Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-08-26
SLOWLY BUT SURELY.
Called Meeting Of the Common Council.
The Compromise Bill Passes its Sec
Ond Reading.

a called meeting OF the Board OF Com
mon Council was held last night a. 8
o'clock. Councilman Martin was called to
the chair, and only eleven members an
sWered to their names.
On motion of Councilman Robertson a
recess of five minutes was taken, aud at the
expiration of this time, President Pitcher
took the chair and called the Board to
order. The following members were
present: Messrs. Robertson, Coleman,
TOWles, Martin, Lanier, Adams, Reddick,
Cunningham, Parrish, SloWey, L Underwood,
MEGA thy, Ambrose, BIocker, Moore, Smith
and President Pitcher. The following
MESSAGE FEOM THE MAYOR
was read and ordered to be filed:
NASHVILLE, Aug. 25.-Gentlemen of
the Common Council have called a spe-
cial meeting Of your body, that you may
take further action in regard to the ordi-
nance providing for redistricting the city,
which has previously passed CITE reading.
The law requires that a redistricting bill
shall be passed which shall make the sew
eral wards contain; asinearly as practicable,
equal numbers Of qualified voters. fit is
not completed before the next election, it
will cause much inconvenience. All Of
this may easily be avoided, and complica-
lions prevented from which grave injury
to the city might arise. hope that your
action may be harmonious and without
needless delay. Very respectfully,
MORTON B. HOWELL, Mayor.
THE REDIsTRICTING BILL
was then taken up on its second reading.
Councilman TOwles offered an amend
ment, that the bill take effect from and
after the first of January, 1876, and sup
ported the amendment in a brief speech.
He said that his position on. redisTicting
was well understood. he had always been
in favor of it, if it could be done on a fair
and equitable basis. While the pending
bill did not meet his approval in full, jet
he would be perfectly willing to vote for it,
with the change his amendment proposed
to make. There was a large portion Of the
population Of the city who were compare
lively ignorant and, with the diversity of
courses Of the new lines over the city, it
would be impossible for those
parties who could not read to
locate the different boundary lines
of the various wards in the brief space of
time that would intervene between the
passage of the bill and the election. Il
would confuse them and would probably
lay them liable to arrest for illegal voting,
and he did not think it would be fair to
place them III such a position. He was in
favor Of Tedistricting, first, because he be-
lieyed a majority of the people desired it;
second, because the wards were not equally
divided, and, lastly, because it was in ODE
dience to a law passed by the Legislature.
He had but very little respect, however, for
the manner in which that law was passed
because he cOnscientiously believed that it
was an Underhand measure enacted
for the purpose Of cOercing the
ignorant portion Of the population.
Councilman Mccarthy was doubtful
whether the City Council could redistrict
the city to take effect beyond the time pro-
Yidad for in the new charter. If this
amendment should be adopted the City
Council would be in as bad fix as they
would be if they did not TedistTict the city
at all. He was willing to make any amend
ments to the bill that would come nearer
accomplishing the objects desired in redls-
tricting the city. In regard TO the citizens
being unable to ascertain their voting
places, they would have thirty days time,
and it would be a very ignorant man that
could not find out where be was to vote in
that length Of time.
Councilman Underwood was OF the
opinion that, ifthiS amendment should be
adopted, members of the City Council,
elected at the next election, would be rep
resenting wards in which they did not live
when the bill would 90 into effect, and this
certainly was contrary to the law.
The amendment was lost by vote Of Z
too.
The vote was then taken on the passage
Of the bill on its second reading, and re-
suited as follows:
Ayes-MessTs. Robertson, Lanier, Gun
ningh2m, Underwood, Mccarthy, Ambrose,
BOcker, Moore, Smith and President Pill
cher-l0.
Noes-Messrs. Coleman, TOwles, Mar
tin, Adams, Reddick, Parrish and SlOwey
II.
The Board then adjourned until tonight
at o'clock.