Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1907-07-16
NEW COUNCIL MEETS
TRAESAcTS BUSINESS BUT
AKESNOAcTIOE ON ELEc.
TION TANCLE
Named New City Officers Tor Coming
feaf-An Old Employees Reap.
pointed


pointed
The newly elected city Council held
- Drst business session at The G0un.
| eil Ghambef last night and among
other things took np the matter ~ The
Third ward election muddlc and also
elected city employees.
Ail SIX ~ the members who have
qualified were present, bot the matter
Of filling The vacancies ae 10 alder.
| men from the Third ward WAS not
settled. fn fact, there - nov eyery
indication that the Republicans, VII
son and Adams, viii be- eventually
seated. and ~ least the Council viii
delay its action until after the Court
| has ruled upon the questions presented
10 II in connection with the petition
| for mandamus brought by Wilson
| and Adams against the ward election
officials 10 compel them 10 make a re-
turn ~ the election held on July ~
Ia regard 10 the city officials, tho
Council reelected the incumbenfs in
every case and selected three addition.
al police officers 10 GIl the vacancies
which ~ present exist. The officials
received all Of the votes six, they
being the nominees of the Democratic
caucus and the Council being sOlidiy
0f that party in the absence Of the
Third waId aldermen. The election
took place after the transaction Of
other business, and tie selections were
~ follows:
City CLERK Philip T.. Porter.
Treasurer Collector WinsOn q. GOtt
city GOmmisgiOncT~- William ".
Nansant.
Market Master Edward n. Burtis.
Health O0iecr -Dr. Wm. n. Wclcb.
chief of Police-Gcofge T.. Hahn.
Sergeant Of Police Charles ~.
O'Berry.
Police Omcers Henry Jackson,
Richard =. Holiday, John r.. uolIi-
day, william FTanfum, Charles Jones,
John n. Jacobs aud BENJAMIN n.
Norfolk The latter three are the nov
selections.
Messenger William ". Sands.
After The Transaction of routine bust
ness. which included the passing Of
the bills for election expenses, the
matisr Of the Third ward representa-
tives was taken 40 and the committee
appointed at the last meeting 10 report
upon the matter Was called upon for
its reports. The committee asked for
further time TO consider the matter
anu ~ - EIhHAtIe tJIN fDlltfUfffNf
retiring while the Council took 10
cess. The committee consisted of Al
dernnan Frank II. Thompson. James
=. Strange and GEORGE w. Evans. viii
city Counselor Kidgcly y. Mcly - ~
legal adviser.
After session Of some length. the
committee returned and laid before
the Council its reports, which was 10
the effect that the Council had nothing
upon which to act in regard to the re-
truus from the Third ward aud could
not at present seat anyone as alder.
man from that ward. This report
was adopted by a vote Of four in the
Affirmative and none in the negative.
Counselor Melvin and Aldemen
Strange being excused from voting.
In explanation of his vote, Counselor
Melvin submitted written opinion in
which every phase of the subject was
thoroughly discussed. His conclusions
were that the Council had no official
information as to the result Of the cleo
tion in the Third ward; that they were
not even informed in an Official way
that there had heen an election that
the Council should take steps TO COM
pei the making OF return by the Off
cials in that ward: that there was
now no vacancy in The Office, in the
contemplation Of the charter and that
consequently there could be no selec-
ton by the Council; and, finally,
that the old aldermen, Messrs. Bacr
and Thompson, colored, were entitled
to tn seats until their SUCCESSORS had
duly qualified. Il. A. Thompson,
colored, who was present, thereupon
made courteous request TO be al
lowed to take his seat, but the per-
mission was not granted by the Coun-
ell.
After SIR. Melvin had read his opin-
ion, Mayor Claude stated that he did
not agree with that official as to the
law in connection with the holding
over of the members OF the Council,
and he offered n resolution declaring
the seats vacant and providing that the
Council should proceed TO an election.
lie also put Pm domination for the
positions Charles l.. Myers, Arthur
T. Basil, Jesse Wilson and J.. Albert
Adams, all the candidates at the late
election.
MIR. James W. Owens, who repre-
sents Wilson and Adams in their ac-
tion against the election officials, was
here allowed to take the floor and he
made strong appeal against the pro-
posed action. lie urged that the mat
ter was now in the hands of the Court
and that il would be contempt OF
court in spirit III not the letter should
action be taken at this time. He said
such action would SAVIOR of collusion
with the outrageous fraud which bad
been attempted in the Third ward and
that the members of the Council, par
ticularly those whose children would
live to regret that they had taken
such an action.
Mayor Claude stated that he had de-
cided to withdraw his resolution, and
the sentiment seemed general that IL
would be improper to take an action
in advance OF the ruling Of the Court
upon the petition now before IL.