The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-03-10
Annual Message Of the Mayor.
INTERESTING RESUME OF THE
OPERATIONS OF THE CITX
GOVERNMENT.
FACTS AND FIGURES.
The Police, Fire, Gas, and Water
81. Departments. -.E
slORTUARY STATISTICS
ETC, ETC, ETC.

The following is Mayor Keiley's annual
message. 1t was expected that It would
have been presented to the City Council last
night, but the press of other matters pre-
vented it. 1t will probably come before the
meeting this afternoon:
=. MAYORS OFFIcE,l
RICHMOND, March 8, 1874. )
To the CItySCouncil:
Gentlemen,-The review OF the year which
closed with the last day of January, 1874
presents us with many and varied causes for
thankfulness. We have been Signally spared
from the devastation of pestilence which
blighted 80 many southern cities. None oil
those appalling accidents which claimed SC
many victims in the past awakened the cry
of mourning within our doors in 1873. We
have been exempt to degree not only un.
exampled in our own annals, but without
parallel probably in the history of any
American city, from losses by fire or flood.
Unbroken public order has reigned among
us; and while in common with every
commercial and manufacturing commu-
nifty in the country our business in.
terests suffered from the great financial
panic of the fall there has been no revolving
abatement of that hopeful courage of our
people, tried in the furnace of so many and
great affections, to which Richmond owes
whatever she boasts Of achievement or
promise to-day.
I transmit herewith the various reports
of the heads of the departments Of public
administration. They will be found unusu.
ally full of information and suggestions, and
present picture of the condition Of the
city as satisfactory as could be expected.
During the year q reSssessment of the real
estate of the city was made under order OF
the Council, from which it appears that the
taxable real property now in the city aggre-
gates S29, 166,979, an increase of S2,216, 1856
over the previous assessment. OF this sum
about one million of dollars represents the
construction of new buildings or additions
and improvements to old ones made during
the year. .at
The United States census of 1870 having
been negligently taken, new listing of the
population was made in January, from which
it appears that our present inhabitants num-
ber 80, ,492 whites and 27,213 colored, or an
aggregate Of 60,705: and while the financial
distress arrested operations partially or to-
tally in every branch of large manufactures,
there has been notable and steady increase
in commercial enterprise-a direction in
which it is safe to predict that the coming
year will witness even more satisfactory re-
suits.
FINANCE.
The bonded debt of the city ON the 1st Of
February, 1874, was 1897, 800. .97--the float
ing debt less cash balance In the public trea-
stIry, S82, "a. The bonded debt, there
fore, amounts to about thirteen and two.
thirds per cent. of the taxable real estate Of
Richmond, or nine and two-thirds OF the
whole taxable property of the city. The
estimated value of the costs of the city is
S3,49O,96O. So that the bonded debt is about
half q million in excess Of the actual posses
sions of the city in its corporate capacity.
II is likely, indeed certain, that for I'M
provements now in prospeet, or In progress,
q considerable addition will ere long be made
tothe bonded debt, and Isuggest to the Coun.
Gil the expediency Of providing that in all
future issues the coupons for interest be made
psyable, at the option Of the holder, In Rich
mond or New York.
/ see no reason why the eight per cent.
bonds OF a city as solvent and OF as unlm-
peacbable credit as Richmond should not ai-
WAYS sell above par, except that the market
for their sale is restricted by this form. No
railroad security in the country bearing like
interest Is, In my judgment, as valuable 90
the bonds Of an improving city whose wealth
hears to its Indebtedness as large propo.-
ton as that Of Richmond, Every doa.as''s =