Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-04-08
The Frame SettlemeRt-Message in Re-
gard TO City Finances and the New
and Now Famous Charter.
Monthly Reports Of Offleers-Cemmittee
on First National Bank and the
Building Of the Proposed
Cust0mhouse.
Report Of the Finance Committee on
Sinking Pund-AppeIBtmeRt Of
Committee on the Loan Of Ten
Thousand Dollars, Etc.
COMMOH COUNCIL.

COMMON COUNCIL.
The common council met in the city
hall at half past seven o'clock last night,
President Zent being in the chair. " The
roll was called and the minutes Of pre-
vious meetings being read and approv-
ed, the two branches of the general
council went into joint session, to hear
read the following
Message and VeIOts from Mayor League.
MEMPHIS, TENN., April 7, 1875.
Honorable Board of General Council:
! GENTLEMEN-1n accordance with the
| provisions Of law / submit for your con-
siderAtion the following information
touching the affairs of the corporation:
! On the twenty-second ultimo an act of
the general assembly, entitled "An act
to regulate and organize municipal cor
| porations OF certain population, and for
the increase and diminution of their
| powers" became law, and has been SO
certified and published by Hon. Charles
| n. Gibbs, secretary Of state. The act
contains eighty.two sections, the last
nfty sections having special reference to
this city, as it is the only ore in the
State which has the population referred
TO In section thirty. three, and all follow
ing sections. will not now occupy your
time In telling you of the many objections
to the former charter of the city, and
the great drawback it was TO the city's
progress in commercial wealth and gen.
eral improvement; but rather pass on
and refer to the one now the law, and
under the provisions Of which it is our
duty In future to act. And just here
permit me to say that / believe no city
in the land has charter better than
ours to-day. 1t gives to the corpo-
ration all Of the wise and beneficial
provisions asked for, authorizes it
(the corporation) to retain any or
all Of the ordinances heretofore enacted,
after corporate existence of forty-seven
years, and positively prohibits the issu-
ance OF any more bonds, which, unfor-
tunately, in the past has been the cause
OF great loss to the city. 1t further for
bids contracting debts until budget
is prepared, after the assessment is made,
and even then all parties contracting
with The city are put upon inquiry as to
the powers of the city to incur the lis-
bllity. On this point the law appears
to be very clear: "That the general
council shall not engage or contract for
any Item OF expense without first appOr-
tlonIdg sufficient amount, or one dol
lar, or one per cent. of general tax of
the current year, to pay such engage
ments or contracts, upon the basis that
the whole tax will be collected; other
wise the individual members of the gen.
eral council, or those favoring or voting
for, shall be held individually liable"
Hence, as q matter of caution, / respect
fully suggest that you do not this even
ing act upon any measure looking to the
If nm
til the budget is prepared. The
general assessment was long since
completed for the present corpo-
rate year, and we were only awaiting the
termination OF the labors of the board of
equalization, which ended since your
last regular meeting, to fix the rate of
taxation for the present year; but now
it is necessary to further postpone fixing
the rate until the budget is made up.
In informing you that the board Of
equalization have completed their la
bOrs, ii is due to them, and to General
NJ. I. Williamson, the city register, who
attended all of their meetings, that
1 should say that / have never,
1 believe, witnessed the labOrs
Of any board or committee which
appeared to be so intent for the general
good Of the city, and their action has,
doubtless, given entire satisfaction to |
our merchants.
The legislature having restricted the
general council in the taxing powers to |
one dollar and sixty cents on each one |
hundred dollars worth of taxa
BILE property for all purposes,
that is all that can be lev
led, and for the purposes specified, ex-
cept a reasonable amount TO pay the |
judgment debt to T. Z. Browne, Esq,
by mandate of the United States court,
granted long before the enacting of the |
charter. The debt now is two hundred |
and ninety Thousand dollars, all of which |
the court would have commanded an
immediate levy for were it not
that Mr.. Browne desired and requested
that the city be permitted to pay in
three annual instruments; with that OBJ
ject in view / recommend that when
you are ready to fix the rate Of taxation,
as provided by the act of the legislature,
you also levy a tax OF thirty cents |
on each one hundred dollars worth of |
taxable property for the purpose of pay |
ing off a portion Of the debt due to T. |
E. Brown for Nicolson pavement.
CITY BONDS.
The city being forbidden to issue any
more bonds, / respectfully suggest that
q committee be appointed, or that the
finance committee be instructed, to ex-
anime and count all the bonds on hand |
that they may be burned or otherwise |
cancelled. The committee should be |
also, / think, authorized and directed to |
examine all bonds on hands purporting |
to be cancelled. / wss very forcibly |
convinced Of the necessity of such |
action on one day last September. Mr..
Newsom whilst making diligent search
in his safe for some papers, found five
bonds of one thousand dollars each,
which bad been paid, three of them on
December S, 1870 one on December 9th
and one on 18th, 1859; yet no entry ap-
pears on the bond register that they are
paid.
COUPONS.
From time to time coupons have been
presented, against which it is proper the
city should plead the statute OF limita.
ton; and unless you direct positively,
such coupons will not be received in the
future by the city, unless the bond and
COUPONS ARE ATTACHED WHEN PRE-
sENTED.
l trust that it is not necessary for me
to urge upon you the necessity of imme-
uldlc dcllOD OH lAuduClhl HidIleIS. line
changes in the law will, to q great ex-
tent, completely alter our revenue mat
ters, and Of course nothing can be done
now until after you act on assessments.
TAXES DUE PRIOR TO JAN AIRY, 1875.
From the comptroller's statement Of
January, 1875, there were assets for the
reduction OF the floating debt, ST.
225, ,4S6 81, and the floating debt
was SSSl, ,946 u, so that were
all to come forward and pay what
is past due the city would soon be out of
pressing difficulties. A very important
matter TO determine Is how and what
arrangements may lie made for the con.
Veniencs OF Taxpayers who may have
city indebtedness In the form Of coupons
or notes Of the city. As read the law
/ take Il that all past-due Indebtedness,
except bOnds, is Te Teceivable in payment
of general taxes, and opening accOdnts