The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-12-28

MEETING OF THE Cry Cougon.-An, adj
Journed meeting of the City Council was
held yesterday afternoon. Present: J.J.
English, presiding !. Messrs. Kent, Strauss,
Laube, Lehman, Euker,; Jenkins, Bran
non, Todd, Davis, Wagner, Sloan, Wynne,
Higgins, Greanor, Smith, and Flournoy.
The President stated that the first b1si-
ness of the meeting was the consideration
Of the fourth section Of the report Of the
Committee on Streets, the remainder OF
which had already been adopted at the last
meeting, in relation to the use of dummy
engines by the Richmond ana Danville
Railroad Company along Dock street. Mr.
Euker supported the Committees report.
Mr. Greaner requested the reading Of The
contract between the city and the railroads
above referred to. which contract was en-
tered into on the 10Th fully, 1859.
MIR. Sloan thought it would be breach
Of faith on the part of the city to adopt that
portion Of the report already referred To-.
Mr.. Wagner favored the adoption of the
report. -....---.-..
Mr. Kent stated that he was member of
the Council ut the time the contract was
entered into, and, while the railroad CON-
panies had not fulfilled their part of the
contract, he did not think the city was dis
posed to 60 back on their portion oft. He
it, but until he had been enlightened he was
not prepared to vote one way or another.
Mr. Wynne thought the, whole matter
rested upon the question Of the Use Of
dummy engines by the railroads. and moth
ing else; and the matter OF time prescribed
by the contract was no consideration. It
was simply impossible to use horses on
those curves-all the "King's horses"
couldn't pull the cars on those streets-and
he hoped, therefore, the Council would
not adopt report which he felt sure had
not been thoroughly investigated.
By unanimous consent Mr.. A. S. Buford,
President Of the Richmond and Danville
Railroad Company, addressed the Council,
setting forth the whole matter from its com
mencement up to the present time. He
hoped that the Council would not now re-
scind what they had already done; indeed,
he felt sure that such would not be the case.
The city required this company to donate,
in widening Dock street, just SO much
money. 1t amounted to that, and nothing
more; and it would be- harsh, indeed, If,
when the road is well nigh completed, the.
Council should adopt such report, and
thus force the Danville company to throw
literally away that large sum of money
and all he asked of the Council was, under
their already order, to complete the work
and put it in working order with the least
possible expense. As they now stood he
did not know whether to buy dummy en-
gines, forty horses, or abandon the whole
enterprise. . ..s...
MIR. DAVIS thought it was as little as the
90 on with their work, and refuse to adopt
the committees report.
MIR. Darlington, President of the James
River and Kanawha Canal Company, next
addressed the Council in opposition to tha
proposed construction Of the connection.
He said it was an old matter, but might not
be familiar to some of the new members OF
the Council, and he therefore proposed
briefly to SET forth the claims of the James
River Company which he did.
Mr.. Smith could not see that dummy en-
gines would do much injury 10 the Canal
COMPANY md be thebgat the Danville
Comp onghSto be allowed to complete
their work. a -: ts 49,
Il Mr. s odd tIaaNaa to adjourn, but, ait the
request of ynne he Withdrew mis-
motion. @ Mr.. r. " sSurfe then presented the
following resolution as q Substitute forsthe
fourth section of the committees report:
Resolued, That the action of this Coun-
Gil, held at the meeting of July II, 1869,
in regard to the connection between the
tracks of the Richmond and Danville,
Chesapeake and Ohio, and Richmond and
York River Railroad Companies, bound
the city to the stipulation therein named
and although the railroad companies therein
named hare not literally complied with the
formalities required of them, yet they have
done this in spirit, and the dereliction of
the City Council in failing to adopt an ordi-
nance, as required by the meeting above
named, is an error Of omission greater than
those on the part of the railroad compa-
nies and this Council waving these innoya-
tions Of the compact made and accepted as
only technical and not mature, we hereby
approve of the recommendations made III
tie report above named, and that the City
ATTORNEY be requested to prepare an ordi-
nance in accordance with the Council above
quoted.
The vote being taken, the resolution was
rejected-ayes, g; noes, 8. The question
then REQUIRED upon the adoption OF the re-
naming section of the report, which re-
sulted-ayes, I; noes, Z.
The Chair decided that the report was
rejected. .. .....- ..,
Mr.. Wynne moved a reconsideration of
the vote by which his substitute was re-
iected which was agreed to.
Mr.. Wynne then offered his resolution
Mr. Strauss moved to lay the resolution
on the table until the next meeting. Lost
and the substitute was adopted. -,
On motion of Mr.. Higgins, the Council
adjourned.