Common Council Proceedings

Council met in regular session Monday evening. Mayor Kinne in the chair. Eoll called -absent Aid. Walker. Minutes of last meeting read and approved_ PETITI0N3. Of S. P. Jewett, and others, tor the erection of two street lan)ps on Huron street, in the vicinity of Tripp t& Price's machine shop. To Lamp Committee, Of H. L. Hubbell, and others, for erection of a street lamp on northwest corner of Madison and State streets. To same coramittee. Of M. C. R. E. Co. for penmssion to lay water pipes across unoccupied streets between railroad station and Hurou river. Granted. B15POBTS OF COMMITTEES. Finance- Eepoiting bilis allowed on various funda, and warrants ordered drawu for the amounts as tollows : General f und, $264.62 ; general street, f536.91 first waid, $39.44; third ward, ÏÜ6.24 ; fourth ward, 120 .30 ; fifth ward, 1178.46 ; sixth ward, 132.93. AIbo several bilis on Third ward fund without recommendation, one of the Aldermeu having objected to their aUowauce. Reftírred to City Attoruey. Also the following resolution, which was adopted : Resolved, That no bilis shall hereafter be allowed against any ward fuud except the same shall be certiiiotl to by both the Aldermeu of such ward. Street - Eeported the completion of etoue bridge, on new street between Huron street and Milder Ave., Third ward, accordmg to contract and the same had been accepted by the committee ; also the bill of M. F. Schueider, tor Ï2G0, the contract price lor building said bridge. Eeport adopted and bill allowed. Same, relativo to occupation of a portion of Huron street by the machine shop of Tripp & Price, that the same is an encroachnieut upthe street ; recommending the employment of a surveyor to determine the extent of encroachment. Adopted. Sidewalk - Eecommending the re-building of sidewalk on uorth side of Miller Avenue, in front of lot owned by Peter Vanee; also in front of J. B. Gutt's, on north side of Jefferson street ; also on east side of Filth street, between Ann and Huron streets ; also in front ot lot owned by Jas. B. Gott, on north side of Miller Avenue. Accepted and adopted. Same, against granting ot petition of Z. P. Kiug, and others, for siüewalk on Twelth street, the recjuisite number of persons not having signed the petition. Adoptod. Same, against graqfing petitiou of C. H. Milieu, and others, for sidewalk on south side of Monroe street. Laid on the table. Same, submitting bill for rebuilding sidewalk in front ot building owued by Mrs. Flanuery, on Main street, amounting to $15.37, the owner being unable to pay the bill. Bi: tllowed. Lamp - In favor of the erection of a street lamp on Monroe 8treet. Adopted. Pólice - Eeporting the following, which was adopted : Wheeeas, The Common Council of this city passes ordinances for the putpose of havmg them euforced, and gives instructions for the puipose of havmg ït followed ; therefore, Resolved, That the Chief of Pnlice is hereby instructed to make it hia especial duty to see that all ordinances oi this city are duly and strictly enforced, without fear or favor, against all and every person offeuding against the same. SPECIAL COMMITTEES. City Attorney read the report of the cotn mittee appointed at last meeting, relativo to bondsmen of S. M. Webster, late City Treas urer, as folio wa : Your committee, after as careful an exam nation as the möans withiu their reach woul permit, find that the said "Webster was indebted to the city at the time of his resignation in the sum of 1,435, and that the greater part of that sum was due the city and uupaid at the close of the first official term, April, 1873. Borne oí the sureties on the first bond, oxecuted üec. 12, 1872, are upoii the aecond Dond, executed May 27, 1873, to wit : John F. Mitler, E. J. Johusou and JohD Moore. In addition to these there are en the second bond, who were not on the first, J. T. Swuthel, A. A. iregory, F. Sorg, E. J. Knowlton, J. S. Nowand and D. M. Finley. These sureties say they are now and alwajs were willing to meet all deiiciencies, or make good to the city every lollar of whioh Mr. Webster was a defaulter 'or the terra for which they became his 9ureies, and have made a special deposit in the ?irst National Bank of Í224 - au amnuut, as the claim, aumcient to cover all the loss the oity hns sustained by the treasurer for the term or which they were his sureties, and the cost ;reuted by tlie suit commenced in the Circuit Court upon the boud they signed. The above amount is subject to the order of the city upou lisnÜKsal of the suit and cancelling of the )ond of May 27, 1873. Mr. Webster was ap)ointed his own successor May 27, 1873, (at east that is the date of the bond). The most atisfactory method of arriving at the amount of the liabilities of those on the boud given May 27, 1873, is to take that term and to couidër it by itself, just as though he had succeeded some other person, instead of being his own successor. There can be no doubt that ;he sureties are liable for every dollar in his landd as Treasurer, carried over into his second term and for all money received by him as said Treasurer during said second term. It s equally true his duties as Treasurer are for he yoar for which he has been appointed and4 or which the bond is given, and not lor any ormer year. The bond fiveu covers the oflïial term only, and the official defaults of the 'reasurer dunng the term for which the boud was given the sureties on that boud are hable ; ut your comruittee cannot see upou what recept of law or equity they aould or ought to e held responsible for any of his official acts or a term anterior to the term lor which they ecame his sureties. It seems to us that they lave not entered into any such contract. To lústrate, supposing that on the last day of his rst term, eudiug April, 1873, the Treasurer ïad in his hands f 1,000 of tho city's funda ; as is own successor he carried over into his secnd term and charged himself with $100, givng the city credit for that amount, aud approriatmg to his own use Y900, he was theu a defaulter in the sum of i'JOO before he entered pon the duties of the second term. Surely the ureties on the bonds for the second term could not legally be held, aud ought not in equity, or the reason the deralcation did not occur in be term for which they were sureties. They ould only be held for the Í100 and all mouies eceived by him as Treasurer duniig the secud term. Your comimttee would respectful ask the Counoil to eropower them with autionty to secure the services of a good acouutant to find as near as ruay the defalcation f the Treasurer Webster, tor the term for which the bond was giveu dated May 27, 1873, nd upon ahcertaining the amount, and the ureties upon said boud paying the same, with ie costs of the suit now pending on said boud, ;o the City Treasurer that your committee be uthorized to instruct the City Attorney to ismiss the suit aud caucel the boud dated lay 27, 1873. On motion ot Aid. Eogers the report was accepted, and the committee were authorized to employ au accountaut as asked lor in the repoit, with instructions to report to the Council. EEPOKTS OF CITY Of PICKRS. By City Attorney : That the keepinjj in crer of the steps in front of the residence of J. O'Neill, on Detroit atreet, should be done at ie expense of the city. Placed on file. By the same : That it is the duty of the city;o keep the streets and gutters in proper condi;ion, by paviug and otherwiae, ao as to prevent and from waahing into the mill-race of J. T. wathei & Co., during heavy rain storins and reshets. Placed on ttle. By saine: Subraitting draft of Ordinance To. 90, amending Ordinance No. 9, relative to ïdewulks, requiring all petitiona for aidewalks ,o be sigued by at least a majority of resident wners along the line of such walk. Adopted By same : Submittiug draft of Ordinance' o. 91, prohibiting the encroachment of streets r alleys with stairs, stairways or structures nd providiug for the reuioval of auy such enroachment. Adopted. THE SLAUÖHTEE HOUSE QUESTIOW. The followiug memorial signed by all the lutchers of the city, was presented, nearly 11 of whom were in attendance at the meeting: To the Honorable Mayor and Common Councü of the City of' Ann Arbor: We, the undersigned, butchers and meat ealers of the city of Aun Arbor, would heruiy most respectfully aak you to reconsider our late action directiug a removal of our aughter houaea from their present location, ud will here with endeavor to show you why we consider a decree of such a sweeping haracter injurious to the iuteresta to the inerests of a good number of hard-working, aw-abidiug citizena. &. lew } ciiia agu, wituiu inu xtjiiitíiiiuriiiiuo ux most of you, we had our slaughter houses loated in the secoud and third wards, along AIen's creek. We were then ordered away down o the river where we are now looated, and at ;reat expense and trouble bought lauda and rected buildings. City authorities, Board of [ealth, as well as the people at large, were íghly satisfied until now. It may be the case that lately aome of the )remises complained of have not been kept ean en'ough, and, if this be so, remedies for ie correction oí any nuisances, can witnin 'our power, be applied without a tecurrance o measures of such seventy. Slaughter houses are kept within the limits t all cities of the world, and can be kept so s to not iuure the health of the people. If you will, however, make an impartial omparison between the looks of the gentlemen composing your honorable Board oí [ealth with those of your humble petitioners, 'ou will, we think, cotne to the conclusión hat, as far as health is,coucerned, said gentlemen would perhaps do well iu spending part f their valuable livesin our slaughter houses. The removal of our slaughter houses is au mpossibility for us, they cost us upwards of ilO.000. We are men who are duing their hare in turning capital into useíul employment. Our yearly business amounts to over 100,000; we are payiug heavy taxation ; we re building houses for our busmess and homes or our families, whorn we support among you, nd we hope that such harsh decrees, deprivug us of the use of our property gained by íard labor, will uot fiud grace either in your r the people's eyes. VVs should have to use 11 legal means to resist such a law ; this would f course cost the city and ourselves a good eal of mouey, and we hope that our representaives will not put us to such unnecessary rouble. But we repeat, that we thall be thankful to 'Ou for most stringent and severe laws for the ceeping of such premises in the most orderly way, and in accordance with the rules of the utmost cleanliness. We have uow engaged a man whose business is to daily take trom the laughter houses all boues and other remuants eít aíter kilhug - a measure which will go a ood ways toward improving matters. We hall gladly submit to any regulatiou half-way easonable, to meet the wishes of vourselves and the Board of Health. Accompanying the above was a petition, igued by about 100 citizens, iu favor of the granting of the requests in the a,bove. Leave being granted, Judge Lawrence addressed the Council in behalf of the butchers. Ou motiou, the memorial and petition were aid upon the table. By Aid. McDonald : Thaffa standing committee be appoiuted, whose duty it shall be to visit the vanous slaughter houses, at least once n each week, and inspect their couditiou. Adopted, and Aid. McDonald, Cate and Smith appoiuted such committee. MISCELLANEOUS. Aid. Besimer moved that the Marshal be instructed to cause to be removed forthwith, under the provisions of Ordiuance No. 91, the stairs leading to the second story of the Botstord block, corner Main and Hurou streets. Leave being granted, D. Cramer addressec the Council iu opposition to the motion, claim ing that several of the same kind of eucroach ments existed within the city, and that if one was removed all should share the same fate. The motiou was amended fixing the time fo the removal on the first day of Uctober, anc includmg all other stairs and obstructions at tached to business blocks in tïie city. The vot being taken the motion was lost. By Aid. Cate : That a committee of two t appointed to ascertam the expense of a stri of land to connect the north end of Stat street with the Huron river, to afford a publi passage to the river for watering purposes Adopted, and Aid. Cate and Seabolt appointei such committee. By Aid. King : That the chairman of Side walk Committee shall have the power to es tablish the grades lor sidewalks in the severa wards. Adopted. Adjourned.