El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-02-06
TIE CITY COUNCIL.
Mr.. Stewart Would Abolish the Offices
of Recorder and Engineer.

| vi
The local Sanhedrin met'in adjourn e
session last night. which was noted
principally in the city clerks showing
from the records that the scare about
the danger of the school tax levy was a
| mares nest: and for little resolution
| by Mr.. Stewart that may end in some
thing tangible by and by.
Judge Coldwell started the tall to
rolling by reviewing the city records
and the tax levy, while his staid and
dignifed compadre, Alderman O'Keffee
was buried in the pages of Truth. -
apparently utterly oblivious to the
solemn and weighty facts which the
Judge was pouring broadside into
his and the other council
discovered from the records that it
would not be necessary to hold a city
election to vote on the school tax levy,
and the aldermen breathed just trifle
easier. The Judge went on then to
argue that the 1896 tax levy was exces-
sive and illegal and that the increase
of the levy due to the ordinance issu-
ing the water bonds had run the tax up
beyond the lawful limit. This last
was per cent, whereas with the water
bond matter included, the tax is about
S2.12.
Itwas then that his honor the mayor
turned the search light of his eagle Op-
tic upon the judge with the cold, calm
whitening observation, 1--WE will ac-
knowledge that we have passed the
limit, and that the levy is too high;
but now" shaking his long index TN
ger, what remedy do you propose?"
Judge Coldwell in reply read from
| his report recommending that the wa
ter works bonds must be repealed or
the city cut down its current expenses
to bring them under the water bonds
levy.
This report was the one prepared by
himself and special committee in De-
cember last. The Judge held that until
the ordinance of August IL. 1898, was
rescinded the levy was valid. but the
taxes were not due until the bonds
were sold.
City Attorney Townsend said that to
repeal the ordinance levying taxes for
water bonds meant to declare invalid
the taxes already collected on the
bonds. He said the city was going to
try one of its test cases at this term of
the court or know why.
This stirred :up Judge Coldwell WI o
heldithat nOue.ol th- Eases could be fore
ed to trial al this term of court. The city
attorney however declared he was go
Ing to try mighty hard. The judge
here gave the city attorney a very
grizzly look suggestive of scOrn and in
dignation, and wanted to know what
he proposed to do if he, the Judge
should demand when his cleient's case
was called rup. an abstract Of title?
This did not seem to disturb the city
attorney at all, who said he would try
and git thar just the same. The attor
ney was referring to Millard Patterson
in connection with the suits when
Judge Coldwell declared with steL-
Mr.. Patterson in these cases: only the
city attorney" The judge said that
under the Bassett decision the council
could not levy more than $1.65 on the
hundred, and that it had made a levy
of II. Repeal the water works tax,
or reduce our taxes to come within the
legal limit.
The Judge sat down and long and
painful silence ensued. broken by Mr..
Stewart who wanted to know if the
bonds were cancelled, what would be
done about the special taxes alre ady
paid. This was something of a poser,
and there was considerable rumiuation
of the same. The mayor appeared to
be the first one to catch his wind, and
remarked that this question came up
when the levy was made; that it was no
new issue, but had been discussed at
length by council when the levy was
made. He said that if the water works
bonds were repealedthen the city would
have to return to willing tsNS payers the
taxes they had paid on the boEsls.
At this juncture, Millard Patterson
gllded softly, unostentatiously into the
council chamber, aud sat him down by
the chief of police. He was immediately =
spied and called upon to express him
self on the situation. He replied by
stating that if the council had the
power to levy tax for the water bono
| why did it not have the power to order
no taxes collected on the water bonds.
| He did not think that the BaSsett de-
cision drew as much water on this uues.
tion as Judge Coldwell desired to ac.
credit it. He said that if the council
declined to make a levy for the bond:
no one could complain, as the bonds
had not been sold. He suggested the
passage of an order declaring that nc
levy for the bnpI4s should be made dur
ing the year 1896, 1t would be best tx