The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-02-10

ago RErORTER. Mf. Ne"oeEEy salu thi'
il appeared that II gross gain OF ahout one.
third on the rt&SSessmcnt was IN Clay Ward.
He thought that this report showed an lm-
mediate return for all aprr opriations in Clay
and Marshall wards, and ne hoped these ap-
preparations would be continued.
The report was then received and ordered
10 be placed on record.
wATER-woRKs.
Mr.. Bargamin, from the Watering Com
mittec, submitted The annual report OF the
Superintendent Of the Water-W orks. giving
a resume of the operations Of the WORKS
for the year. including the expenses and re-
ceiptS, &c:
Cuireut eXpcnscs....... s23,Io0 90 GO
Eniarrins i orks. ....... l3e.3o0 10
Received for Waterfront. S5S,l37 IS
Received for stone sold. 2,6o6 6I
F,cess Of disbursements. 1921 $50 So
The remainder Of the. report was pub
lishcd in the Dispatch on the 1st of january.
The report was received and adopted.
FIRE.
aIr. Barsumiu, from the Committee on the
Fire Department, reported that permission
had been granted 10 the following persons to
bic on Fifth street between Leigh and Clay !;
Benjamin Jackson, house on Seventh street
between Jackson and Duval; Joseph L.
,JebSou. carpenter shop on Dock street be-
low Twenty eighth; II. NJ. Tyler, addition
TO house on Thirtieth street between Main
and Franklin.
The report was adopted.
THE OLD CITY HALL.
pt,1, liz
Grounds and Buildings, submitted the fol-
| lowing report:
Your Committee on Public Grounds and
| Buildings beg leave TO report: On the 9Th
| dav of February, 1874, the grand jury of
| the Hastings Court condemned the City
| Hall as unsafe for the uses Of the courts and
offices held in said hall.
Your committee begS leave to recommend
that the old City Hall be pulled down and
| graRite building be erected upon the old
| Site sufficient for the use of the courts and
offices of the city; and, if necessary, so much
| land be condemned on the western line of
said site as may be needed for the erection
OF the new hall.
| In consideration Of the large expenditure
| 10 be made in the extension of the water
pipes and new reservoir, which will have to
| be paid for by the selling of city bonds,
! ,hirty-four years to run, and the said bonds
| have 10 he sold principally in our own State,
| &C.. we recommend that to raisethe necessary
amount for the erection OF the City Hall a
special tax Of one-iftb of one per cent. be
| laid on the taxable property OF the city, to
| be called the City Hall tax, and be continued
until 4 sufficient amount be raised, and no
| lorger-aot exceeding six years. For the
| Immediate accommodation of the courts and
Offices held in the OLD City Hall at the time of
| Its condemnation, we recommend that suit
| able lot be leased for three years with privi-
lege OF two additional years, and one-story
| buildings be erected thereon Tor the use OF
said courts and offices, and in connection
| Herewith tirc-proof room be erected for
| the safe-keeping Of the records Of the city,
! any cheaper or better arrangement, as the
| committee may deem best.
! The committee also presented the follow
| ing:.
Resolyed. That the Committee on Public
! Grounds and Buildings be instructed to
lease lot Of ground for the term of three
years with the privilege Of five years on
! Council Chamber Hill Tor some other loca-
! ton as the committee may deem besD and
| Lave erected thereon one-story wooden
| building TO accommodate temporarily the
| courts and other offices held in the City Hall
| at the time of IFS condemnation, at a cost of
s. 900: and have fire-proef room erected
| adjoining the same for the safe-keeping OF
the records Of the city, or make any other
arrangement for said offices and courts as
may seem 10 them best for tue interest Of
| the city.
Resolced, furt' er, That the Committee
| on Public Grounds and Buildings be ln-
structed to advertise for plans and specifica-
| tions for new City Hall, to be paid for as
| follows: For plans and specifications ac-
| ccptcd by the Council, $500; second choice,
500; third choice, 5000; fourth choice,
500. .....
Mr.. straus said he hoped that that part of
the report in relation to the special tax OF
| one-fsth Of one per cent. would be referred
| to the Finance COMMITTEE, and accordingly
moved that it be so referred. The motion
was agreed TO. =,
Mr.. Davis said that he believed it
woud cost from three to four hundred thou.
sand dollars to build granite building.
| MIR. Straus said that it was very serious
matter; that the officers in the City Hall
| ought to be provided for first.
| The clerk then read the resolution rela-
tive to leasing building for the officers.
! Mr.. Straus said that since he had been
| in the room he had received letter, IN
| which the writer proposed to rent build
ing to the city sufficiently large to accom-
| modate all the officers now in the City Hall
| for 81 800 per aunum.
Mr.. Davis then read a plan which he had
prepared for new building to be temporal
riIy used, which he claimed would cost not
over $1,000, less the expense Of fitting up,
| which he said would have to be done any
where. He had been to the capitol and GUS
TOM house, but could not at either place Sc
cure room which would contain the re-
cords -tire.proof, as required by law. When
the CITY had Completed new hall the furnl-
ture and fixtures, which could be sold, for
the temporary structure. would nearly haIf
pay the cost Of the building. BY the ndop-
] tion of his plan be believed $4,000 could
| be saved.
! Mr. Whitlock gained the floor and said
! that the matter had been sprung upon the
| Council in the last few days. He therefore
| moved to lay the report on the table anu
adopt a resolution which he had prepared
| referring the whole subject to joint COM
mi,tee to be composed of the Committee on
Finance and Public Grounds and Buildings;
| the committee TO report as soon as practi-
cable. -
Mr.. Davis said that he thought immediate
| action should be taken. He would not care
| 10 recommend to any officer to remain IN
that building when grand jury OF twelve
citizens bad declared the Hall unsafe. "
Mr.. Whitlock: / do not desire any delay.
want the joint committee to report to a
called meeting of the Council US soon as
,,,-o ccan anps,,s too aol,lAi ]