USA > Nebraska > Douglas County > Omaha > History of the city of Omaha, Nebraska > Part 14
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CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTIONS-(teorge B. Lake, Charles F. Manderson, James M. Woolworth. Eleazer Wakeley, Isaac S. Hascall. Experience Estabrook, James E. Boyd, John C. Myers, Silas A. Strickland, 1871 ; Clinton Briggs, John L. Weh- ster, Charles F. Manderson. William A. Gwyer, Henry Grebe James E. Boyd, Charles H. Brown, 1875. Of the convention of 1871 Silas A. Strick- land was President and John L. Webster presided over that of 1875.
SOLDIERS' RELIEF COMMITTEE- appointed under a recent act of the Legislature-M. D. Roche. Dr. R M. Stone and John P. Henderson. This commit- tee has the charge of the disbursement of a sum, to not exceed three-tenths of a mill of the amount of the annual tax levy, in aid of dependent ex-sol- diers and their families. The fund for 1890 amounted to about $7,500.
Members of the Legislature from Douglas County :
FIRST SESSION, CONVENED JANUARY 16, 1855.
REPRESENTATIVES-A. J. Hanscom, Alfred D. Gayer. A J. Poppleton, William Clancy. William N. Byers. Thomas Davis, Fleming Davidson and Robert B Whitted. A. J. Hanscom, Speaker ; J. W. Paddock, Chief Clerk.
COUNCILMEN-Samuel E. Rogers. O. D. Richard- son, A D. Jones and T. G. Goodwill. Joseph L. Sharp, President ; George L. Miller, Chief Clerk.
SECOND SESSION, CONVENED DEC. 18, 1855.
REPRESENTATIVES-George L. Miller, William Larimer, Jr., Levi Harsh, William E. Moore, Alex- ander Davis, Leavitt L. Bowen, Alonzo F. Salis- bury and William Clancy. P. C. Sullivan, Speaker; J. L. Gibbs, Chief Clerk.
COUNCILMEN-Samuel E. Rogers, O. D. Richard- son. T. G. Goodwill and A. D. Jones. B. R. Fol- som President ; E. G. McNeely, Chief Clerk.
THIRD SESSION, CONVENED JAN. 5, 1857.
REPRESENTATIVES -S. A. Strickland. Joseph Dy- son. C. T. Halloway, John Finney, William E. Moore, H Johnson, J. Steinberger, M. Murphy, R. Kimball. Jonas Seely, A. J. Hanscom and George Armstrong. I. L. Gibbs, Speaker ; J. H. Brown, Chief Clerk.
COUNCILMEN-A. F. Salisbury, Dr. George L. Mil- ler, Samuel E. Rogers, L. L, Bowen. L. L. Bowen, President : O. F. Lake, Chief Clerk.
FOURTH SESSION, CONVENED DEC. 8, 1857.
REPRESENTATIVES-George Armstrong. J. Stein- berger, George Clayes, J. S. Stewart, M. Murphy, A. J. Poppleton, W. R. Thrall and J. W. Paddock. J. H. Decker and A. J. Poppleton, Speakers; S. M. Curran, Chief Clerk.
COUNCILMEN-George L. Miller, S. E. Rogers, George Armstrong, William Clancy and A. F. Salisbury. George L. Miller, President; W. Saf- ford, Chief Clerk.
FIFTH SESSION, CONVENED SEPT. 21, 1858.
REPRESENTATIVES - James H. Seymour Clinton Briggs, ugustus Roeder. James Stewart, William A. Gwyer, R. W. Steele, John A. Steinberger and George Clayes. H. P. Bennett, Speaker ; E. G. McNeely, Chief Clerk.
COUNCILMEN-George W. Doane, William E. Moore, George L. Miller and Jolm R. Porter. L. L. Bowen, President ; S. M. Curran, Chief Clerk. SIXTH SESSION, CONVENED DEC. 5, 1859.
REPRESENTATIVES -A. J. Hanscom, David D. Belden, Harrison Johnson, George F. Kennedy,
80
HISTORY OF THE CITY OF OMAHA.
George B. Lake and A. B. Malcomb. S. A. Strick- land, Speaker : James W. Moore, Chief Clerk.
COUNCILMEN-George W. Doane, William A. Little. George L. Miller and John R. Porter. E. A. Donelan, President : S. M. Curran, Chief Clerk.
SEVENTH SESSION, CONVENED DEC. 2, 1860.
REPRESENTATIVES-John I. Redick, Samuel A. Lowe, Joel T. Griffin, Merrill H. Clark, Henry Grebe and Ezra Millard. Henry W. De Puy, Speaker ; George L. Seybolt, Chief Clerk.
COUNCILMEN-David D. Belden, William A. Lit- tle and John M. Thayer. William H. Taylor, President : E. P. Brewster, Chief Clerk.
EIGHTH SESSION CONVENED, DEC. 2, 1861.
REPRESENTATIVES-James H. Seymour, Joel T. Griffin, A. D. Jones, Merrill H. Clarke, Oscar F. Davis and Aaron Cahn. A. D. Jones, Speaker : George L. Seybolt, Chief Clerk.
COUNCILMEN-David D. Belden, William A. Lit- tle and William F. Sapp. John Taffe. President ; R. W. Furnas. Chief Clerk. (A direct tax of $19.312 was levied against Nebraska in 1861, which was remitted by the government in con- sideration of their being no session of the Legis- lature the following year, the expense of which the government would have had to pay. The amount was, by act of Congress, 1891, refunded to the State).
NINTH SESSION, CONVENED JAN. 7, 1864.
REPRESENTATIVES-John Ritchie, George B. Lake, Daniel Gantt, Joel S. Smith, B. E. B. Ken- nedy and Henry Grebe. George B. Lake, Speaker; Rienzi Streeter, Chief Clerk.
COUNCILMEN-William A. Little, John R. Porter. and John McCormick. E. A. Allen, President ; J. W. Hollinshead, Chief Clerk.
TENTH SESSION, CONVENED JAN. 5, 1865.
REPRESENTATIVES-E. L. Emery, A. J. Critch- field, Charles M. Conoyer, Charles H. Brown and James W. Pickard. S. M. Kirkpatrick Speaker : John Taffe, Chief Clerk.
COUNCILMEN-John R. Porter and B. E. B. Ken- nedy. O. P. Mason, President ; John S. Bowen, Chief Clerk.
ELEVENTHI SESSION, CONVENED JAN. 4, 1866.
REPRESENTATIVES -- George B. Lake, J. W. Pad- dock, Charles H. Brown, Frederick Drexel and James G. Megeath. James G. Megeath, Speaker ; George May, Chief Clerk.
COUNCILMEN-B. E. B. Kennedy and John R. Porter. O. P. Mason, President ; W. E. Harvey, Chief Clerk.
TWELFTH SESSION, CONVENED JULY 4, 1866.
REPRESENTATIVES - Phillip O'Hanlon, A. J. Critchfield, J. W. Paddock. V. Burkley and W. A. Denton. W. A. Pollock, Speaker; Joseph H. Brown, Chief Clerk.
SENATORS-James G. Megeath and M. C. Wilbur. Frank Welch, President ; Casper E. Yost, Secre- tary.
THIRTEENTH SESSION, CONVENED JAN. 10, '67.
REPRESENTATIVES-George W. Frost, Dan S. Parmalee, Harvey Link. S. M. Curran and E. P. Child. W. F. Chapin, Speaker ; John S. Bowen, Chief Clerk.
SENATORS-George W. Doane and William Baumer. E. H. Rogers, President : O. B. Hewett, Secretary.
FOURTEENTH SESSION, CONVENED FEB. 20, '67.
REPRESENTATIVES-Joel T. Griffin. Martin Dun- ham, Dan S. Parmalee and George W. Frost. W. F. Chapin, Speaker ; H. W. Merrille, Chief Clerk.
SENATORS-Isaac S. Hascall. E. H. Rogers, President : O. B. Hewett, Secretary.
FIFTEENTH SESSION, CONVENED MAY 16, 1867.
REPRESENTATIVES-George W. Frost. Martin Dunham and Joel T. Griffin. W. F. Chapin, Speaker ; John S. Bowen, Chief Clerk.
SENATORS-Isaac S. Hascall and J. N. H. Pat- rick. E. H. Rogers, President ; L. L. Holbrook, Secretary.
Up to this date the sessions were held at Omaha; subsequent sessions at Lincoln, to which place the capital was removed in 1867. The session of July, 1866, was convened under the supposition that Nebraska would be admitted as a State by that date, a State Constitution having been previously adopt- ed. It provided, however, for the exercise of the elective franchise by whites only. Congress required an amendment in that particular in order that it might conform to the amendment to the Constitution of the United States by which, suffrage was con- ferred upon the colored race. In conse- quence of this a delay of some months resulted and the session of January follow- ing was under the Territorial form of gov- ernment.
81
SESSIONS OF THE LEGISLATURE.
SIXTEENTH SESSION, CONVENED JAN. 7, 1869.
REPRESENTATIVES-S. C. Brewster, Joseph Fox, John B. Furay, Joel T. Griffin, Dan S. Parmalee and Edwin Loveland. William McLennan, Speaker; John S. Bowen, Chief Clerk.
SENATORS-E. B. Taylor and George W. Frost. E. B. Taylor, President ; Samuel M. Chapman, Secretary.
SEVENTEENTH SESSION, CONVENED FEB. 17, '70.
REPRESENTATIVES-Joel T. Griffin. Edwin Love- land, Dan S. Parmalee, C. A. Leary, S. C. Brews- ter, Joseph Fox. William McLennan, Speaker ; Charles H. Walker, Chief Clerk.
SENATORS-George W. Frost and E. B. Taylor. E. B. Taylor, President ; Samuel M. Chapman, Secretary.
EIGHTEENTH SESSION, CONVENED JAN. 5, 1871.
REPRESENTATIVES-John Ahmanson, Thomas F. Hall John C. Myers, Edward Rosewater, William M. Ryan and Lewis S. Reed. George W. Collins, Speaker ; Lew. E. Cropsey, Chief Clerk.
SENATORS-Isaac S. Hascall and Frederick Metz, E. E. Cunningham, President ; Charles H. Walker, Secretary.
NINETEENTHI SESSION, CONVENED JAN. 9, 1873.
REPRESENTATIVES-W. R. Bartlett, Charles F. Goodman, John L. Webster, Martin Dunham, Hugh L. Dodge and Erwin G. Dudley. M. H. Ses- sions, Speaker ; J. W. Eller, Chief Clerk.
SENATORS-William A. Gwyer and O. Wilson. William A. Gwyer, President ; Dan. H. Wheeler, Secretary.
TWENTIETH SESSION, CONVENED JAN. 7, 1875.
REPRESENTATIVES-B. H. Barrows, John M. Thurston, Jacob Wiedensall, John Baumer, Frank Murphy and Alexander H. Baker. Edward S. Towle, Speaker ; George L. Brown, Chief Clerk.
SENATORS-Charles B. Rustin and Jacob S. Spaun. N. K. Griggs, President ; Dan. H. Wheeler, Secretary.
The Twenty-first was a special session, convened December 5, 1876, to canvass the vote cast for Amasa Cobb, as a Presidential elector, in order to correct an alleged irreg- ularity.
TWENTY-SECOND SESSION, CONVENED JAN. 2, 1877.
REPRESENTATIVES-Alexander H. Baker, James S. Gibson, William Neville, P. P. Shelby, George 6
E. Pritchett. James Creighton, L. L. Wilcox and Thomas Blackmore. Albinus Nance, Speaker ; B. D. Slanghter, Chief Clerk.
SENATORS-George W. Ambrose and Charles H. Brown. George F. Blanchard, President ; Dan. H. Wheeler, Secretary.
October 27, 1868, a session of one day was held for the purpose of correcting an omission in the law with respect to election of Presidential electors.
TWENTY-THIRD SESSION, CONVENED JANU- ARY 7, 1879.
REPRESENTATIVES-George Plumbeck, Lewis M. Bennett, Ralph E. Gaylord, Patrick McArdle and Charles J. Karbach. C. P. Mathewson, Speaker ; B. D. Slaughter, Chief Clerk.
SENATORS-Charles K. Contant and Charles H. Brown. William Marshall, President ; Sherwood Burr, Secretary.
TWENTY-FOURTH SESSION, CONVENED JANU- ARY 4, 1881.
REPRESENTATIVES-Edmund M. Bartlett, P. O. Mullen, William A. Paxton, Henry Bolln, John A. McShane, William J. Broatch, Stephen K. Jackson and James H. Kyner. H. H. Shedd, Speaker ; B. D. Slaughter, Chief Clerk.
SENATORS-George W. Doane, John D. Howe. J. B. Dinsmore, President ; Sherwood Burr, Sec- retary.
The Twenty-fifth was a special session, convened May 10, 1882, in which there was no change in the membership from Douglas County.
TWENTY-SIXTH SESSION, CONVENED JAN. 2,'83.
REPRESENTATIVES-Fred. W. Gray, Frank Col- petzer. Alexander McGavock, Hugh G. Clark, John Christopherson, William Turtle and Henry Sussenbach. George M. Humphrey, Speaker ; B. D. Slaughter, Chief Clerk.
SENATORS-Charles H. Brown and George Can- field. A. H. Conner, President ; George L. Brown, Secretary.
TWENTY-SEVENTHI SESSION, CONVENED JANU- ARY 6, 1885.
REPRESENTATIVES-James E. Riley, Thomas C. Bruner, William Turtle, William G. Whitmore, James H. Winspear, John Mulvihill, P. McArdle and A. C. Troup. Allen W. Field, Speaker : James F. Zediker, Chief Clerk
82
HISTORY OF THE CITY OF OMAHA.
SENATORS-John A. McShane and Frederick Metz. Church Howe, President ; Sherwood Burr, Secretary.
TWENTY-EIGHTH SESSION, CONVENED JANU- ARY 4, 1887.
REPRESENTATIVES-William G. Whitmore, Geo. Heimrod, John Mathieson, J. R. Young, Patrick Garvey, C. J. Smyth, David Knox and Philip Andres. N. V. Harlan, Speaker ; Brad, D. Slaugh- ter, Chief Clerk.
SENATORS-George W. Liniuger and Bruno Tzschuck. George D. Meikeljohn, President ; Walter M. Seely, Secretary.
TWENTY-NINTH SESSION, CONVENED JAN. 1,'89.
REPRESENTATIVES-R. C. Cushing, R. S. Berlin, W. A. Gardner, J. H. Hungate, F. R. Morrissey (the last named was afterwards declared by the
committee on elections to be not entitled to a seat, and a certificate was given to George M. O'Brien), William Neve, Adam Snyder, John McMillan and S. B. Fenno (unseated and place given to Christian Specht). John C Watson, Speaker; Brad. D. Slaughter, Chief Clerk.
SENATORS-J. T. Paulsen and William A. Paxton. Church Howe, President ; Walter M. Seely, Sec- retary.
THIRTIETH SESSION, CONVENED JAN. 6, 1891.
REPRESENTATIVES-George Bertrand, W. S. Fel- ker, Jesse B. Huse James C. Brennan, Joseph J. Breen, George J. Sternsdorf, Patrick Ford, Thomas Capek, W. A. Gardner. S. M. Elder, Speaker ; Eric Johnson, Chief Clerk.
SENATORS-Warren Switzler, John C. Shea, George Christofferson. W. A. Poynter, President; C. H. Pirtle. Secretary.
r.f. Brwatch
CHAPTER X.
MUNICIPAL-EARLY DOINGS OF THE CITY COUNCIL-THE OLD CAPITOL BUILDING -SCRAPS OF LOCAL LEGISLATION - LIST OF CITY OFFICIALS.
The municipal government of Omaha dates from the spring of 1857 ; public business previous to that time having been conducted by the county officials. The origi- nal charter, passed by the Territorial Legisla- ture, was approved February 2d of that year, a supplemental act, approved February 7th, and an election held on the first Monday in March, when the following officials were elected:
Jesse Lowe, Mayor; H. C. Anderson, Recorder; Lyman Richardson, Assessor; J. A. Miller, City Marshal; A. D. Jones, T. G. Goodwill, G. C. Bovey, H. H. Visscher, Thomas Davis, William U. Wyman, Wil- liam N. Byers, C. H. Downs and Thomas O'Connor, Aldermen.
Pursuant to a call of the Mayor, the Council convened March 5, 1857, and the rules of the Council of the Legislative Assembly were adopted for its guidance. At this meeting work was at once entered upon with characteristic western vigor, notice being given of the introduction, at an early day, of bills for ordinances upon the following subjects: "To prescribe the duties of the City Recorder, respecting official bonds and oaths; to protect the Mar- shal in the execution of his duties; to establish the boundaries of wards; to pre- vent hogs from running at large; to create the office of City Engineer, and define the duties thereof; to establish and build a city pound; to regulate the sale of intoxicating liquors; to regulate billiard and bowling alleys, and for the suppression of gambling and gambling rooms."
In order to insure enough business to keep itself occupied, this first Board of Aldermen adopted the following, which the Recorder was directed to have printed and posted in conspicuous places:
"Notice is hereby given that the City Council of the City of Omaha has organized for the trans- action of such business as may be brought before them for the welfare of said city, and at the first session thereof it was resolved that all petitions to their honorable body be addressed or pre- sented to the City Recorder, and by him pre- sented to the Council for their consideration, and that the citizens of said city be and are hereby requested to make their wishes known by peti- tion at as early a day as possible."
At the second meeting of the Board, evidence of modesty in a marked degree was given by the adoption of a motion recommending that hereafter the Recorder omit the use of the word " Alderman" in making up his minutes, and the wild charac- ter of the surroundings is shown by the notice given by Mr. Jones that he proposed introducing a bill for an ordinance " to prevent the setting of fires," which referred, of course, to prairie fires. A report is pre- sented to the effect that "Hapburn & Chapman would furnish city printing at the following figures:
"One-fourth sheet bills. 1st 100. ... $4 00
" Each subsequent 100 .. .. 3 00
"One-half sheet bills 1st 100 8 00
" Blanks per 100 4 00
"Blank ordinances, 1000 ems, first time, 75
" Blank ordinances, each subsequent .. 40
" Printing proceedings of Council, gratis."
As T. H. Robertson was at this meeting elected city printer, there is a good reason
83
84
HISTORY OF THE CITY OF OMAHA.
to suppose that the scale of prices above given were not considered satisfactory. The standing committees of the Council were: Judiciary, Claims, Streets and Grades, Improvements and Printing. The first ordi- nance introduced was by A. D. Jones to established ward boundaries, and one to regulate the sale of liquors was No. 5, introduced by T. G. Goodwill.
Early in the history of the government the Recorder was directed to procure from Chicago, " or some other well regulated city," ten copies of its city ordinances for the use of the Council. Thus left with a wide discretion, the Recorder evidently con- cluded that Chicago was not a proper model for Omaha, as later on in the records appears mention of a bill from the Recorder of " the city of Iowa" for ten copies of city ordi- nances, hence we may conclude that it was to Iowa, and not to Illinois, that our first city law makers turned for forms and prece- dents, and that, after a calm and careful investigation, Recorder Anderson decided that, even in that early period, Chicago was not "a well regulated city."
It is interesting to follow the official record of this first Board of Aldermen, then planning ways and means for governing a hamlet, since grown into a mighty city. That they were an industrious body of men, is shown by the fact that they met in the daytime, and almost every day, for the first few months, afterwards changing to Tuesday night of each week. There was a strong desire to have erected a large hotel, and the Council was willing to aid in an enterprise of so much importance. March 13, 1857, a petition was presented by "George L. Miller and 129 others" in relation to appro- priating a part of " the Park " (seven blocks bounded by Eighth, Ninth, Jackson and Davenport) towards such building, which was referred to the committee on public grounds. At this meeting the following resolutions were adopted:
Resolved, That a portion of the public grounds known as " the Park" be donated for the purposes of securing the erection of a hotel, worth not less than thousand dollars, said hotel to be located between Fifth and Twentieth, and Howard and Webster Streets, said location, with the above restrictions, to be determined by the builder ; and, be it further
Resolved, That a committee of three be ap- pointed 10 receive proposals for the building of said hotel, and that they be authorized to close a contract with a responsible party who will under- take to build said hotel for the least quantity of said grounds.
The committee to whom this matter was referred recommended that a " plan and specifications of such house be made by a proper and experienced architect, to be reported to and acted upon hy this Council, and after said plan and specifications shall have been agreed upon, the same shall be published in the papers of Omaha and Council Bluffs for two weeks, and give notice that all bids shall contain all the securities' names which may be offered, and the bids sealed and directed to the President of the City Council, which bids shall specify what number of lots on said Park they will ask as a donation by the city as a bonus towards the erection. Said proposals shall be handed in before the Ist day of April. and shall be opened and acted upon in open Council at the first regular session after that date."
This report was adopted and at the Coun- cil meeting, held April 7th, four bids were presented, and, on motion of Alderman Byers, " Dr. George L. Miller was declared the successful bidder for the hotel contract," and the City Attorney was directed to draw up a contract, to be signed by the Mayor and Dr. Miller. It was the intention then to have the proposed hotel built on some portion of the ground known as " The Park," and the City Engineer was directed to pro- ceed at once in platting that tract into lots and blocks, to correspond with those adja- cent. Later on Dr. Miller and his associ- ates, Lyman Richardson and George Bridge,
85
THE FIRST BOARD OF ALDERMEN.
were given permission to erect the hotel on lots 7 and 8, block 124, and the brick build- ing, four stories high, known as the Herndon House, was erected by those gentlemen, at a cost of $75,000. It is now, very much enlarged and improved, occupied by the Union Pacific Railway headquarters.
One of the first duties of the Council was to elect a City Attorney, and this important matter was attended to at the meeting held March 12th. John A. Horbach, John I. Redick, Charles Grant and Jonas Seeley were the candidates. On the first ballot Horbach received one vote, Redick and Seeley two each, and Grant three. On the second bal- lot Grant received four votes, Redick one, and Seeley three. Grant was declared elected. June 23d following he resigned and James M. Woolworth was elected in his place. At this meeting of March 12, a City Engineer was also elected, A. S. M. Morgan.
March 13th a committee, "to whom was referred the matter of releasing to Douglas County, Washington Square," reported the matter back to the Council, and the follow- ing was offered and laid over under the rules:
" Resolved, That a committee be appointed to make arrangements with the Commissioners of Douglas County to provide for the disposition of Washington Square, in Omaha City, for the pur- pose of having erected thereon such buildings as may be agreed upon, to be used as a court house and jail, a portion of which to be appropriated for the use of Omaha City. with instructions to report to this body at its earliest convenience."
March 18th a special session of the Council was held " to ratify the contract made by the committee appointed to confer and stip- ulate with the County Commissioners of Douglas County, for the appropriation of Washington Square, to be used in the erec- tion of a court house and jail thereon." A contract, prepared by the City Solicitor and signed by Jesse Lowe and Thomas Davis on the part of the county, and T. G. Good will and William N. Byers on behalf of the Council, was presented and approved by the Council.
Washington Square was the block bounded by Farnam, Douglas, Fifteenth and Six- teenth, now the most valuable square in the city. The court house was built on lots 5 and 6, the present site of the Paxton Block, the title to which lots was conveyed by the city to the county. The desire of the city to occupy a portion of the court house free of expense was not complied with, however, the county claiming and exercising exclu- sive ownership in the building after it was finally completed.
March 14th, 1857, the Mayor was author- ized " to enter, without unnecessary delay, in the name of the City of Omaha, in accordance with the provisions of an act of Congress of May 23d, 1844, the following subdivisions of the government land, to-wit: The northeast quarter and the north half of the northwest quarter of section twenty-two, and lot two in fractional section number twenty-three, township fifteen, north of range thirteen, east of the sixth principal merid- ian." The Mayor was further instructed to (after having made such entry) "proceed to deed to the proper owners thereof all lots and grounds situated within the above named tracts of land upon payment by such owner of his proportion of the cost of said entry and all other charges as are prescribed by the laws of this territory, in such cases made and provided."
And thus was inaugurated a tedious and vexatious system of dealings in connection with real estate titles which circuinstances combined to complicate and render exceed- ingly difficult to carry out successfully. The fact that the city was located upon land which still belonged to the government, and had not even been surveyed, caused much difficulty, bitter personal feuds, the perpetra- tion of gross wrongs in isolated cases, and litigation as to titles which kept the courts occupied for many subsequent years. All this, however, resulted from the situation
86
HISTORY OF THE CITY OF OMAHA.
and not from the method adopted by the Council to perfect the city's title to the real estate within its boundaries.
The providing of funds to carry on the city government proved a very serious problem, and one which the Council had to confront early in its history. Money had been furnished to erect a capitol building on the ground now occupied by the High School, with the understanding that the sum thus advanced would be refunded by the general government. May 26th, 1857, Alderman
THE TERRITORIAL CAPITOL.
Bovey (who, with Major George Armstrong, erected the capitol building) offered the fol- lowing, which was adopted :
" Resolved, That the Mayor of the City of Omaha be and is hereby instructed, to proceed immediately with the erection of the capitol building, expending thereon such money as there may be in the treasury, appointed for that pur- pose, which funds he may increase at such times as he may think best, by selling the lands set apart for that purpose, or by using the credit of the city."
Following this, appropriations were made at various times, until $110,000 had been expended on the building.
June 23d the Mayor was authorized " to procure plates and to have $30,000 of city scrip issued and to enter into a contract with the different banks for the circulation and redemption of said serip on the best possi- ble terms," and July 8, John II. Kellom (who had been elected to fill a vacancy caused by the failure of a man named Allen
to qualify after having been elected), moved by a desire to uphold the city's credit, offered the following, which, however, was not adopted :
" WHEREAS, The City of Omaha is about to issue its bills of credit to the large amount of $30,000, for purposes of vital importance, and it is both just and expedient that security of a tangi- ble nature. and which will inspire business men and the public generally with entire confidence, be provided to protect said issue :
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