The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-08-12
The CITY FATHERS
BADLY "bALLED UP"
Got into a Parliamentary
Tangle.
COULDN'T GET OUT AGAIN
A MOTION TO ADJOURN, THE
ONLY SOLUTION.
A SCREAMING FARCE IN TWO ACTS
The Board Was in Session More Than an Hour
but il Did Less Than One Minutes
Business. Books on Pariamen-
tary Law Wanted.

tary Law Wanted.
Will not some kindly disposed. person
donate to the city, fer the use of the
Mayor and the board of aldermen, Il
few copies of Cushing's Manual, or some
other standard work on parliamentary
pdractice!
Certainly they stand in sore need OF
some such document, as you must admit
when you have read what occurred in
Metropolitan Hall last night.
This historic nall has seen many u
farce and funny play, but none nave
ever been more farcial and thoroughly
funny than was the meeting the board
lrled to hold last mgnt.
The board was called to order at $50
O'Clock; ut $50 it adjourned. In TINS
hour only one thing had been dome
DIR. Battles resignation as a member OF
the board of health had been accepted.
This was absolutely every particle OF
business transacted.
AS stated above, Mayor Powell raped
for order at $50, and after the roll cal
he entered upon the routine OF business
prescribed for the regular stated meel-
sngs OF the board.
A petition from Charlie Wade, ask
ing permission to establish wood yard
on corner of Blount and Hargett streets,
was refused.
The resignation of DR.. *. z. Battle,
Jr., as a member of the board CT health,
was read and accepted.
An ordinance was passed taking the
care and management of the public
pumps from the Street committee and
assigning this duty to the Pump com
nittee.
This much done, Alderman Mcdonald
made the point that the meeting was a
special one. called for the purpose o.
adopting Il budget of appropriations for
the various city departments.
Mayor Powell sand Mr.. Mcdonald was
mistaken; that it was an adjourned meet
ing.
Mcdonald Didn't you send out
CALI"
Powell-4Yeess, but that vas IS merely ID
reminder to members
Mcdonald Lets have the record
read"
The minutes showed simply that "the
board adjourned" No reference was
made in them to any other meeting or
refer to adjournment to any stated time.
According to that said Alderman
Miller, the board is not in session.
Mayor Powell said he was confident
it was the intention of the board last
Friday night to adjourn to this Friday
night.
Others said the same things; while the
rest said not.
Alderman Correll-.I move then we adj
journ."
Alderman Wynne-"If this is no meet
ing hof are we going to adjourns"
Alderman Miiler-"We can'tadjourn.
It's not necessary to do so, for we are
not in session and have not been.
Wynne- Then this business we've
transacted is no business at all. Moth
ing's DONE
Miller Nothing has been done.
Alderman Parrish-"I move we correct
the minutes.
Alderman Miller-"The minutes are
correct"
Alderman Northumberland if they
won't you couldn't correct them now In
the first place we are not in session, and
in the second place the minutes of
meeting can only be read and corrected
at regular meeting
All sorts of suggestions were made
and several members were ON the iotIit
of putting on their hats and going home
when Mayor Powell said he thought he
could solve the difficulty.
I'll issue call right now for a special
meeting of the board
He wrote out the call-or at least
part of it--and asked:
For what purpose shall ! call it?'
80 get out of a hole" remarked the
wag member
TO repeal the sign ordinance" said
another
''To adopt budget" chimed third.
Cant do that" said the Mayor seri-
ously, '.the committee finds that it's UNI
able to fix the budget tonight.
'Oh, any old thing said somebody
YEARLY, and added: Say to accept DR..
Battles resignation"
The last suggestion was adopted, the
call was signed the Mayor raped for
order and the clerk recalled the roll as
the clock struck nine.
This was the end of the first act and
the curtain rose en- the second. You
know farces are always i'm two acts.
Everything done up to this time being
void, somebody moved again to accept
DIR. Battles resignation from the board
Of health. The motion prevailed.
Now the ordinance prohibiting swing