The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-12-15
RErONTs

REPORTS
or market master Ter November show
ing collections Of Se72 IS. Eelorrud to I'm
anoc committee.
OF board Of public works or construction
OF sewer along Hciuer street, recommend
ing the placing q man holes and the OPEN
ing of dtches and tia, bids be adver' iscd
fer 10 do The work Adopted.
OF tho city attorney upon the Gas com
pany irauchiae; as follows 81
To the Honorable City Council 5f khe City
81 Houston.
ln REGARD 70 tho motion Of Alderman Gro
nan. referred 20 mc in regard TO rarchise
o; Houston cas- company, neg leave to
report Sire following.
submit af gar q ny report the i1-
formation gathered from the old m' autos
o. fhe council hy secretary Weruar. z mr.
tlli cn jhe ifh % December ls6i tie cilt
council granted thr Houston Gas Light
c3Atany .lc r.gtt 90 Immediately prrrrrI
90 erlft iErir works and lag their nuas
wieiu iFf limits NJ dc Gtr. BOO fo,ari-
aree Win The provisions % th,lr aet Of in-
cfrfo' iou- AGAIN. ou itc ian uf Dee M
her. ls1,. wo Aui thar ,he council paused
ar ordinance which F2rc be -as company
tho elusive privilege ~ sunpiy.Ig thr cfty
q Houston with gas fnr the term 81 tleir
ttati9 ;htfciFuu. The Grst rl4nt giyou
lhem 10 accordance WITH the proyisi3us 81
lhri. dot o. incorporation. aud the second
ordinance clearly atipGlatce thar "a is for
ttr terra ~ iheir charter THIS leads us TO
80 'o the charter ~ TIE HOUSTON .ne rnm-
pany. and Soc for q ha, period 81 was grant
"a ~ the time me right Was given 10 10
ly 100 city N Houston 20 lay pipes ami con
dIot gas company. Va accordance With the
ar az srs.. a.r ...I.
fcr the forms Of as charter I had that
tue Charter Of the Honst0u Gas Lighf com
parY tn the Special Lava al The Eleventh
i"G stature On page q, which acL Mas n-9srI
Ga -"pieiapfr s. 1886, This act O.! incor-
L1.aNtn pr0f.3cr that u shall remain 81
lcfcr TO- tWcnts Eve yeah which made L
expire on ne eih dag - September. 1901. so
ihai now iho H0ustoa Grs Lielt com7an,
has no rishiD and privileges under the
franch.te originally granted Il D., thc ciiy
az Houston, 10 such rights wcye granted
W a stated time. witch tlnn has duly cS-
solid also oell ,ac coancrs attenti IA to
the fact that the ordinance o. December Il
'fe' gives The gas company the exclusive
p-isisRe 81 supplying the city o. Isoaston
WIN gas Tor Tho term NJ fhcir charter
winch would be twenty-five years 1he
krahunH o. such privilege has been hold
70 Dc IN the nature Of @ Inopupolq and ~
10 effect. The city Of BRENNAN gr4ntrd
tho Breuham Wsto.Horks cnmunnv mo ,x
elusive privilege Of furnishing the clty of,
hrcphaU With water for twenty ave years
and our supreme court in the clse ~ the
tIty u hltnnarn Ns. brcrham Watc. cons
phhy tbi TeNaE. 5i2), held that tho Grant
Ing ot such n privilege was uncnno,ft,,tor,
ana mat the city had the right at an tlrics
10 declare II null and to refuse co-,nlinn,a
With H. So that even n the tln,e AZ ,te
franchise OF tho Houston Gas Light CON
pahy mad not expired, The city N Houston
cofid make whatever other arrangement i,
pleased TO supply tho city with Gas and
would not be bound by The ordinance os
December H. 1867.
However, the time Of the franchise Of tho
Houston Gas light company has alreadv
eNPiF,h' ana give II rs my opinion that.
tho above considered the Hougton cas-
Light company no longer has any rights
to the use OF the streets OF the ci,v of
Houston for the purpose OF maintaining and
conducting the operation Of the pag com.
pany. Respectfully admitted,
John $. Stewart
ciy Attorney.
In discussing this report Alderman
Crcnan, upon whose resolution This IA +.
vestigation was instituted. said ho desired
TO disclaim any antagonlsm against the
Fas company, but he took occasion to say
that he regretted that Honston's InoraIn..
rapcr seemed TO take special pains to din
tort matters in the interest of the gas com
rany whsu referring TO the subject OF its
charter rlghta His specific charges IN this
connection were that in printing com-
municnt.on from bin upon the gas sub
1ect The Post had made him say fuel gas
when he wrote II coal gas. That The Post
in referring to tho question of the gas
company's franchise had gratultously
stated upon the authority OF some I'M
named lawyer that whether the city had