The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-03-01
CITY OFFICIAL ARRAIGNED
CHARGED WITH PREVENTING 4
 QUORUM OF ALDERMEN.

sembly-President Norris of Aldermen
 Prefers the Churge-Deputy Sheriff
 Will Endeavor to Get Quorum Mon-
 day Night-Corporation Counsel Con.
 sured.
 The board of aldermen was to have
 held an adjourned meeting last night,
 but owing to a lack of a quorum the
 urgent business for which the meeting
 was called could not be transacted. This
 is the second adjourned meeting called
 within the past two weeks at which no
 quorum could be secured and after wait-
 ing until o'clock last night for enough
 members to show up so that the board
 could do business, the gentlemen pres-
 ent resolved themselves into commit
 tee to discuss the bills relating to city
 affairs now before the legislature. Pres
 ident Norris of the board of aldermen
 was chosen chairman of the committee and made the following statement: T
 have heard that certain city official
 has refused to advocate the passage of
 the bill for the division of thecity of New Haven into fifteen towns even though he should be oredered to do so by the court of common council I have made an in vestigation to see If the report was cor rect and find that the corporation coun- sel has made such statement and Is was so informed by the gentleman to whom he made the statement, the father of the bill. I have here resolution which I had intended to present to the board tonight, but as there is no quorum I will read it to this commits tee.'
 He then read resolution providing for the appointment of committee of two aldermen and three councilmen to appear at Hartford and advocate the passage of bills approved by the com mon council. and requesting the board of finance to appropriate $150 from the contingent fund for the purpose of de- fraying the expenses of such a commit- tee. S Continuing, Mr. Norris said .'The only proper person to look after the cty's interests in the legislature is the corporation counsel, and if he wont do it the common council must" Alder man Hogan thought that the corpora ton counsel should not be censured un- til the common council had official mo- tice that he refused to carry out it's or ders. He said: Tt is first the duty of the court of common council to pass |such orders and that it has not yet done. Until such action is taken don't think that we should censure him for any statement that he has made.
 Alderman Chllingworth suggested that Aldermen Norris and Dewell be appointed to go to Hartford to see what bills concerning New Haven and the city charter are now before the general assembly and report to the board of all dermen. He called attention to the fact that the common council had not one penny in it's control to pay the expenses of such committee and that if one was appointed the members must defray the expense. Alderman Dewell said that while he was heartily in accord with the suggestion and would like to go to Hartford as one of the committee he would be unable to do so on account Of business engagements. On motion of Alderman Corcoran it was voted that Aldermen Norris and Chillingworth be
  Hartford for the purpose mentioned above the two gentlemen named being given power to appoint substitutes in case they could not go
 Among other matters discussed by the aldermen in committee was the bill for abolishing the board of councilmen and reducing the number of aldermen. In the discussion of the matter, Alderman Norris said that he wanted to go on record as being opposed to the bill and to the failure to get quorum at two meetings called to pass votes of instruction to the corporation counsel concerning bills before the general as- He said:
 "I believe that an influence is at work to prevent the possibility of a quorum of this board being present. have been informed that high official of the city government is at work in that di- rection. I hope the members now here will be here at the regular meeting to be held Monday night and if quorum is not here more forcible means will be taken to get them here. The interests of New Haven are at stake and am one of any number ready to resort to strenuous measures to get quorum here for next Monday night. These bills concerning the city now before the legislature are of vital importance and should be considered by the common council before they are passed"
 Alderman Dewell referred to the bill now pending which seeks to permit the board of finance to make transfers of without the approval of the court of common council. He called attention to the fact that at present of the board of finance may be changed by two thirds vote q the common council and said that so far as he could see even this power would be taken away from the council by the of the bill in question. He said: 'I don't know how much more of that kind of work is being done and we ought to look these things over. It IS quite likely that some of those bills are not for the interests of the city. I sug- gest that each member here take CODY of the charter and copy of the proposed charter amendment as printed in the journal and compare them and see what changes are suggested. If we ant get an officer who is employed by and paid by the city, to go to Hartford,