Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-05-14

pEcsslon aS tne AQ0ufE. or -aiuermenF2lt means something besides what's honest. Alderman Halpin: ''I should think our friends on the left would hesitate before forcing it upon usebefore we have had time to consider it. We have just heard it for the first time and sthen all we got is the headings. How do we know what there is between the lines? Not member of the board can tell anything about it; even Mir Cross himself has not had chance to read 1t and in all due fairness I think we onRht to have little time to look it oxer."
 Alderman Sanford: "We have the word of City Attorney Burpee and Mir Terry that there are no changes except what have been read"
 Mir Halpin: "The democratic. members of the court of common council have the utmost respect for the city attorney and have never failed to extend to him all the courtesy due him, but while admitting this we do not want to place ourselves on record as voting on such an important matter as this without being fully conver- sant with all it's provisions ourselves
 Mir Cross: This side of the house is prepared to vote on it tonight. We have been at work all the time We made the. amendments and helped draw it up."
 Alderman Begnal: You have prepared this charter without our knowledge, and now you want us to swallow it. We refuse to do it. Why did you not consult us about what was going on? Not demo- crat on the board was asked to make a sug- gestion or offer an amendment. You can not say we could not be found. We at tended every meeting called for this pur- pose and we could notget hint about what was going on. Now we are called upon to swallow it without even a chance to get a look at it. We refuse to d0 it :"
 |. Mayor Kilduff. looking in the direction of Mir Cross, said: You say that a major ity of your side of the house is thoroughly conversant with all the provisions of the charter. We'll then. would not common decency and courtesy demand that you should give to the minor ity like opportunity to know something about it. Before some of the members of this board have read that document they are asked to adopt it. I claim time to consider that charter and I | don't want to put myself on record as voting to accept n charter in ten minutes or half an hour" The mayor then stated that no such measure could be acted upon at that meeting without the unanimous consent of the meeting. and asked Mir Cross if he desired to press his motion and received sn answer in the affirmative. ! Halpin objected to its being putsand the chair declared the It resolution out of order.
 Mir Gregory said he should like to hear the opinion of the city attorney on that matter.
 The mayor said that he decided ques tions of order. and not the city attorney.
 "Well, I want the city attorneys opin. ion on this." said Hr Gregory.
 "On what" asked the mayor.
 "On that" said Mir Gregory.
 The chair: "The mayor decides that the motion is out of order"
 MT Gregory: "I move that the city at torney be requested to give an opinion or this"
 Mir Cross seconded it. The may or refused to entertain the motion and reaG the old city charter which left no dc cub that he was on the right side. Mir San ford thought it was a curious clause.
 1t is now serving the purpose fol which it was placed there said the mayor by honest. judicious men. to prevent thu railroading of a measure through the cour of common council on the night it is in troduced. It is the only safeguard minor ity has against majority and is one O the best features of the old charter"
 At this point consternatioI and dismay were depicted or the faces of the charter makers and eacl looked at the others in despair. They wer blocked at their own game and the only thing left 10 be done was to appoint committee of three to consider the nev charter with instructions to report back to a meeting of both boards to be held to morrow night. Aldermen Halpin, Kiefel and Barlow was appointed to act as a com mittee. the mayor making the appointments
 The counci!men cencurred with tn, aldermen in everything except the election of a city attorney and the invitation to ap pear and consider the charter.