The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-11-23

lor. Crawford. NavIr. t>ricatcn. 70 Nays
Mulfoon. Dflisr, Rinehart- The committee
was thsa ready 10 rise and report 70 TIE
council.
AS the thirteen men dlef into Tire room
the loud bsggx Of conversation was hQsas3-
AS soon as IRE council had resumed ats sss-
sion. IasEiernan. as chairman Of the cosIl-
rxefttea Of the whole reported that the COM
nn.ttee had dectsieG 10 recommend that FUR
the- consideration Of the pending Ordnance
be postponed until Friday nigat-
Tie vote 10 adopt the report vas really
taken. bat the result had rot been an
nouneed xhen II. r Clise representing
finn asked that IN view Of the report TIE
/ council reject the Rid and return the ceFfi-
fed check. A motion 10 this effect was lost.
only G.l, Taylor Dliler and NeArtie vot-
ing for Il. James did not vote
Then Mr.. Gahan asked for the floor. He
made plain. bs2sineSs-ike speech. IL was
said ne thought contractors had some
rights. and ne did not think the council had
treated his firm fairly He thought II
hardly just for The council 70 hold the Ger
Tsaed check all this time. and now ask him
TO walk until Friday night. He repeated
the request already made by his attorney.
that The council reject his hid, return his
check and let him go home.
New Turn OF Affairs.
Then came one OF the events Of the even
ing. Il was brought about directly by
James; indirectly by the unexpected turn
which the request OF Gahan Byrne had
| whole rose. Expressing a desire 10 treat
| the contractors fairly, James moved that
tneir request Dc complied with and theiE
bid be re ectesi.
| In al Instant there was hum of excite
| ment IN the room. Councilmen glanced ner-
| vously at one another and the most casual
| observer could see that the unexpected was
| happening. Gill took the floor in active
support OF accepting the bid outright. HE
| had supposed the matter settled in the
| eret session. he said. but inas;nuch as 1t
was TO be reopened he desired TO say few
| things. Ard he said them pretty vigorous
| ~. The plan for Cedar river water is be-
| ing Killed here last night and tonight" said
| he. by the actions OF those who were it's
| bid should be accepted l have no doubt
OF It's legality. Ii Is time We should pro-
| ceed upon basis OF financial honesty. We
| nave had plenty OF time 70 think this mat
Ter over and decide il for ourselves. YET
mere we are allowing our actions To be in
| fiuepced BY packed lobby. a few persons
| specially interested while outside on the
streets the great mass Of people are calling
b bid "a'ef' iA''f Inc acceptance OF 'he
Mul1oon opposed the acceptance Of the
| bid mainly on the ground o. legality He
said II Contractor Gahan had been present
| TO near the entire proceedings in the
cret session he would not feel that the
| council was dealing unfairly with him;
| that on the other hand there was a unan-
| nous disposition TO accept his bid provided
| any authoritative declaration could be haa
| IN favor OF its legality. Meantime he did
| not think it fair 10 the contractors nor 10
| the friends OF the ordinance 10 have it re-
| jected.
On the motion to reject the bid James an
nounced that he was going 20 vote first in
| favor OF rejecting; II that motion failed he
would vote outright for lis acceptance IN
the passage OF the ordinance. The vote TO
reject stood as follows. Ayes--Diller.
James. Rinehart-s. Nays-Castleman,
Crawford. Crichtou. Gill Hill McArdie
Muldoon. Navin. Rude, Taylor-lo,
On motion of James the bill then had
It's second reading, whereupon GIL Of
fered the following amendment. To insert
| after the words Calendar month" rela-
| tive To collections by the city from the
| contractors the following Provided that
IN the first monthly estimate all money
hat shall heretofore have been expended
| by the city of Seattle on account of rights
| oi-way. englneering or any other expense
| commencement Of work under the contract
shall be included"
The amendment WAS adopted
A motion had just been made to send the
| bin TO the committee on engrossed bills to
incorporate the amendment when Crichton
made somewhat mpassione1 speech. say
ing that when he went into the caucus"
ne mad expected 10 be bound by It's con-
illusions and action. He opposed the Inn
| mediate acceptance Of the bid. and referred
TO the hurried passage of Ordinance $3.50
IN twenty minutes In the house Of dele
gates. If we had taken more time then"
SAID he. I'VE might have discovered some
qf the Objectionable features in that ord
iorc!biy reminded OF" He virtually ac-
cuSed James OF breaking the caucus agree
| ment. That gentleman replied in kind and
| for few moments at least the merits of
| the Cedar water question sank out of sight
James also denied that the ordinance g, coo
had been passed hastily, and cited the
record in proof.
Navin announced his intention To vote
! for the ordnance I'LL thought that the
| change that HAD come over the council was
not breach Of faith. but that members on
returning from the secret session TO the
| council room had found themselves con
ff0Oted by a new set OF conditions Mui-
doom again emphasized his point that no
member of The council had Vet had in his
hands true copy Of the ordinance Gill
called Tor the main question and II Was
| ordered and carried. only Nuldoou voting
no. The bin then went 10 the engrossinE
committee and the council took 4 recess for
fifteen minutes.
Placed tinal Passage