Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-06-26
THE PAVING QUESTION.
The Contract Awarded to the
Lowest Bidders After a Hard
Tussle.


citizens being present to see how their
representatives acted on the occasion,
The Board resolved itself INTO Committee
of the Whole, when Alderman Lynn
stated that the difference between the
bids Of Greenlaw 4 Co., and Montgomery
a Co., was 1891 65, and that he wac
in favor of giving the contract to Green
law a Jones if the difference was $780,
900, for they had often assisted the city
during financial difficulties. Alderman
Passmore made strong speech in favor
of awarding the contract to the lowest
bidder, and condemned the action of the
Mayor and the Finance Committee.
Alderman Townsend wanted Greenlaw
& Jones TO have the contract because il
would improve city scrip. Alderman
Boiling said he had come from sick
bed to attend the meeting, and was in
favor of awarding the contract to the
lowest bidder. He was sorry that the
city was in such a poor way and com
pletely. at the mercy Of Greenlaw 4
Jones. If such was really the case, they
lad better sell out to these gentlemen
and retire,
Alderman Lynn said city scrip was
selling at seventy cents, and if they
awarded the contract to Hopper & Mont
gomery in two days it would be down to
sixty FIVE and in four days to forty five
cents. Alderman Passmore argued in
regard to the reliability of Hopper 4
Montgomery to carry out their contract,
and he ridiculed the idea that the city
would go down if they gave them the
contract. he wanted to know if this
was scheme to feed Council pets, and
if itTas, why not say so, and not give
away twsnty.three thousand dollars
under false pretenses to Mr.. Greenlaw
He wanted the Council to be consistent
for once They had been very inconsist
ent, and had often jumped the fence and
then jumped back again. He then de
clared himself the champion of Hopper
& Montgomery, because they were the
lowest bidders, and remarked that Mr..
Mitchell, one of their sureties, owned
seventy thousand dollars worth Of prop
erty in this city, and could command a
quarter Of million dollars any day.
Had Colonel Sam. Tate been in the city
he also would have been one of the
bondsmen; he read over the list Of
bondsmen given by Hopper & Mont
gomery, and contended that nearly every
one of them was thoroughly responsible
They ought to give the contract to the
most responsible lowest bidder, and said
that scrip would 60 up, as people would
buy it to pay for the paving. he said
give it to the lowest responsible bidder
and that was what the majority of the
citizens said.
Aldermen Amis and Smith made some
remarks against the report of the Finanee
Committee. Alderman Powers expressed
himself satisfied that sufficient bonds
could be given by Hopper d Montgomery,
and he could not see why he could get
out of voting for the lowest bidder. BE
considered them responsible, and as be
had done in regard to Taylor, McBain q
Co. contract, so he would in this case,
and vote to give it to the lowest bidder.
TWAS finally moved to reject the report
ofthe Finance Committee giving Green
law & Jones the award, which was car
ried, amid loud applause, by the follow :
ing vote:
Ayes - Powers, Clancy, johnson,
Amis, Boiling, O'Donnell, Smith, Hull
bert and Passmore-9.
Nays-Cochrane, Wickersbam, Lynn,
Hoist, Townsend, Lemon and Shaw.
The committee then rose and reported
through Alderman Shaw the chairman.
The vote was then taken on the adoption
of the report of the committee of the
whole, as fellows;
Ayes : Powers, Clancy, johnson,
Amis, Boiling, O'Donnell, Smith and
Passmore-9.
Nays-Cochrane, Wickersham, Lynn,
Hoist, Shaw, Townsend and Lemon--7.
A motion was made that the paving OF
the streets be awarded to Hopper & Mont
gomery. Alderman Boiling moved to
amend by requiring Hopper 4 Mont
gomery to submit their bonds with salts
factory security within ten days from the
award to the Board for action. Alder
man Cochran moved that the bid of
Greenlaw 4 Jones, for the paving of Main
street, be accepted, and the paving of
said street awarded to them. The
amendments Of Aldermen Boiling and
Cochran we're adopted by the Board, when
the original motion as amended was
adopted by the following vote;
Ayes-Powers, Clancy, Amis, Boiling,
Johnson, O'Donnell, Smith aud Pass
more.
Nays-Coehran, Wiekersham, Lynn,
Hoist, Shaw, Townsend and Lemon.
IL we say closing out our stock in