Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-11-13

GESTLEMEE At your meeting on the
= day OF October last, sundry resolu.
tons in relation TO retrenching the cur
rent expenses Of TIE city were referred
to appropriate committees, but no report
was made at your last meeting on the
subject referred. The failure TO report |
presume grew out of the difficulty TO get
committees together during the preva.
lence of the recent sickness in the city.
The subject is Of such importance that /
have deemed it proper to convene the
Beard in special session to consider the
resolutions referred to, and will take the
liberty of making some remarks and
suggestions in relation thereto. | will
renew the recommendations that have
made on several previous occasions-to
discharge the entire street force, and
sell the teams and carts, and turn over
to the Metropolitan Police Department
the chain gang
The Police Commissioners have the
power to raise the means to. defray the
expenses Of the chain gang. This force
was turned over to the city by the Com
missioners upon condition that the city
agreed to pay the expense of maintain
i,git. 1t cost from ten 10 twelve hundred
dollars per month, in cash, to keep it up
This amount paid in scrip is more than
the city should pay. We cannot get an
equivalent in services for the amount
paid out. The arrangement with the
Commissioners was agreeable to all
parties, and worked well, as long as we
could pay the expense of keeping the
force without such enormous sacrifices
as have now to be made.
would also suggest the discharge of
the sanitary force, under pay Of the
Board of Mayor and Aldermen.
The carriage furnished Taylor, Mclean
& Co, under their old contract, cost the
city from six to eight thousand dollars
per month. This is charged to the pro.
perty owners But a small portion,
however, is collected the property
owners generally refusing to pay, on one
plea or another. / would suggest that
the contract with Taylor, Mclean & Co.
be so modified as to embrace the grading
in their charge against the property
owners, as is done under the last con-
tract, and that the contract be 80 changed
that the eity's portion of the work may
be paid for in paving bonds, as provided
for in the late contract. | make these
suggestions because / have reason to
believe that the contractors will consent
to such notifications.
At your last meeting the appropria-
tons amounted to $4,000. This, paid
IN scrip, will amount to $l32,000 at the
Or esent rate. | cannot consent, without
the direct order of your honorable body,
to iss,le scrip at this rate to pay your
entire appropriations. The Fire and
Hospital' departments are absolute neces-
stiles and ought to be maintained. All
claims here. utter should be paid in scrip at
its fair value, and salaries and wages of
employees should be fixed on this basis.
The mode of plying scrip at its cash
value certainly d, Nes not meet the views
of those who adv coated that system.
Would it not be wei to authorize the
issuance of twelve month notes, bearing
six per cent interest for ledger balances
and scrip With a proper system of
retrenchment, strictly observed, our
floating debt can be paid off IN one year,
and considerable amount OF scrip may
soon be retired in these twelve month
notes.
l will call your attention to another
subject, not of financial character, but
one of very great concern to all who
have an interest in the general welfare.
Last winter the Legislature amended
the city charter requiring every voter to
cause himself to be registered IN the
ward in which he lives at least thirty
days before any municipal election.
This law gave general satisfaction, and
has always been regarded as a great
protection to the purity of the ballot box.
l see from a report of the proceedings OF
the Legislature, that bill has been in
troduced and passed on its second read
ing to repeal this clause in the charter. l
propose that you memorialize the Leg
islature not to repeal this law. | cannot
conceive why any man, who regards the
welfare of this city, can advocate its re-
peal 1t deprives no citizen OF his vote,
but protects him against the imposition
of those men who have no right to vote.
The same principle is incorporated in
the laws of many other cities both North
and South, and will work as well in
Memphis as elsewhere. regard it as
very important to our welfare, and have
to our members of the Legis.
lature requesting to delay action until
your action can be made known to them.
And surely the Legislature, if respect
fully requested, will pay some regard to
a properly expressed opinion of this
Board on subject deemed of so much
w. o. LoFLANB, Mayor.
After the reading of the message
Alderman johnson offered a resolution
relative to the retrenchment called for
in that document. An amendment
offered by Alderman Shaw failed, and the
original resolution was adopted.
A resolution to memorabilia the Legis-
allure was adopted, and Aldermen John
son, Ruffin and Amis appointed com
nittee to prepare the memorial. The |
committee retired, but soon returned |
With a memorial reciting the grounds of |
objection to the proposed repeal of the |
egistration law.
An ordinance relative to curbing was
and, by suspension of rules,
passed both readings.
The Board then adjourned.
Gents Dress and Business Hats,
he neatest, latest and finest in the