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539
COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEATTLE
Jul 20 1888
"To the Honorable, the Common Council of the
City of Seattle.
Gentlemen
I have the honor to here-
with return Ordinance No. 967, passed by your Honor-
able Body, without my approval.
This measure has not only received your attention
but has excited much interest in the minds of the
public and been fully discussed in the columns of
the newspapers. It is an important matter and
merits the dispassionate, careful consideration of
every citizen. I believe the parties asking this fran-
chise are responsible men, and that the best method
of rapid transit at present in use within corporate
limits and upon traveled streets is a well constructed
and properly managed cable road. On the other hand
I believe great caution in the granting of fran-
chises of this character should be exercised and
every interest of the public carefully guarded. What
is once done in this direction it is hard to undo.
Section I of this ordinance specifies as follows:
"Said road shall have a double track with switches,
turnouts and turntables necessary to the full and
proper equipment of the road, and to be connected
on such part or parts of said road as may be
necessary for the due and convenient operation of
tha same." —
The forgoing it seems to me grants to the Company hold-
ing this franchise the power to use any portion or
the whole of any street on the line of its road, and the
wish or convenience of the Company is the only limita-
tion of the exent of its power to use these im-
portant thoroughfares.
Section 6 of this ordinance provides, that if said
grantee, his associates successors or assigns
"are prevented from constructing the said line of