The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-11-12
LOCAL MATTERS.
CITY COUNCIL.

An adjourned meeting of the Common
Council was held yesterday afternoon.
Present: Messrs. Mcfarland (president), ,
Clopton, Clinton, Crutchfield, Gregory, Mil
| ler, Mulford, Pelouze, Sharp, Smith, Saun-
| iers, Taylor, Washburne, Van Lew, Yale.
Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad.
Mr.. Saunders, having been informed that
| the clerk had not had an opportunity of
writing up the proceedings of the last meet
ing, moved that the reading of the minutes
| be dispensed with.
Mr.. Washburne objected to going into
business without first approving the minutes
| Of the last meeting.
Mr.. Smith thought it was highly import
| ant that these minutes should be correctly
entered-especially the part referring to
| the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad. If the
| minutes were not written, he moved that the
Council adjourn.
Mr.. Saunders was SURPRISED at such mo-
ton. Even if the Chesapeake and Ohio
railroad business was not gone into, there
were other things to be attended to.
After some further desultory remarks
the clerk was requested to read his notes
| in regard to the disposition made of Mr..
| Washburnes motion to reconsider the &C
ton of the Council by which the city
proxies were appointed. The entry was,
"The vote not having been announced, after
| some conversational remarks Mr.. August
moved to adjourn"
Mr.. Washburne said that it appeared
from this record that motion had been
put and that the Chair had neglected to an
nounce how it was decided He therefore
moved to amend the record by inserting the
words, "and the motion to reconsider was
lost"
Mr.. Saunders thought Mr.. Washburne
had not stated the facts in the case. When
| the motion was put, there WAS great confu-
sion in the chamber nobody seemed to
| hear the question, and the consequence was
that nobody voted. He and others said at
the time that they did not understand
what was being voted on.
MIR. Washburne said his complaint was
that the Chair, for some reason, had ne
| elected to announce an important vote.
| The course now seemed to him plain. The
| Council should say what was done with the
matter.
The President calling Mr.. Mulford to
the chair) took the floor to inquire what
were the intentions Of the gentlemen urging
this matter. He saw enough to understand
ne was himself involved in the complaint.
Was it alleged or insinuated that from any
improper motives he had endeavored to
conceal the action of the Council The gen.
tleman must be more explicit.
Mr.. Smith wished it to be distinctly un-
derstood that he brought no charges against
the Chair or anybody, but he did think
L. ! ,l,a4 :,
with Mr.. Washburne's motion.
Mr.. Macfarland (president) understood
the complaint to be that the record does not
accurately present the action of the Coun-
Gil. The time for correcting the Chair was
when the neglect occurred. Why was not
this then remarked upon He insisted that
Mr.. Washburne should say what motive he
thought the Chair could have in concealing
the result What foul purpose was at the
bottom of it! The question was only i'm
portant in this aspect.
Messrs. Clopton and Crutchfeld stated
that their impressions were similar to those
of Mr.. Saunders about what had occurred.
DR.. Sharp's impressions were distinct,
and he agreed with Mr.. Washburne. Why
would gentlemen cover up this matter by
saying that they did not understand the
question? He remembered nobody voted
"aye," and there was very strong ne
gative.
Mr.. Mulford lin the chair) begged leave
to give his recollections. The vote was not
announced the chair made some remark
| about Mr.. Wasburne not supporting his
own motion Mr.. Saunders and MIR. Au-
gust said they didn't hear the question !;
| there was some further conversation; Mr..
| August moved to adjourn-lost; MIR. Clin-
ton moved to adjourn-carried.
Mr.. Clinton wished to stop this needless
! Washburne's resolution that the Council
now reconsider the vote by which proxies
were appointed. That would settle the
matter.
Mr.. Washburne (in reply to Mr.. Macfar-
land) said he didn't pretend to know the
motives influencing the Chair in neglecting
to announce the vote. As to his own mo-
tives in introducing the proposed amend
ment, nobody had right to inquire about
them.
After an hour spent in comparison of
| views, Mr.. Pelouze moved the previous
question.
MIR. Clinton withdrew his motion to re-
consider.
The question recurring upon MIR. Wash
burne's motion, it was carried.
L4ves.-Messrs. Clinton, Gregory, Smith,
Sharp, Pelouze, Van Lew, Miller, and
Washburne-S.
Noes.-Messrs. Macfarland, Clopton,
Crutchfeld, Mulford, Saunders, and Tay-
lor-G.
NJ Vo1a WOO cycYCp1
So there will be no reconsideration of the
vote by which the city proxies were ap-
pointed.
The City Small Notes.
Mr.. Smith called up his motion providing
for the employment Of counsel to defend
the interests of the city in the suit now
pending in regard to the redemption of the
small notes issued during the war. Agreed
to-ayes, l2; noes, 3.
Mr.. Smith then moved that the President
of the Council and Messrs. Sharp and Null
ford be authorized to employ counsel to
defend in the suit referred to. Agreed to.
Taxation of National Banks.
On motion of Mr.. Saunders, it was
"Resolued, That as the City Attorney has
given his opinion that the city has no
| power to tax national banks, the Collector
be authorized to cancel that already i'm
posed" -,.--.------4--
Personal Explanation.
The President asks to be allowed to make
a personal explanation. The motion to cor