The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-06-03
CITY FATHERS BANQUET
ALDERMEN or 1897 MET AT NORRIS
COPE HOUSE LAST NIGHT.

Soft Shell Crabs and Oysters Tackled
Under Parliamentary Rules-Deciston
of Chair Appealed From-Interesting
ers.
The members Of the board Of alder
men for 1897 held a banquet last night
at Gillern & Quinn's Morris Cove hotel,
which was pronounced by all present
one of the most enjoyable occasions of
the kind they had ever attended. About
twenty members of the last board of
aldermen were present and the party
left city hall at 1880 on special car
furnished gratis by the New Haven
Street Railroad company. AT the Nor
ris Cove hotel everything had been ar
ranged for a fitting reception to the
city fathers and a banquet table, the
like of which Is seldom seen, was invit-
ingly spread. The solemnity of the oc-
casion, after the gentlemen were stated
6OOuL LIlC lSiDI6, WctS Ill oL ploNCA Ny
Alderman Bromley of the Sixth ward,
who insisted upon making speech. He
was finally permitted to do so and per-
petrated an unparalleled mixture of
witticisms and other points before he
was sidetracked by Toastmaster Ed
ward A. Rourke, assisted by Alderman
Unger of the Ninth, known to his
friends as "The Dutchman from the
Ninth"
The banquet was conducted on strict
~ parliamentary rules and was very
harmonious, barring a few appeals
from the decision of the chair when
that functionary declared a vote favor
ably taken on the motion to allow the
irrepressible gentleman from the Sixth
to speak. The alleged Dutch alderman
from the Fifth, Mr.. Coo1ohan, also was
bound to speak, but finally accepted a
decree promulgated by the car from
the Sixth, Mr.. Rourke, to the effect
that no speaking was to be allowed
until the toasts came around
The speechmaking was opened up by
4 Alderman Nicoll of the First ward,
who responded to "The State Militia" "
He said in substance that the position
of the militia organization had been
greatly misunderstood recently. The
militia was enlisted for a special object
and their action recently has been mis-
construed. They enlist for state pro-
lection, not with the idea that they
were to go into government service for
two or three years.
No such thing was intended in the
formation of the National Guard. He
spoke Of the good service of the militia
especially of that of New York and
Pennsylvania in SURPRISING riots and
said that if the country needed, as it
probably would in the future larger
standing army after we acquire the
Philippines, Cuba and other island pos
sessions let the regular army be in
creased in strength and let it take the
place of the National Guard or give UP
the militia and have a reserve army as
is now the custom in Germany. He
said: Gas regards our own militia in
Connecticut, there is none better in any
state. Our militia is we'll equipped and
!. the state takes fairly good care of it
Connecticut has now rather black
eye with regard to enlistments, but
my personal opinion is that the blame
for this rests more with the state Off
Gals than with the men themselves
In the United States army as in the
& militia there is discipline and when the
government called for a certain quote
Of men from our state government
members of the state government went
to Washington and asked to have the
makeup of the quota changed. I be.
H1,fy of "a Cor,
necticut authorities to at once sent
& men into the field properly equipped
and that the delay has been unneces
sary."
The next speaker was Alderman
Clarke of the Second ward, who re
sponded to streets" He was intro
duced by POSTMASTER Rourke, whc
said that there was only one Dewey
and there never would be another
There was but one Clarke ALSO anc
the one Clarke would now be hearC
from. Mr.. Clarke "got back at tn
POSTMASTER for this facetious remark
He spoke of the work of the street com
mittee, Of which he was chairman, ant
explained several things to the entir
satisfaction of the gentlemen present.
Alderman Forsyth spoke on "Fi
nance" He said, "As private citizel
] say that I think the finances of th
city are miserably handled. One hal
of the city's income goes to make III
pay rolls and salary lists when w
need so much money for streets, sew
ers, etc The fire and police depart
ments are made up of men, many o
whom couldn't earn a dollar day in
shop and I say that 1t is not fair 70
them to receive So a day from the city
Instead of paying so much for the pc
lice and fire department pay rolls pu
& this money on streets. With good road
business men can save many dollars
not only to themselves but to thei
patrons and although the public ma
get some little benefit from the fir
and police departments I think that
would get more benefit If some of tina
money was spent on streets and sew
ers Why, 1 know of one policema
who stood for three hours on the stree
talking to woman. He was gettin
So a day for that. 7 know of anothe
who three times in an hour took drink
from under bartenders apron at tn
rear of a saloon and he was getting s
day for that. We have had a repuh
Ncan city government for four year!
hot 7 io1y ho+ !,