The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-03-26
ANNUAL MESSAGE OF TIE MAYol
MAYOR S OFFICE,
RICHMOND, March |, 1872.

MAYORS OFFICE,
RICHMOND, March l, 1872.
To the CITY CO,tncit:
Gentlemen,-The approaching close of the
first term of municipal government admins
tered by the choice OF the people which
Richmond las enjoyed since the war marks
4 proper occasion for 4 brief notice of the
condition and prospects of our city.
IL may be doubted whether any commune
ty whose destruction was not absolute ever
found itselfin Il situation so utterly prostrate
us that of Richmond in 1868. To the general
catastrophe which swept away every re-
source, every value and almost every in
dustry throughout the South, was added ter
rible loss by great contlagration, and this
was followed by various other local calami-
ties, and by a sequence of seasons so fatal to
the production Of exp0rtblc commodities OF
Virginia that the business community of
Richmond may be said, without exaggera-
ton to have hung on the verge of bank
ruptcy for the three years following the war.
Finally, all these evils were deepened and
embittered by political burdens in the last
degree CALLING to generous and spirited peo-
ple-burdens which for two years maintained
a continued public irritation that on more
only prevented from eliminating in dis
pstrous riot by the noble forbcarance of our
citizens.
In 1870 the best people of Richmond, for
getting all past differences, united in Sue
ccssful effort to redeem their city and the
results of their wisdom and endeayor chal-
lense the applause Of every observer. Public
authority is no more resisted. Our streets
and squares no longer echo brutal and incen-
diary threats. Thousands of paupels no
longer crowd our thoroughflres. Capital is
seeking investment here to an extent uneX-
anpled; there ere more dwclling-houses
under contract for construction to-day than
were ever before known at so early period
of the year. There is scarcely i business
stand for rent on any eligible street. Our
six per cent. bonds, which sold in February
1870, with difficulty at a. now easily bring 81,
and this appreciation is the more remarkable
us our city debt his increased million dol
lars in the interval. Our eight per cents. sell
readily ut pnr-;t fact, | believe, unparalleled
in the current history Of southern cities.
New enterprises, some of them involving
unusual accumulation Of capital, have within
the past two yeirs multiplied in our midst in
number unprecedented. Our coast!ng trade
commands transportation Of coast and ca.
| picity greater than ever before, and there j.
room to hope that the foreign trade, out o.
which Richmond was beginning to realize
so handsomely before the war, may be re
newcd. Our railroad communications are il
every respect in Il more satisfactory coEdi
| tion than ever heretofore. Real estate il
most localities is steadily advancing, ant
| business has hettcrcl in every direction to
degree that can best he indicated, perhaps
by the fact that Richmond has paid into thu
| Federal Treasury during the two past year.
four millions eight hundred and seventy
three thousand dollars Ga, 3,000) of taxes
Finally, it is worthy of mention that Rich
mond alone Of all the cities of the Soutl
maintains (and, in truth, advances her rcEl
tive situation in the Union us to population
| By the census Of 1860 she was the twenty
filth city in the United States in inhabitants
| hv that OF 1870 she is the twenty-iourth.
These facts constitute demonstration .
the awakening prosperity of Richmond, urGl
which / heartily congratulate you, gentle
men. and the coed people Of this city
| through whose tortitudc, enterprise, and un
firing laborS, this satisfactory position ha
| been won.
During the past year Richmond has hcel
happily free from any of Il G . evccpt;o.,:,
yisitations which Of late years have so con
stautly afflicted her, and. am glad co believe
| Las bcen equally exempt from those crimes O
official malica>;nce and corruption Whlcl
seem almost epidemic among municipal gov
crnmonts throughout large portion cf tht
Union. Our exemption his been equally
marked and fortunate from the terrible
scourge Of smallpox, which has carried OF
/ 20 many thousands elsewhere. One or tWt
eases having been imported in the early par
of the winter. the Council, under the solici
tation of The energetic president of the Boart
of Health, took such prompt and vigorous
measures for general vaccination that the dis
ease was confined to The locality In which i
developed itself.
As an incident of the year well worthy o
mention may properly refer to the militar.
organizations which. for the first time sine
the war, have been seen among lis. A sutt
cicnt number of companies have been formed
inspcctcd, and furnished with arms to const
tutc the first and only regiment Of volunteer
in the Commonwcalth-a regiment which, i
officers and men, promises to be, and d'
serves to be, the pride of the city, and ne'
and efficient guarantee of public order.
; THE FINANCES.
In my last message recommended that tt
rate of taX-$l.25 OH the S10O-bc adhere
to, and expressed the confidence that it wou
produce nearly, if not quite, revenue enoue
to meet the ordinary expenses of the cit
government, and l suggested means wherel
tile deficit could be fully supplied. An i
spection of the Auditors report will sho
that this estimate has been in every respc
verified. But during the year the eXpent
ture on streets was increased thirty-t,r,
thousand dollars; gift of ten thousand dt
lars was made to Chicago; sixty-seyen tho
sand dollars was expended for the gas-holde
, without-as thought wise-a special issl
of bonds secured by the gas revenue larg
expenses incurred on account of sundl
internal improvements; twelve thousand dc
lars were paid in interest which the Jam
River and Kanawha canal should have pai
. and sundry miscellaneous expenditures of /:
extraordinary nature incurred, which nece
: STATED 4 further issue Of bonds to meet Il
current Indebtedness. There has been uddc
to the bond Indebtedness of the city Oil til
account S217,593.63, and appropriations
follows have been made by the Counc
which are not yet issued For general pu
poses, 100000 six per cents; Chesape:il
= and Ohio Railroad Company, 100000 81
per cents; James River improvement, $1O(
geo eight per cents. .- .........-
These issues accomplished and ordered wi
add to our annual expenses all interest a
count of tifty-one thousand and fitty-fye dc
lars (s5l ,O55), and a sinking fund account
. eight thousand one hundred and screnty-ti'
dollars (5S,l75). The Manchester bridge al
preparation will still further increase OF
bonded debt one hundred thousand dollar
and an interest and sinking fund aecoui
annually OF seven thousand dollars 81, ,0O
more. "...-
1 present these figures TO the Counc
chiefly as indications of the need of the mo-
scrlDulous care to prevent the public bu