Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-06-10

down expenses, sell all surplus proper
ty, retire all needless employees, and
husband the resources Of the city and
apply them to the payment Of the
debts. have before suggest
ed what property the city might
sell. 1 now suggest that one
or more of the fire companies might be
retired temporarily; that the board OF
health be reduced to one officer and two
men, and other departments in like
manner and proportions. This l know
Is an unpleasant proposition. So it is
unpleasant for bankrupt TO see his fine
Surroundings torn away by officers Of
the law. The city is bankrupt. Over
twenty-five per cent. OF the property OF
every citizen, as valued, would be neces-,
sary TO pay off the debt of the city II
paid to-day. With the litigation the
city is having it will take one million
dollars per snnum for the next nine
years to pay expenses, interest and &C.
cruing liabilities. Where Is this vast
sum to come from? That is the ques-
ton that your reference puts to me. |
have answered the best l can, and [
trust that this council will not shrink
from the duties OF the hour, or postpone
for their successors the work that should
be done st once. A golden opportunity
was lost when the council failed to prs
ecute the efforts begun last winter to-
ward funding the whole debt in a new
series of preferred four per cent. bonds.
1t may not yet be too late, but the
chances of success are much diminished
by want Of prompt action. The proper
ty-holders have righ.s as well as the
creditors, but these deDts must be paid
before the courts can or will protect the
property-holder. Respectfully,
q. a. HANSON, City Attorney.
Referred to the finance committee.
A petition from Forster, KealhOteT &
Co., offering to pay back taxes in judg-
ments against the city, was adopted.
The resignation of Councilman Luhr-
man was accepted, and J. NJ. Wood
elected to the vacancy.
BUSINESS FROM OTHER BOARD.
The council concurred with the board
OF aldermen in its business. The cases
mentioned below are those where there
was nOn-cOncurrence.
Councilmen MoOres, Fisher and
Greene were appointed committee up
on the bid for textbooks,
The budget ordinance passed third
reading.
Council took recess for half an hour.
Councilman Green, of the fourth ward,
offered the following resolution, which
was unanimously adopted:
Resolved, That this board accepts,
with sincere regret, the resignation Of
Henry thurman, one of the very efti-
cient members from the fourth ward !;
and in parting with him we desire to eX-
press our high regard for him as a gen.
tleman and conscientious legislator, and
the hope that it may be consistent with
his personal interests at some early day
to return to the seat he has so creditably
filled.
An ordinance to regulate and control
the markets and hospitals, passed first
reading.
J. r. POwell's petition was, on motion
of COuncilmsn Gay, referred to the board
Of underwriters.
Ordinance to regulate the sale Of meat,
requiring q tax OF one hundred dollars
per annum and prohibiting any meat
store within six squares of a market
house, was amended so as to make the
tax one hundred and fifty dollars and to
do away with the restriction as to local
ity or place.
The ordinance relating to the issuance
Of warrants to city creditors, ETC., passed
second reading.
The action of the board of aldermen
upon the meathOuse tax ordinance was
not cOncuTTed in.
On motion of Councilman Solari, the
action of the council granting the butch
ers' petition to have Sunday market
was reconsidered, and the petition re-
jected.
A resolution was offered by Council
man Dougherty to have the holes on
DeSOto street, between Madison and
Union, filled up.
Adjourned to half-past three o'clock
next Wednesday,.