The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-12-22

More than one of the councilmen-
evenings session of the city council,
expressed themselves as having wit
messed a r-garden performance. It
was next to the last regular meeting
of the outgoing administration, a fact
that was frequently referred to during
the proceedings. AS if to celebrate the
event, the members, that is a minority
of them, made all the noise possible.
The president, whether from necessity
or by force of habit, almost necessarily
sounded his gavel for order. When the
sober, dignified members could stand
the "jagginess' no longer, they an
nounced their disapproval Of their
colleagues making frequent visits 10
the mavor's office, where it was pre-
sumed refreshments were available. At
one stage of the proceedings, when
Romney's resolution calling upon his
honor for an accounting OF the alleged
miSused contingent fund, was under
consideration. Dale made reference to
the lateness of the hour and his COM
passion for Diehl and four others Of
his colleagues Who would have two
=
whereupon the aged, dignified mem
her from the Fifth arose to a question
of personal privilege and said: 1t Is
true, as Councilman Dale remarked,
that I win sit as a member OF the
council for two years longer, but 1
assure you that during my next term
of official service there will be no more
whisky in that room (pointing to the
mayors office) as there has been to-
night" 1t was a smarting shot, but
the body was so near to adjourning
that the injunction did not have the
effect intended upon the hilarious
ones If the question to personal privi-
lege had been stated with such en-
phasis earlier in the evening.
DEBATE AND BUSINESS NOT
SIDETRACKED.
However, the somewhat turbulent
conduct of a minority of the members
did not prevent the consideration Of a
large volume of interesting and i'm
portant business. O'Meara attempted
TO get through an ordinance designed
to re-create the police department after
Jan. 8, but it went to the table for a
week, at least. The mayors unac-
countable change of front in an
nouncing that he had signed the new
lease of the Warm Springs to Barnes
< Byrne, the papers pertaining to
which he had obtained from the city
recorder late in the afternoon, was
provocative of its share of rebuke
heaped upon his honor. This, however,
was not circumstance compared with
the scorching the city's executive re-
ceived during the consideration of
Romney's resolution on the mayor' 5
refusal to account for his expenditure
from the contingent fund.
THE POLICE FORCE AFTER JAN 8
O'AIeara introduced an ordinance
creating q, department of police, de-
fining the number and title Of officers
and patrolmen, prescribing their du-
ties and fixing the rates Of compensa-
ticn. The ordinance contemplates a
chief and the same number of men on
The force as now existing. with the
same salaries as now drawn. The
mayor is to appoint the chief, with the
consent Of the council. and the chief,
with the mayors approval, appoints
the subordinates. The bill makes the
chief the executive head of the police
department and the ordinance is
worded TO become effective on Jan. ),
1898, at noon.
After the first reading of the bill,
Dale moved its reference to the COM
mittee on police.
ITO report at the next regular meet
ing O'AIeara suggested.
Not necessarily" Dale replied,
whereat O'AIeara said: Then [ am
opposed to the motion of reference in
that form
In reply to Allen O'Meara stated his
reason for introducing the ordinance
at this time. was that it was the first
onportunity since the ordinance abOl-
fishing, after Dec. 81, the police chief
taincy passed at the previous meeting
- @f,-r-
said. My bill provides for the organ
ization of the police department at the
proper time with a recognized head. 1t
is substantially a re-enactment OF the
present police department ordinance, if
there were no board of police commits
sioners in existence
Romney cut off debate by moving to
lay the ordinance on the table. The
motion to table carried by the follow
ing vote: Ayes-Allen. Buckle. Dale,
HAYWARD Lloyd, Morris, Romney,
Stewart and Newell
Noes-Callister, Diehl LeProhon,
NIulvey, O'Meara and Wiscomb.
WARM SPRINGS LEASE SENSA-
TON.
The reading of the following message
from the mayor created sensation of
10 little magnitude:
Since my communication to the coun-
ell of date Nov 90, wherein 1 disap-
proved the Warm Springs lease and
returned the same to the council I'M
signed the question has been raised
whether, under the law approved Feb.
q. 1892. which confers the veto power
upon the mayor, have the legal right
to diSapprOVe or veto matters of this
kind. The essential part Of the statute
referred to is as follows:
Every ordinance passed and every
resolution adopted on contract ap-
proved by the city council, appropriate
ing or involving the expenditure of
money. shall, within q hours after the
action of the city council, be presented
TO the mayor for his approval If he
approves the ordinance, resolution or
contract, as the case may. be, he shall
sign the same; If not, he shall return
il with his objections IN writing, to the
city recorder, who shall present the
same TO the city council at the next
regular meeting thereof.
Upon further examination of the law
and after mature elaboration, l have
come to the conclusion that the signing
Of Z lease by the mayor which has
been approved by the council, and
which does not involve the expenditure
Of money by the city, does not come
within the purview of this law, and
that have no more option in the mat
ter than I would have if called upon
10 sign an issue Of city bonds or other
legal obligation of the city, when di-
rected so to 60 by the city council.
For the foregoing reasons have
concluded to execute and have executed
the lease of the Warm Springs prop