Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-03-07
THE NEW CHARTER.
Meeting of the General COunciI-Hes.
sage from the MaysF-ReseIu-
lions Adopted to
he Circulated.


Pursuant to a call from Mayor John
League, the board of aldermen and
common council met in joint session al
the city hall yesterday afternoon, Presi'
dent Robbins in the chair. After the
calling of the roll, Mayor League read
the following communication:
MAYORS OFFICE, CITY HALL, /
March 6, 1915.
Honorable Board of General Council:
GENTLEMEN:-I have invited you to
meet ia special session in reference to
the proposed amendments which the ex-
perience of the past has suggested to
you as being for the prosperity of the
city, the protection of the lives and
property OF the citizens, and general
welfare of the entire public. Twenty
five of the thirty members Of which
your general council is composed, have
been recently elected by the people, and
are therefore well qualified to express
the wishes OF the entire community
Nevertheless, it would appear from the
dispatches and information received
from Nashville that the amendments Of
your honorable body, as Aldermen
Dent and Metcalf, Councilmen Camp
Carpenter and Ryan, with the city-at.
torney, and they further assisted In theiI
labors by the wisdom and experience o.
JudgeT. w. Brown, John Johnson, ex'
mayor, and Colonel Enoch Ensley, and
afterward carefully revised by your en-.
tire body, in joint session assembled
section by section, are regarded only az
the production of off1ce-holders, and moi
that OF the people. Hence l have
on receipt of information from
Nashville called you together that you
may, if desirable, suggest some mode by
which our senators and representatives
in the general assembly may be salts
factorily convinced that your sugges'
tiOns from experience are really the
wishes of the citizens OF Memphis. The
intimate acquaintanceship existing be-
tween your honorable body and our I'M
mediate representatives must be to each
an evidence that you are in earnest fol-
the public good. II time would permit
and the general assembly authorize q
vote by the people to be taken, from
what l have heard of your amendments
l frankly admit that four-fifths Of ouI
citizens are in favor Of the charter you
have proposed and why, for these rea.
SONS, you propose remedy for the evils
from which the city is suffering at pres
ent. You suggest simple and honest
way Of paying your past-due floating in
debtedness, and your current expenses
in the future. You improve your streets
without additional taxation. You ar.
range for the payment of the interest on
the city's legal Indebtedness. You de-
wise mode for rapidly taking up the
bond and judgment debt of the city, and
also supplying funds sustain wise and
necessary system of public education
These advantages, and many others
might enumerste, without additional
taxation, Yes, not addition
al taxation, but positively lesE
than one-half what city taxation has
heretofore been, and further provision
forbidding the issuance of bonds. Is il
not plain to every thinking mind thai
these amendments are the legitimate
fruit of experience, and, if granted by
the general assembly, must inure to the
growth, the health, wealth and prosper.
ity of our city. To you, gentlemen,
refer the matter Of convincing the SEN
ators and representatives in the general
assembly that your suggestions are in.
dorsed by the people. Very respectfully
JOHN LOAGUE, Mayor.
On motion of Alderman Happek, the
communication Of Mayor League was
received.
Alderman Dent moved that special
committee of five be appointed to con.
slider the matter. Adopted, and the chail
appointed Aldermen Dent and Hills
man, Councilmen Zent, Cochran, anG
Graao Tho oo1,o itfoo than rofiroh
and the session,took recess Of five min
utes.
THE COMMITTEES REPORT.
When the session reassembled, thC
committee made the following report
which was received and adopted:
Resolved, That we recommend tha
petitions be Immediately printed anC
circulated for the signatures of our citi
zens and prOpertY-holders, calling upor
and requesting our senators and repre-
sentatives in the legislature to urge tht
adoption Of the city charter as agreed
upon by the general council at its meet
ing February 26, 1875.
ReSolUed, That we recommend tina
said petition shall also urge our senators
, and Representatives to urge the incorpor
alton into the enactment laws of tht
following, to-wit: Sections so, 81, 50, So
81 and 56 of the "bill to amend all laws
for the assessment and collection OF rev
enue as contained in the original bill in
troduced by Mr.. Overton," and that sec
ton 81 be particularly urged and recon-
mended. The committee further sug
gest that a committee of one from the
board of aldermen and two from tn
council be appointed q committee Il
draft and to have that petition printe'
for this purpose.
The chair appointed Alderman Hills
man and CounUilmen Ryan and Fisher
On motion of Alderman Dent, eacl
chamber of the general council wa
constituted committee to obtain sigma
lures to the petition in their RESPECTIVE
wards, and to report at ten O'clocl
Tuesday morning.
Adjourned to ten o'clock Tuesds,
morning.