The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-09-01

tute proceedings to forfeit the COM
pany's franchise.
At this stage it was agreed to con-
slider Aid. Sanborns ordinance proVld-
ing for the change of the cable line to
an electric.
Aid Sanborn then read the proposed
ordinance 1t provides for a device to
be employed on Selby hill, that the
change to an electric system must be
completed by Dec. 81, 1897, and that the
street railway company must pave
Fourth and Third streets on or before
June l, 1900. The ordinance also re-
quires some further extension OF the
transfer system between the Selby line
and other lines.
Mr.. Kirke at once moved that the
caucus indorse the ordinance. 1t look
ed for a moment as though vote
would be taken instantly, but Assem-
blyman Albrecht interposed some OBJ
jections, and persisted in those oDJec-
items so constantly thereafter, that an
hour and a half elapsed before the
caucus voted Mr.. Albrecht down.
The chief ground of Mr.. Albrechts
objection to the Sanborn ordinance was
that it did not embody the provisions
of ordinance No 1,227 which regulates
electric lines. AS it is, the Selby ave-
nue. line is operated under ordinance
7O4, which grants the street railway
company a perpetual franchlSe 10 oP-
crate that particular line by cable pow
en- Mr.. AIbrecht declared that lie
would never vote for an ordinance that
would give the company perpetual
franchise to operate an electric line,
but, if the provisions of ordinance 1,227
were embodied in the Sanborn ordl-
nance, then he might indorse it.
Aid. Sanborn called Mr. Albrechts
attention to the fact that the council
fol
petual franchise to operate the Selby
avenue line. 1t had been bonded in
denendently of other lines and the
bondholders and mortgages would
never consent to such a measure, ana
the street railway company would he
bound to refuse to accept such al
ordinance But Mr. ,Albrecht was not
to be shaken from his position. He
even suggested that the ordinance be
amended so as to give the company
a franchise of twenty or Twenty-Five
years duration on the Selby avenue
line. This the caucus condemned as
unjust, inasmuch as the franchise CT
the present electric lines endures for
fifty years from the passage of ordi-
nance 1 ,227 in 1889.
Assemblyman Johnson, who came in
a little late, expressed his approval Of
an ordinance that provided for an cleo
trio service to Merriam Park. Mi.
Johnson added that if the common
council passed any just ordinance its
provisions would be complied with.
The common council in Mr.. Johnson's
opinion, was not pOWerless by any
means. The street railway company
would refuse at it's peril to comply
with the terms of any just and reason
able order of the council.
After some further discussion, during
which Mr.. Albrecht reiterated and in
sisted upon his objections, Aid. San
bern suggested that the difficulty
might be obviated, that the ordinance
might be amended so as to limit the
time-say to fifty years-during which
the company might use electricity as
motive power on the Selby avenue
line At the end of that time, they
would hardly desire to return to the
cable system.
At last came the roll call on Mr..
Kirkes motion to indorse the ordin-
ance, it being understood that the
changes as might be necessary or de-
sirable, and that no man was to be
bound by his vote upon this occasion.
The vote resulted as follows:
Yeas: Allard, Bell, Dix, Johnson,
Kaldunski, Kirke, Sanborn, Shepard,
ThOmpson-9; nays: Albrecht, Lindahl,
ReardOn-3. President Arosin, of the
assembly, declined to vote and Aid.
Kenny responded, 81 pass" when his
name was called.
Then the caucus passed to the con-
sideration of the Thompson ordinance
providing for union depot loop, with
single tracks on Sibley, Wacouta and
East Third street from Robert to Wa
couta street, around which the La
fayette and Rondo, Mississippi and
West ST. Paul, Grand Avenue and
Hamline cars are proposed to be oper-
ated The. discussion over this meas
ure was comparatively brief, Aid.
Kenny, Assemblyman Dix and Mr.,
Arosin expressing the only objections
to the measure. The other eleven
members of the caucus voted to in
dorse the ordinance.
Then the caucus adjourned sine die.