
instructed to confer with Mr.. PendeXter |
and see what he will charge to represent
the city in this case. l do this because
he is better posted in the case than any
other lawyer could possibly be, and 1 |
think he could look to the city's interest
better"
This motion Of Mr.. Glascock's raised
considerable discussion and was finally
voted down, but not before Alderman
ASsmann secured the floor.
Alderman Assmann moved that City
Attorney Pendexter be sent to Washing
ton to represent the city in its case there
and that Mr.. S. K. Fisher be engaged to
attend to Mr.. Pendexter's city business
here while he was gone. This produced a
storm Of laughter and Mr.. Glascock's
original motion was then voted down.
The vote recurring on the original posi-
ton, Mr. $. K. Fisher was engaged to rep
resent the city in the Penn Mutual case,
his fee to be $1,000.
The cd question of electing a city au-
ditor bobbed up for the third time and the
following named gentlemen were placed |
in nominations: g. A. Wheatley, T. L. |
Wren, James Downie, Henry W. Dodge |
and o. II. Milligan.
The ballot being taken the vote was an
nOunced as follows: