Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/158

 112 HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY that the validity of the bonds issued for the building of the court house would be affected by this decision, as the chairman of the board must sign the bonds. Hon. AY. AY. Phelps was invited to address the board on the subject, and he made a lengthy argument in favor of the continuance of the old officers. This discussion occupied nearly the entire afternoon. It was finally decided by the board that the old officers held over, and Mr. Chandler was allowed quietly to resume his seat as chairman." The first meeting of this board was held in the office of the register of deeds, but almost equal in number to the territorial legislature, the room was found to be too small, and a committee consisting of Messrs. Crouch. Stearns and Brown was appointed to secure a suitable room, which was found and obtained in Todd and Hasler's block on Main street, the hall being then designated as "Hasler's Hall." When the board was full organized, cre- dentials examined and passed upon, etc., the following commit- tees were appointed: Equalization, C. R. White, 0. Densmore, I. C. Stearns. R. S. Phillips. C. AY. Gillett; claims. AY. S. Grow, J. G. Brown. S. A. Wise; ways and means, A. B. Miller, C. R. White. L. N. Gould; roads and bridges, 0. Webb, J. Kelley, ('. Crouch: appropriations, P. A r andenberg, I. C. Stearns, C. W. Gillett; justices and constables, R. L. Phillips. C. R. White, AY. S. Grow : sheriff and jailer, I. C. Stearns, C. AY. Gillett, John Thomas; to settle with treasurer, E. Stone, P. Vandenberg, R. L. Phillips; printing, A. B. Miller, P. A r anderbergh, 0. Densmore; Poor, Robert L. Phillips, Knut Knutson, D. M. Haggard; per diem and mileage, J. Thomas, A. Hilton, N. D. Townsend; public buildings, 0. Densmore, I. C. Stearns. AY. S. Grow, C. AY. Gillett, R. L. Phillips. This committee was elected by the board by acclamation. James T. Chamberlain, deputy register of deeds, was elected clerk of the board, and the supervisors proceeded to business. AYednesday morning, July 14, a resolution regarding the court house was offered by A. B. Miller, and after some discussion the following was adopted: "Whereas, There exists a diversity of opinion in reference to the binding force upon Goodhue county, of a certain contract entered into by the county commissioners of Goodhue county, with certain other parties for the erection of courthouse and jail, and Whereas, Any action pending the uncertainty which now exists would be very imprudent and hazardous; therefore, Resolved, That this board by a committee of three of its members, to be elected by the board, proceed at once to ascertain our liability under said contract, by presenting the case, without delay, to the judge of the Fifth Judicial Dis- trict of this state for his decision upon the validity of said con-