Year: 1875




The close OF the proceedings for contempt
against the Aldermen who voted in favor Of
canvassing tho charter election, in violation Of
the temporary injunction OF the Circuit Court,
is deferred, but there has already been prog
ress enough to develop some very astonishing
things. Not the least Of these is the general
ignorance on the part Of the Mayor and all
the guilty Aldermen but ono Of an opinion
given by Gty-Attorney JAMESON, when the
Injunction was first got out, to the effect that
d violation thereof would be contempt Of
Court, and subject the Aldermen to punish
rnent by fine or imprisonment, or both This
opinion was askod BY the Mayor, and handed
to him at time when the Injunction
was tha sensation Of the day and the
Mayor and Aldermen more interested in the
construction put upon it than in anything else
in tho world, since the extension Of their
terms OF Office was involved. The opinion
was printed in all the newspapers at the time,
and, a*ter lying on MIR, GOWNS table all day,
was found lying on the desk Of the President
OF the Council during the session Of the
Council. Moreover, the Council that same
night passed resolution which they feared
might be construed as violation Of the in
junction, and asked the advice OF Mr. JAMIE
BON, who was present, IS to its effect He
then gaye another opinion, to the effect that,
though the resolution in question might not
be construed as direct violahon OF the in
junction, it would be better to reconsider it.
ALI Of this shows that the Council was famil-
iar with h1r. JAM1EsoN's opinion that the can
WASHING OF the vote would be violation Of the
injunction, and make the Aldermen anenable
to punlshment for contempt. They did not
then violate it, nor did they until attorneys
Ind been specially employed who gave an
other opinion Now, in spite Of the notorie-
ty Of this atfair, all the guilty Aldermen, ex-
cept Mr. DIXON, in their effort to purge them
selves Of contempt, swore that they knew
nothing Of the opinion; and Mayor GOWN
swora that he had really forgotten all about
it, and that, II he had been called to the
stand dAy sooner, he would have sworn
that he had never seen it at ALI Can it bo
that the conflicting testimony in the BEEouEn
trial has already had its inauenca throughout
the country?


There have been other surprising incidents
in this contempt trial, among which waa MIR.
FRAsK ADANs' apostrophs to the jewel of
consistency, called out by his having Joined
in both opinions, taking precisely opposite
grounds. There was also mngniloquent
declaration Of A1r. E.ERY A. Sroans, to the
effect that he "would pluck his heart from
his bosom rnther than shrink from giving an
honest opinion, aye, even were all th Courts
that ever sat to flaunt terrorism in Ills faco i"
Such professions on the part Of Mr. Sronns
are very affecting, and We have no doubt
that his bold and fearless utterarce struck
dismal remorse into the hearts Of the judges
before whom Mr. STonRs is accustomed to
practice. These and other attempts to in
timidate the Court, including violent partisan
newspaper comments, have made the pro-
ceedings among the most remarkable Of the
time.


The Courts, the Legal profession, and the
general public, have more than passing in
terest in these proceedings. 1t must
BE- remembered that the injunction
WAS temporary, holding only tan days,
anu m1ght nave been argued and dis
posed Of at any time that the counsel for the
Aldermen had Reen ct to take it up. If
their injunction WAS 80 plainly Illegal and
VOID as the counsel for the Aldermen pre-
tend to believe, it would hare been but short
work for them to 60 up stairs into Judge
Wn11An1s' court and have 1t dissolved. 1n-
stead Of adopting this easy, fair, and pro-
fessional course, they chose to give the
'.opinion that it was Illegal and void, con-
scious that this opinion would be accepted,
as it was, for full authority to violate the in
junction.. To sustain this course will be to
set most dangerous precedent The legal
gentlemen who have adopted it have entered
upon plan calculated to undermine thsir
owa profs1aion- Il tho Courts tai