The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1905-03-21
NEWS OF THE CITY
MICHAEL BLOCKS
PLAN OF KELLER
AssembIyman Unable to Have
Trolley Agreement Reviewed
by an Attorney

Bucklered with a charter provision,
Corporation Attorney j. c. Michael
blocked the plan of Assemblyman kei-
Ter of introducing resolution at the
meeting of the assembly last night pro-
viding for the appropriation of a sum
of money for the purpose or paying
an able attorney for his services in
determining the exact legal status of
the compromise resolution.
Whether a majority of the assembly,
men were in favor of securing addi-
tional legal light on the question or
not could not be manifested, as the cor
poration attorney vetoed the wish of
Assemblyman Keller to introduce such
a resolution, and pointed with con-
scious pride to the charter which pro-
vides that no additional counsel can
be hired by the common council eX-
cept when the corporation attorney
makes the request.
Michael Refused to Consent
While the purpose of Assemblyman
Keller's proposed resolution was not
to question the infallibility of Mr..
MichaePs legal judgment, it was, as he,
repeatedly stated, simply to secure an
unbiased opinion from some legal au-
thority of standing regarding the legal
ity of the compromise. He affirmed
that if such ain opinion coincided with
that of Mr.. Michael that he would be
satisfied to let the matter rest.
On two different occasions Mr.. Kel-
Ter stated that he went to Mr.. Michael
and requested of him the courtesy of
acquiescing in such resolution. Both
time he met with peremptory re-
fuSal.
Assemblyman O'Brien made no mo-
ton for a RECESSION, as it was well I'M
derStood that it would be held illegal.
Consequently no mention was made at
the meeting of the assembly last night
regarding the compromise agreement
with the st. Paul City railway COM
pany.
In Hurry to Spend Money
Instead of inquiring into the validity
of the agreement before concentrating
the contract by actual performance of
its terms, plans were inaugurated for
the spending of the $4,000 contributed
by the company for the widening of
Sibley street.
A preliminary order for the con-
demning of lot 1, block 80, for the pur-
pose of widening Sibley street was
adopted, Assemblyman Keller being the
only member to vote in the negative.
This means that it is the purpose of
the assembly to use the $4,000 con-
tributed by the company for the widen
ing of Sibley street The alternative
plan OF building pavilion at Como
appears to have been abandoned by
the assembly.
Company Pays in the Money
Anticipating the possible adverse
action of the assembly regarding the
compromise resolution, the st. Paul
City railway company strengthened its
position as much as possible by paying
into the city treasury yesterday the
$4,000 for the widening of Sibley
street or the building of a pavilion at
Como park.
One of the clauses In the compro-
mise agreement accepted by the city
provided for the contribution of this
money by the company, and in their
haste to bind the bargain and forestal
any efforts of the common council to
rescind the contract, the money was
paid into the treasury with degree of
CELEBRITY entirely unexpected.
In addition to the fulfillment of this
part of the compromise, the company
announced that the cent fare to Min
neapolis from Smelling avenue would
go into effect today, and that instruc-
tions had already been issued to the
street car conductors to take notice Of
this fact