The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-02-15
NO POSITIVE OPINION.
CITY SOLICITOR ON COUNCIL.
MANIC APPoRTIoNMENT.
Hesitated to Express a Definite
Decision but Intimates That Law
Has Been Complied With.


MI.
ihe IohoWihg opinion py Iity 81
hcitor Nospurg on the legality OF the
apportionment recently made for the
additional councilmen which Scranton
as a second-class city is entitled was
read last niyht i'm common councii and
ordered filed.
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n sn'. '"c n"''' ,o"s''N''o'' ''"'S D"'
e',' "'i" my ,'ii u'''"e " cNP',Ss PVs'''Ne
op'Io" 40 !" "u,,'V' 'ne suui,'o"'' 'oun'''''en'
""V" c''c'cu' Will DC en'i''c" I" we s"o',' III
80 SUI VI NV. ,"e 'ouo'e is' 'n'' '"e ,''' y,
''' S'o .o'",,'',s ~ '"cn 'eih''' i"e az,
"a ga! w. 1871 H. i-"' "oNIu's n'''n"o
w HN"s '"e '"''o W lvpies'u'"''o. ,n '"e
% ,n.,'"oi 'ou"''' ""' ny w. ''l',s W '''9 "''
me assessors oi oa'h "'tu 'haiI return inc
nun'o'' OF mN"oie' 10 'ne president % t'r com.
mon council on OF ne'o's we n's' uay OF
""s' w. ' '"e "nt '"'c''uS W e'u"c'''
'neiea''er' Jo'"t o"ll"'t.e' VI hc' oo"s's''nS
"' Two IRON, tnc Seiect anu 'nree rom 'he com
mon council sh"'l ne Appoin''n' says 'he a'''
'' examine tie returns ana 'nahc '"c "PPo'''o"'
"'amt 'ooo'u,'s W III. "''n' VI 'ne @ az
."'S ae' ",S NV "een 'o''o"e' ltei",!i III
'"'s t", a"u '"c ques''ou "o" "iSeS' "",''''
OF not there mas oeeh a supstahual coinpiahee
WIN ,he law IN tnlS connection we must con.
s,u'r 'he sun,equeh. aC'' ol June 20 lo'9' anu Oh
""rcn 90 ioo' WhIch ia''er dct mas oeeh up
P"reht'' oHeriooneo ny 'ho'e VINO n'Ne ne'e'oio'e
cNp,es'eo 'n'",seNes upon this question.
ihe de' o' '""' 90 io'', ai'e, pio,,uns 'of
'he TRANSMISSION oI inc certn'a'e rom 'he soVe,
nor 10 the ci'y oneia's' ana i's peihe recofued'
PROVIDES tha' N 'he fluiiVipd, elec,ion occur .
ring not iess .hah Que inonth ',o'r Tue na,e oi
Such 'er'""ate 'ne proper ohGeis en"h oe
e,ec'so 10 "mIh inc haiu Guy VIII become en-,
u'ieu uhu"r tne cn'Nge III tlN's,hcS',oh anu
,n'' upon tne iis' Nonnay VI Apri ncHt e,sui,s'
'ne c,'S so,''n,nen' s'',,i Ne ,r,orsannno. ine
aet oi Maiun % $50 . l., ~. P'o,iues 'ua'
'"o ee,ev' '"u 'V,'''o' 'ou"ss' :" e's,eS VI 'is
80 .,,, an'', nv. y" ,"' n.s' "oH0"s VI
- II .'. '1 -" ."o ."'''' ~ W -
49, "'u s",,"o w. pe',Vu VI w se1's
1n o'g 'i',' s"", O"A"''H' '''
ia Inv pr',"' - uI''o"a''eHs "", 'n"' '"e
at. 80 'ua. .o"S,o,' @ ,a' as s',eI. - =
eo.'"rt ua oI ".n'' anu o, we mus enu''loF 10
.... - - zoo
s,,'. - .,. :, Il
~ - na"gst ."'',n, '"". ,'o'c ~ " oc "h e'e'
Won VI e's o'e.'s, ..''s ''.''oh 'S'''o' ne oased
.pon "i "pPo''V","eh' I0"'Pie'ou !" ''e ,'i
to"ins 'uy, "nd " wou'u oe cqualH liriposSipie
.o' ~, IN" " 'Hye pa'. ~ ."e o'sai''N"tio"
>" AinN' ~ Nv 'ppo,NVii''eit anu ooIec'ioh hau
beeh heio oei"ie 'r"t uu'e' 20 II is PLAINLY APP
path. ,''a' a.. '"e pio,Niois OF tne "et oi leVi
es"no' oe o'to"e'' nNuou' N'o'atins 'he terms
W we a'' W iao'' ""''" arc '2'ei anu 'heieiore
iepe'n"s s''tu'es' 20 Lax "s eoth'ct'hs PfoVis
,ons arc eonee'heu WI" Is'Peet 10 Tue necessity
ior s'iiet cohpi''uhee win ,helr TERMS therc
arc wv e,asses U. S'A'ut.s' ~, Nahaato'y' "heh
non'o','pnahVe l"e,e"i'n WIZ rehuet the act
uo". ""7oiu'eN noi'' Nooo'' Law Dict'' rex
w. |'oAsu''c' l p"l'' ff'' w piec'oi!'
statute 's sueh 'nat usres''a oi ps provisions
VIII consl''u'c an iiesuiarly' out one NOT heoes'
safiy i''' 10 a.'s oohe or proceedings had
t"eieundeI' Is s'iu 10 DE ulrcctory' 70
Amer hhg Ehcy' OF LIZ page 1913,
o''tu'oi! irS"a.lohs uesigheo lot lhe ihIor'
nation OF public officials, and intended TO pro.
mote method, system uniformity and dispatch in
the modes oI proceeding are generally deemed
directory. Ibid lorrey Vs. Miiburry, II Pick,
ot'
u seems TO me 'hat the act OF 1871 Is di'
rectory act. 1t ~ certainly designed in part
Tor the Information oil pubic ofiicials, and 1t is
uhuouotoo'F hh'enueu W pr0nole heIHou anu
uniformity IN modes OF proceeding
u seems tnen' tnat me failure 10 strictly tol-
low inns act is an rreSnlaiity whlch VIII not De
iatai TO tue proceedings unless IL appear that
u mas been pracuciiiy ignored or dlsregarded.
IL Is shd that the assessors named IN this act
are warn assessors anu not tue assistant CITY
asses'olS' put ds thiS IN matter wheh con
Germs the municipality oh!y' ahd not the county
am lhchheu 10 Tue opihion that thc CITY as
SCISSORS are meant aHhough Technically they
might not DE cohsldeieu waru aSsesSols. The
city assessors nave maue report AMI II the
public ohcillS lol whose beneht thls Information
was procured are SATISFIED WIN IT, 1t Is doubtful
TO my mnd wnether any one else has any
standing to complain OF any irregularities IN tho
furnishing OF It, J am informed that each branch
oi the couhclls mas appointed 'he committee
called Tor by the act oi ls0l; and while the
committee from the common branch was pre-
maturely appointed that may be classed also
as an irrcgularty when VIII not Vtiate the
proceedings.
IN a