The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-04-03
The City Jail-A Joint Session OF the
Board of Aldermen and Common


In the abseucc of Mr.. Meredith, presi
dent of the Board Of Aldermen, Mr.. John
son OF Clay Ward, president OF the Common
Council, presided.
The Chair announced that the mectin!
had been called in order that the members o
the two branches rs individuals might con
suit together and agree upon some respons'
TO tho mGnddmus awarded against the Cit,
Council by Judye Guigon commanding then
to erect 4 sufficient jail for the city Of Rich
mond. ".-. ...t g.. .a. 81
Mr.. Christian moved to adjourn unit
Saturday afternoon at 5 O'Clock. Lost.
MIR. kcllam moved that committee 0
five be appointed to prepare suitable resolu
tions rs a response 10 The, peremD Dtory order
MFR. Christian, as Il substitute, moved tina
the subject be ref, rred 10 special commit
tee, consisting of three on the part of The
Common Council and two on the part Of tht
Board OF Aldermen, to report torthWlth
response to the nanddmuS. Agreed to; ant
the Chair appointed Messrs. Christian
Straus, and PuIlam on the part Of thu
Coulmon Council. and Messrs. Scott anC
kellam Of the Board. .-.
The committee retired, aud after short
absence returned, and through their chair
mau. Mr.. Christian, presented the following
response which was read and unanimouslJ is
agreed to.
The response is as follows:
To the Hon. A. B. Guigon. Judge Of The H,ts
tinqs Court Of The City Of Richmond:
In answer to the rule issued by your hon
orable court on the 10th day of March, 1915
against the members of the Council OF the
CITY OF Richmond, ''to show cause why the
-, ~ J., ,f ShnnlI
not br issued against them, in accordance
| with the act OF the General Assembly 0!
Virginia, to erect sufficient jiil for the saio
citS, your respondents beg leave respect
fully to submit the following return: s
By the 5tb section Of chapter 80 of the
Code of 1878 it is provided "that the county
or corporation court Of every county
or corporation shall at its first term
after The commencement of this act, and
annually thereafter, appoint three persons,
one of whom shall be il physician, to inspect
the j,ils within such county, district, or cor:
poratun"; and after prescribing The oath tc
be administered tv the court 10 said persons
the same section further provides that " said
inspectors shall make quarterly inspection;
and report" to the court the condition o
said ,jai>. Some Of your respondents
have taken The trouble 10 examine the
records Of your honorable court, and
they cannot find that this law has
bsrn complied with by the court IN any
particular since its present organization
until by your order entered on the 81 day
OF AiaIch, 1875, when Me>srs. Franklin
Strarns, p. w. GrubbS, and DR.. James
Brae were appointed inspectors to report
upon The condition Of the jail OF this city, in
| compliance with the provisions OF SAID sec
ton. These inspectors, having made theIl
| examination in obedience TO said order, sub
united their report. which was filed ia your
| honorable court on the 12ih day of March,
! 1915. and published in the daily papers ol
| this city on the morning following. Until
this report was thus published and read
by your respondents they were IN tota
ignorance of the real condition OF the
jail OF this city, as exhibited by said report
and they have not, through their Officers
or otherwise, Is your Honor has, almost
daily communication with this Institution,
and there beng, as before stated, no reports
from the court aS to its insutllclency, your
respondents could draw no other inference
than that the Jail OF the city was q " suifl
cleut" iii within the meaning OF the law.
Long before the order appointing these
inS Spcctors was entered by your Honor
it had been suggested informally to your re-
>pond.nls that certain repairs TO the boiler IL
the jail were necessary, aud, without waiting
| for any action Of the court, steps are being
| taken by your respondents 10 have these re
pairs made.
At the first meeting Of either branch o
your respondents after the publication o.
| the report of your inspections, and before
| tie date and Serctce Of The rule awarded by
your Honor, the following resolutions wert
| offered and unanimously referred, by the
| branch of the Council in which they were
offered, to the proper committee, viz.
| RcSOirCd by the Council Of the city o.
| R,citn,O,,d One Board Of Aldermen con
curringJ. That the Committee on Publ,
Grounds and Buildings be requested tn cX-
aminc and report to tue Couuci rs soon i:
| practicable
| l.t. Whether the present place used a
! jail for this city can Uc so enlarged and ilD
! proved as to render il 4 proper Jail Tor tn
! proper care and Keeping OF the criminals .
this city.
! ID. Nhat will be the cost OF such addition
and improvement in said jail; and
| Sd. What Will be the estimated cost o
! buying the grodnd and building new Jail il
q different location from the present one
after deductiug ;hereirom what can probabl
be derived from the sale Of the ground u
which the present building stands and In
material out of which il Is built.
| Your respondents therefore IeSpectluli
submit that if the jail of this city is uol 4 sui
ticient one within the meaning of the law
il is. not from any default on their part
They have taken the iniiatory steps alread
| TO do all that the law requires to provide
"sutiicient" Jail for the city of Richmond
and they intend to provide the same, Is 500
il is practicable for them TO do so consistent
with the interests Of this community.
| Ii is with the greatest respect for the cour
and its judgment that your respondents sue
ocst that under the circumstances
seems to them that the rule awarde
by your Honor was premature an
unnecessary at the time it was awarded
and that your respondents ought 10 nav
| had ut least one opportunity after they Wer
advised of the true condition OF the jail I
see if thev would not take such steps IN To
premises as we're necessary before the hars
and unusual proceeding, by way OF naanao
mus, was fesorted TO against them anu the
further respectfully suggest 10 your homo
| that 1t seems TO them tnat lt Is unnece>sal
10 award i pcrcinptory nanddmuS aSalhs
them to require them to d. what they ar
| already doing as fast as practicable. An
having fully answered, they pray to be henc
dismissed.
Signed by all the members OF the Boar
| and Common Council. ..s
Adjourned.
ANNUAL MEETING OF THE 1oCNG MEN
I CHRISTIAN AssUCIATlOS.-The annaal meel
| ing Of this Association will be held al thei
-. ~, Tl,nrSd.v evening next, The OF