The Portland daily press., 1898-02-08

alton for contingent in order to do
this?;'
Alderman Rounds-"I have not the
report here and can't tell you"
Alderman Leighton-"I understand
that $1,000 was taken from the appropri-
alton for contingent and now the COM
mittee returns paltry $3.50 into the con-
tingent fund. The reason asked about
this matter was that I was told by the
chairman of the July 4th celebration
that the bills of the celebration would
be paid from the contingent whether it
was right or not"
Alderman Rounds-"You are the chair
man of the committee on accounts and
you ought TO know what bills you have
approved.
Alderman Leighton-"I haven't seen
any of the bills.
| Alderman Ilsley-"The chairman of
the committee never told you that he
would pay the bills from the contingent
fund whether you liked it or not. am
the chairman of that committee and 1
never many any suoh statement to you
or anyone else"
Alderman Leighton-"I meant the
treasurer of the committee
| Alderman Rounds-"Well, 1 am the
treasurer of that committee and say that
never told you anything of the kind"
The Mayor The board will take re-
| cess of ten minutes"
After the recess Alderman Leighton
said that he wished to make a state
ment. What he intended to say was that
the city auditor had told him that the
1 treasurer of the July 4th committee
would pay the bills out of the contingent
whether he liked it or not or whether
they were approved by the committee
on accounts or not
Alderman Rounds--"I accept the
apology"
OLD SOLDIERS AND THE POOR
HOUSE.
| Alderman Kehoe sprang surprise in
| the board of aldermen when he brought
up the matter of the overseers of the poor
and the old soldiers at the aims house.
At recent meeting of the aldermen
communication was presented from the
overseers of the poor requesting the
board of aldermen to give them Its au-
| thority to go ahead and test the state law
which fixes penalty on every member
| of the board Of overseers of the poor for
every old soldier who is kept in an aims
house instead Of supported at his own
home A fine of $35 and S. per day is
the psnalty fixed for the violation of this
| law and at present the board of overseers
are keeping two old soldiers at the aims
house contrary to the law. The overseers
stated in this communication that they
wanted to test the constitutionality of
this act and that they did not wish to go
| to law about the matter unless they had
the authority of the board of aldermen
to do SO.
Alderman Kehoe spoke in substance as
| follows: ''It is the duty of the mayor
and board of aldermen to see that all
lawsssare properly enforced. In this case
the overseers of the poor come here at a
special meeting of the board of alder
men at which 1 was not present and ask
| the aldermen for authority to go ahead
and violate one of the laws of the state.
l
city from heavy damages and at the same
| time they have fixed things in such
way that they are getting all the money
they can out of the city and dividing 1t
AMONGST themselves. After all of this
they have the nerve to come to this board
and ask us to stand behind them while
| they break law. call it an imposition
| Al., 10 do lo;y
tnat they are liable under the state law
and If they break the law they should
not be held for the penalty. And this
board at its last meeting voted to allow
the board of overseers to go ahead and
break the law, to keep old soldiers who
have fought for their country in an aims
house when the law expressly requires
that they should lie kept at their homes.
| The oyerseers never took the trouble to
ask the city solicitor whether or not this
law is unconstitutional. They are ruled
by the secretary OF the board who says
chat it is unconstitutional and that set
tlos it. I want to enter protest on this
matter. am not in favor of authorizing
any one to go ahead and break any law
| l.
on this matter.
| "The secretary of the board of overseers
has rushed into print and said that the
law is unconstitutional, but it has not
be n SO decided by any court of law, and
while it Is on the statute book believe
1t should be enforced. The board of over
seers don't ask for any advice from this
board about the matter until they are
notified that they are held personally re-
sponsible for their acts. Then after break.
I ing the law they come here and ask as
to help them break it some more. They
say that these old soldiers in question
are drinking men. What if they arep
Haven't they saved the country and
didn't they learn to drink on the hard
marches and long nights of exposure they
had to go through to save the country?
What has this got to do with the matter
anyway? While the law is a law it should
be kept and not broken by any board of
n