The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1853-08-25
LOCAL MATTERS.

tng to the late hour Ut when the meeting held a.
Metropolitan Hall adjourned on Tuesday eyening-a
full report ofthe proceedings until to-day
Assirendy stated Mayor Mayo presided and VIM
P. Muniord acted as Secretary of the meeting
On taking the chair the Mayor remarked that the
occasion which brought them together that evening
was one of no ordinary character An affection had
fallen upon of aister cities, unparalleled he
believed in the history of the world for its intensity
For some good purpose of Providence, not given to
us to know, New Orleans had been made the seen e
of sorrow, disease and death, almost beyond the
views any human conception Thousands and thou
sands of her citizens had departed this life suffering
the torments of presidential plague, leaving behind
other thousands ofrelatives who far temporal
matters were concerned, would have been better off
if they also had been taken away. Those bereaTed
ones had been left suffering not only with the grief
personal to themselves, but, many of them, from a
most abect condition of distress and poverty To re
ieve them many of sister cities had come togeh
er and contributed freely; and, with view of follow
ing their example, he had been by many Of
his fellow citizens to call meeting consider upon
the best to be adopted for furnishing pecu
mary aid speedily to their suffering brethren in New
Orleans. The subject addressed itself more orciby
to the heart of every than his tongue could por
tray il, and the trusted that immediate action would
| be had with respect to it.
The Mayor then announced that the Armory Band
had rendered their services for the purposes of
cert, the proceeds of which were to be appropria-
ted to increasing the subscription contemplated by
the meeting.
| Mr.. John Jones proposed that a committee of ten
be appointed to receive contributions from those pre-
| sent.
| Mr.. John R. Thompson moved as substitute, that
a committee of ten be appointed to consider and pro-
fofb he etin0a 1Ubt haH
| ed advisable for its adoption.
Mr.. Jones withdrew his motion, and the substitute
was adopted.
The chairman appointed the following gentlemen
| to compose the committee:
| Messrs John r. Thompson, John Jones, William
| Gwathmey, John Williams, b. Dupuy. J. B. Bragg,
Andrew Johnston, James SCOT, John M Shepparo
| and VIM F. Taylor.
The committee having retired, the chairman sta
ted, that from his observation and from informa-
ton communicated to him by others, the female
operatives who were deprived of their means ofsup-
port by the recent fire in this city, also required
relief from the benevolent, and that he would enter
tain any proposition on that subject.
Mr. Thompson, the chairman of the committee,
soon after presented the following resolutions
| l. RcsoLUed, That committee of five from each
ward be appointed to solicit subscriptions from the
citizens at large, to be forwarded by the Mayor eff
| Richmond TO the Howard Association of New Or
leans for the relief of the sufferers in that city, and
that the said committee report and hand over the
Mayor what may have been collected by Saturday
| noon
2 Resolred That the Common Council be request
ed to subscribe the sum of 5 , for the same pur-
g. Resolred That the subscriptions under the first
resolution be commenced tonight.
| 4. Resoired That the proposition of the Armory
Band TO give concert for the same purpose, be
cepted and the thanks of this meeting be returned to
them for their benevolent offer; and that commit
| tee of five be appointed 10 make arrangements for
| that purpose.
The Mayor then put the question to the meeting as
to whether the question should be taken the
| buttons separately or together.
John S. Caskie here arose, and said that coerced
charity charity at ALL He considered that the
Common Council had no right to appropriate the
taxes which levied under the authority of the
city charter any charitable purpose whatever In
stead of body of men, numbering scarce one-ifth
part of the citizens of Richmond, calling the Council
TO aid the sufferers of New Orleans from the city
treasury, he regarded the generous voluntary contr
Buttons of citizens there and elsewhere, embarrassed
by any reference to the action of the Council il.
dcatve of truer charity on our part 1t reflect.
ing upon those citizens who not there thus to
place the burden of giving On the Council. He OBJ
jected to the passage of the second resolution, and
trusted that the question would be taken upon them
separately.
| j. II. Gilrner Yves sorry to hear the remarks of his
honorable friend who had just spoken. When the
wall of the dead and dying falling ears, he
did not think it was I'll appropriate time to oppose
constitutional technicalities an appropriation, by
the City Council. The Council had made appropria-
tons for the reception of Presidential suites obse-
ques and other purposes and he considered they had
the right to make this appropriation. 1t was duty
thus to act By authorsing the Howard Association
of New Orleans to draw once for $1,000 or $4,000
upon the city treasury the relief would be prompt
and, with $1,000, sent one two weeks hence.
Andrew Johnson sustained the report of the com
mittee. The first resolution provided for securing
subscriptions from all Of citizens; and the second
for the adding Of the mite of the City Council
Wealthy citizens now absent from the city, would be
glad TO pay their proportion OF fax imposed by the
Council The City Councils of Charleston, and he
believed of Savannah, had voted appropriations.
The Mayor here stated that news had just been re-
ceived of go deaths in New Orleans that day.
Mr.. Caske stated that he felt, and felt deeply for
the sufferers but feeling looked action. He desired
voluntary action in this matter-gfs coming from the
hearts of the people He further defended the prin-
cple that it would be in violation of the city charter
| to make this appropriations and if allowed, would
take away all restriction upon the bounty of that 10
dy They could take upon themselves the response
bility of giving to whatever they chose. He wished
the people to beware how they gave any such unli-
m ted power into the hands of the Council, or ere
they would it. their charter, in spirit and effect,
| would be obsolete
J. r. Thompson referred to the appropriation by
the Council for the benefit OF the wounded Artillery
| men.
Mr. Caskie snid that he believed in that case, the
appropriation would have been larger and more
cheerfully gwen, if gathered from the people at
large. He did not in the propriety of the
principle of making such appropriations by the City
The question then taken upon Mr. Caskie's
motion take the upon the resolutions separate
ly, and il was adopted The first resolution then
| adopted
The question recurring upon the adoption of the
second resolution, Mr. A. Hughes moved to ill the
blank with $4,000
Mr. J. j, Palmer moved to amend the amendment
by adding s.and for the relief the suffering female
operatives of the Richmond Wooden factory"
Mr. Palmer's amendment was rejected, and the
question necessarily recurring upon the adoption OF
the second resolution, calling upon the Council to ap
propiiate, &C.. before the blank was filled, it wal
tlken and the resolution rejected, by large maJo
rity.
The third and fourth resolutions were ther
adopted.