The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-07-16
THURSDAY MORNING, JULY 16, 1868.

The RECONSTRUCTED CITY CoUNCII-
i" "HoN" Mr.. HUMPHREYS SrEAKs.-The
following from Mr.. Humphreys was re-
ceived at this office yesterday:
RICHMOND, July Is, 1868.
&" Editor Dispatch;
"Sir,-In your paper Of to-day | find
under the caption of The City Council MS
Reconstructed the following reference to
me. After you make some remarkable
statements, you say
90 4 few minutes aftcrward another by
stander called the Hon. Mr.. Humphreys
o ID liar in a voice distinctly audible,
and threatened to lick him like - when
he came outside. With difficulty per
sonal alteration between the parties was
prevented after the adjournment
'tWhat parties? If any such thing oc-
Cured, was wholly ignorant Of the fact
If such thing occurred while the Council
was in session, as you state, the reflection is
certainly severe on the efficiency Of our
experienced President, Mr.. mcfarland,
who, sir, you must be persuaded, would not
permit such conduct as you represent, even
if the 'citizens had lost oil regard for de-
cency and self-respect rs to be- guilty of
such conduct. As councilman, deem it
my duty to see that the public work is pro-
perly performed, as far as possible and
also, that the public money be not waste
fully and prodigally expended, which, re-
gret to say, is frequently done, but not by
my voice.
"If, then, you refer to me as having
constituted myself q special detective 10
hunt up evidence of improper conduct on
the part of city officials because ascer
tanned the fact that the assessors for some
of the wards of the city had impertectly
performed their duty, in some instances
charging poll tax to women and in one
especial case, Rev. DR.. J. 3. Jeter had not
been charged with either poll or personal
property tax, and the collector had to re-
ceive his return and an addition in this
case of eighteen dollars to the treasury.
The books show this and every other charge
and insinuation made by me to be correct ;
and if you desire truth, the facts are acces
sible to you. If your reference was de-
signed for me, you can, if you will, satisfy
yourself that every charge made by me was
verified, and also that only one of the as
SCISSORS books was ready for the Finance
Committee Mt the time required by law. As
we were asked to vote extra compensation
to said assessors, amounting to 81 500,
whose duty was it to see whether the work
was we'll done and in time Did not my
oath rs councilman require me to do it if
could Allow me then, sir, to say that
your statements arc not only sweeping
but totally incorrect and MUST.
al am, sir, J. NJ. HUMPHREYS"
The remarkable statements which
Mr.. Humphreys mentions-about the dis
graceful scenes ut recent meetings OF the
City Council-arc notoriously true, and no
candid member of that honorable body will
dare deny it. Another exemplitication
was afforded in the little "spat" between
Messrs. Sharp and Saunders on Tuesday
evening, the former of whom having twice
let his temper get the better Of his usual
good judgment.
Mr.. Humphreys desires to know "what
parties " threatened to have Il personal
alteration with him after the adjournment
Of the Council. We can tell him. They
were Messrs. John ?. Tyler and John +.
Saunders, both of whom Mr.. Humphreys
insultcd in an uncHllcd-for manner during
the same meeting Of the Council. Both
were much incen5ed, and had -Nr. Hum-
phreus qone om the same door acih OTHER
members Of the Council, and gone his usual
route home, probably an explanation would
have been demanded. As it was, he could
not be found by the irate gentlemen who
wished to call him to an account.
Mr.. Macfarland is not to blame for the
use of profane language toward Mr. Hum
phreys by person without the bar; but as
the offender was within two feet Of Mr..
Humphreys, it was his duty to have had
him brought to justice by reporting him at
once to the venerable President.
In mentioning the member who had con-
stituted himself detective we gave no
names but Mr.. Humphreys seems to have
discovered, as the public had already, that
tthe shoe fits" him. We do not object to
his wearing it. 1t is certainly the duty Of
II member of the Council to keep yigilant
ward over the interests of the city, and to
watch with a jealous eye anything savotlng
of improper " conduct" on the part Of city
officials but when it is apparent that n
member searches the assessors books, ran
sacks the public Offices, and scOurs the
streets Of the city, only to tlaunt charges of
treason, dishonesty, and improper motives
in the faces of his associates, and old and
tried officers of the city, the spectacle be-
comes offensive to all rightminded men. 1t
is even more offensive when there is too
much reason to believe that personal pre-
judce is the leading incentive in the mind
of the man who boasts his watchfulness
over the interests OF the city.
In conclusion, we have only to say that
while the Hon." Mr.. Humphreys is not
personally obnoxious to us, We sincerely
believe that he is tirc-brand in the City
Council; that he is doing incalculabe harm
that his conduct in that body is disgusting
to nearly all Of his associates, and that his
removal would be hailed with JOY by the
community and make the Council once
more dignifed and harmonious organiza-
ton.
THE HoT WEATHER-RANGE OF THE