The Portland daily press., 1899-09-21

that the vote should not be binding ON
che aldermen when the anal conference
report was made.
Alderman Smith brought up the point
that II such proposition was made 10
the electric light companies aud either
one Of them refused TO accert this propo-
sition the council should throw out all
bids and call Tor new ones.
This motion was put to q vote after
shese exp lanations and Alderman MouI-
ton alone voted. for IL, no one voting
against It. The comm ittee then ratired
at II. 40 o'clock with Instructions to agree
to these terms.
NO AGREEMENT.
After a session Of We minutes the COM
mittee agreed to diaagree and 90 reported
In the board Of aldermen. 1t was under
stood that the committee on the part of
the council were not In favor Of dividing
the city while the conferees on part of
the aldermen had been instructed to vote
| for such proposition. This neoessitated
disagreement and it was so reported.
The order In dispute was then requested
by the common council to be returned to
them and when this was dome the council
receded from Its former action In adher-
ing to the order and votsd to postpone 1t
indefinitely.
A NEW ORDER.
Councilman Cloudy then introduced
new order In the common council giving
a contract to the Portland Electric Light
company for i've years at the term OF
$50 so per light for the first year and Civ
ing the city the right to can Gel the con-
tract at the end of the first year or extend
IL to ten years.
The introduction of this ORDER raised
rumpus In the council.
MIR. Cloudy spoke briefly in support of
1t and moved Its passage.
| The question was called for and MIR.
Waldron called sfor an aye and nay vote.
MIR. Gerrish- objected to the vote being
taken by aye and nays on the request
of one member. The question was put ON
the aye and nay vote and was carried.
| The clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr.. Gerrish was the first member to vote
and he took the floor to speak. He said
that he considered the order as unfair to
the Consolidated Electric Light company.
The Portland Electric Light company
had been given several opportunities to
amend their original bids In order to
get their prices below that of the Con-
solidated Company for one year. 1t was
not business like or fair to proceed in
this way.
| Mr.. Driscoll characterized this new or-
| der as a sharp trick on the part Of the
Portland Electric Light company. He
said that it had been charged that all
who voted against this company were
satellites of the Consolidated company,
but he wanted 1t understood that this
was false as far as he was concerned.
The new company had been given two
chances to bid to the Consolidated COM
pany's one chance.
| MIR. Cloudy started TO review the history
of the electric light fight to show how
the Consolidated company had Teen just
as unfair. Mr.. Gerrish ralEed point Of
order which created parliamentary
muddle. In tie midst of the discussion
over this matter the previous question
was called for.
MIR. Connolly had the floor when this
call was made. He refused to surrender
his right to speak. MIR. Burke in heated
language, attacked MIR. Cloudy. whom
he charged with trying TO shut off de-
bate. MIR. Driscoll said that he consid
cred 1t sharp trik and an unfair thing to
do to shut eff debate on this question.
| pha In vvha ha
previous question was again called for.
There was division of the house as to
whether debate should continue or the
main question pnt. A standing vote was
taken and the motion to put this main
question carried by vote Of IA to {.
NEW ORDER PASSED.
The clerk then proceeded to call the
roll Mr. Gerrish before voting said that
he considered it an unfair thing to do to
| try and shut of debate on this ques-
ton. He then voted against the passage
of the order.
The vote stood II to and the order
had passage. The vote was as follows:
Nays Messrs. Gerrish, Houston, Dris-
coll, Sloman and Burke.
Mr.. Connolly refused to vote because he
had not been allowed to speak. He said
he had bsen In favor of the passage of
the order, but now he should oppose it.
He was excused from voting.
| The absentees were MessYs. McLaugh-
lin, Dow and Phinney. MIR. Dow had
been present until nearly midnight and
had then gone home, believing no vote
would be reached. All the other men,
bers of the council who were present vot.
ed for the passage of the order.
When the order was taken to the board
Of aldermen 1t was found that that board
had adjourned without day, though AL
derman johnson opposed adjournment
until the councils action on the new or
der was ascertained.
The council then took from the table
the order giving contract to the Port
land Gaslight company for 300 Wslsbach