The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1853-05-11
LOCAL MATTERS.
CITY COUNCIL.

4,
Mayors Report-The first monthly report OF
Mayor Mayo was presented and regularly referred
1t contains some valuable suggestions. Inc eHec'
ual furtherance of the main objects OF the system Oh
police, viz: the security of individuals l. tneir per
Sons and property from lawless violence ana oe
probation, will he thinks at no distant day. require
an increase of the police forct though he weuia
not now recommend it-for all must be aware oil
the rapid increase of persons and property In the
city to be guarded by day and by night, which can
not be done without corresponding augmentation
of the police. The Captain and drst Lieutenant
could perform but little valuable service as day
officers if they performed faithfully their duties at
night-and Uice rersa. To require these officers to
perform day duty, would seem to concede that four
day officers were insufficient as certainly they
were, especially in summer and fall He would
| suggest that the Council take from the first and
second officers of the watch the day service now
| required of them, and as the season was at hand
when the city might become unhealthy from a
variety of causes that could be guarded against by
watchful eye-sppont officer to fulfil those
duties Would not the health, comfort and interest
of the city be thereby promoted to an extent that
would fully justify the expensea He thought they
would.
The conduct of the watchmen in securing SO
promptly the burglars who entered Mr. Pearce's
jewelry store, is next highly commended.
| The nuisance of slaves congregatingi in large mum
bers hourly on Cary and Water streets Is referred
| to.
| The Mayor states Also that from his observation
| as public prosecutor in the Hastings Court he has
long thought that the city should, in some form or
other, have "house of correction" and less than
| one months experience il the office of Mayor, has
| confirmed him in that opinion. From some fami.
| liarity with criminal records, he was convinced
| that criminal practices commenced generally with
| those over whom, in infancy, there was exercised
| no religious moral domestic discipline, and IN.
fortunately there were such here. 1t had not been
| an uncommon thing to see children from to IA
years of age brought to the bar of the Court of
Hastings, charged with petit larceny and house
| burning. Neither the common Jail or Penitentiary
Yves the proper place for the reformation of such
juvenile offenders ;-on the contrary, mixing them
in daily intercourse with feons, they became con.
| frmed in those vices, which their imprisonment
was designed to reform. house of correction te.
| perated from adult, hardened offenders might re-
form them-the common Jail never would There
|
jects for work house. who were to be found asleep
at night in public places, or staggering about the
streets drunk. 1t was not that Richmond had many
drunkards or beggars of her own, but owing to the
facility of intercourse between this place and Balti.
more Philadelphia and New York, Richmond had
become, as it were, sanctuary for foreign drunk.
ards, beggsrs and Migrants. He would commend
| this subject to the serious and prompt considera
| ton of the Council with the firm conviction that
the interests of the city required house of cor.
rscton, in some form or other, for the classes OF
persons just me ntioned and others.
The Mayor also calls attention to the necessity of
| providing. by ordinance for the infection of cor
pora punishment upon discharged convic. free ne.
groes who are in the habit of quarterng upon the
city-and of making provision for the suitable and
lawful guardianship of black orphan children who
often at the option of relatives become slaves
to those relatives under the pretence, on the part
| of the latter, Of taking care of them.
| The Mayor concludes his report with some per
tineni suggestions relative to the drainage of stag
| nsnt pools
| I'm rouement on fourteenth Street "A report from
the Commissioners of Streets generally was taken
up and acted upon. Resolutions recommending
|
Mayo's Bridge to Cary street, and of Dock street
from 14th to 18th street-also granting permission
| to the James River and Kanawha Company and
the Richmond and Dsnville Railroad Company to
| re grade l4th street each side of the Canal upon
the condition that these Companies do it at their
own cost under the supervision of the Engineer of
the city-and that they pay for a cuvert extending
diagonaly across l4th street from Dock street TO
Mill Alley, were read and re.committtd.
Nep Street The Commi ssioners of Streets gen.
orally were authorised to advertise for proposals
| for opening street en- the north bank of James
River from the south end of 7th street to the west
| ern line of the Armory Grounds-expense not to
| exceed $1,000. Authority was also granted to ap.
point Commissioners TO condemn SO much of the
| land of E Brown, deceased, would be necessary
| to open and make this street.
| Running Of Fire Rgines.-It was ordered that
| the ordinance of the 5th September, 1852, be SO
amended as to prohibit any fre.engne or reel from
| going on the sidewalks of Bank and Capitol
| streets next to the square, and from running upon
the side walk of any unpaved street, when the said
| street was in good condition.
Culuerts-The sum of 81 657 &c was appropri-
ated tor the extension of culvert on Marshall
| street.
cuIvert was also ordered to be constructed on
the north side of Dock street, from 22d to Shockos
Creek. at cost not exceeding S6,6s7 40, the city
to pay one half OF the cost and the James river
and Kanawha Company agreeing to pay the other
| half.
| General Appropriations appropriations were
then made for improvements in the respective
| wards as follows
,s,1ar,on Ward, $780, co. Madison Ward,
| s71e7 10; Monroe Ward, 1896 ~. Total for the
three Wards, s24525 AZ
order to Property Holders.-An ordinance was
ordered to be framed requiring property holders,
on all the streets which culverts have been or
may hereafter be built at the expense of the city,
to enter the same and pay just proportion of the
cost thereof.
Salary of the Mayor An ordinance was adopted
increasing the salary of the Mayor of the city to
81 500 per snnum, from and after the 1th Of April,
| 1853
| Brick Kilzs-The following ordinance on this