Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-05-01
THE NEW CHARTER.
what 0ty-AuOFney Hanson Knows
About It- PassaxF-NObOaE ca blame
aud Everything Lovely.
No .Ats rial Difference Between the
New Charter and that Sent Up By
the CftJ-Etc.

The following il an interview held
Yesterday by an APPEAL reporter with
Sir. G. a. Hanson, city attorney, rels'
tive 10 the mystery connected with the
so-ca!led disappearance Of the new city
charterOf Memphis passed by the recent
Legislatures:
RepOrter-MT. Hanson, came to in.
teryiew you about the disappearance OF
the Memphis city charter which was
passed by the legislature Of this year.
Mr.. HansOn-As q public servant /
have no secrets TO keep, and / shall
take pleasure at ali times in answering
any questions that may be considered
worth putting 10 me; and you are wei.
come TO proceed, and any information
that can give you i will cheerfully and
frankly give, more especially If it Is q
matter OF public interest.
RepOTter-GOu doubtless remember
that II has been asserted by one of the
gentlemen OF the council who went TO
Nashville that the charter which has
been received here is not the one passed
by the legislature, but that ii was altered
after IL had passed three respective
readings in the senate and house, when
awaiting the governors signature?
Mr.. Hanson-I did not understand
that the gentIemsn's assertion went to
that extent II it did it WAS calculated
10 misiead those who heard it, and
probably did injustice to persons who,
think, are inuOcent.o wrong, either in-
tentionsl or accidental. The charter de-
signed Tor the city Of Memphis was pre-
pared here, and printed under the direc-
tion OF the general council, and Mr.. s.
J. Camp and myself vent to Nashville
90 try 10 have it passed. When We ar
rived there we found that we had been
delayed longer than we should have
been, and were quite late in the session
10 introduce 30 important a measure as
our city charter. Other bills had besn
introduced and were far advanced on
their passage before ours was introduced.
We were thus embarrassed ia
our efforts to get our bill through
because a number o. the bills
pending were in conflict with it, and
We hai to submit to q good deal Of
cutting as We termed it, all of which
will be seen by comparing the bill as
passed aud the one We carried up as
printed. The bill finally passed both
houses with q caption somewhat differ
ent from the one 10 the charter ss it now
is. There was, also, an Introductory
section almost. il not identical, with
the first section OF the bill passed for
Nashville. There was, also, clause Ie.
gulatiug suits for damages, and one re-
gulating plesdiBgs in certain cases,
when the bill passed. But the first
thirty-twO sections AS now published had
been stricken out by the senate, and
only so much OF the bill as relates to
Memphis was passed. The original bill
went TO the eDgrOssing clerk before Mr..
Camp and 1 left Nashville. But it is
proper 20 state that when the bill
passed, the striking out Of the first thir-
ty-tWo sections was shown only by the
journal. The bill was all left together
as was framed. ! suppose all those
familiar with legislative proceedings
know that when bill is framed it re-
mains in its original form, and the
amendments are put on separate sheets
OF Esper, and not on the journal
O! the house when the amendment is
made. After we left Nashville the ae-
zion Uf the senate 10 striking out the
first thirty-twO sections was reconsid-
cred, aud they were restored. This, OF
course, did away with our caption, and
! suppose our first section went with it,
as section thirty-three is in its place.
The section in relation to damage suits
aud pleading (0oth being together on
our psge) were perhaps omitted 10y ac-
cident. These are all the changes land
they are not very material that were
made in the bill after we left, and l
think they were done in the usual way;
aud If anything that has been said
about the charter casts any seeming re-
Election upon the Shelby delegation, the
clerks, or any one else, il is certainly
wrong, and should be corrected.
Reporter-Mr. Hanson, will you tell
me what connection you, MIR. EnOch
Eusley and Mr.. Camp had with the pas
sage 9f that charter, and by whom 1t
wss altered ? Tor have it from Shell
by county representative that such was
done, though unintentiOnally.
Mr.. Hanson-My connection with the
charter was, as have stated, simply to
take the copy, as prepared here, and,
with Mr.. Camp, to try to get ii passed
iust as It was. Neither Camp nor my
self did anything else. When we were
about to lose all hope Of getting our bill
through, Colonel EnOch Ensley made to
ms a proposition to have q compromise
ON Colonel Fiulay's bill, and we refused.
4 propositiOn was then made, as l was
Informed, by Colonel Finlay to leave the
difference between him and myself to
Iudge John NJ. Lea and John OvertOn,
ir. who were TO take our bill and Colo
mel yiuIay's and frame from the two
such q bill as they might deem proper.
To this Camp and both assented, and
house bill SAL aud senate bill 24S were
taken from The files and delivered to
them. Judge Lea, Mr.. O7ertOn, Mr..
HAYNES and Colonel Ensley met at
Judge Leafs, and selected so much OF
our bill as now sppears in the act, and
instructed Colonel Ensley to put
II in shape. Camp and myself
10 assist. By this arrangement
everything pertaining to taxes, budget
and TAX assessments and tax sales by
the city that We had in the original bill
were left Ou., and the provision relating
TO taxation, now in the bill, was framed
IIy Colonel Ensley aud put in, the COM
1ittee Lea and OVertOn) asserting.
5Ir. Camp and myself did not assent,
81 has been stated, but simply admitted
that We could not see any serious oblec-
mons 10 the clause providing for police
and fire com missiOuers. But we con-
ended 10 the last for the city's right 10
assess auG collect its own revenue, and
Tor our original rates Of taxation. AS to
rhe bin being changed or altered in any
other wsy than as abOhe stated, l most
emphaticsIIy deny it. How the
rairrv-third section was substituted
ar what was our first section, /
10 not know, cs il was done when the
bill was TsconsideTed, and this was after
C0lou, Ensley, Mr.. Camp and myself
gad ier Nashville, and were at home.
The senate bill 2iS "a, which was our
erarter. without Colonel Finlay's
fbfrtv-twO sections, was fastened on the
5sck OF house bill Sal Colonel Finlay's
him when We fixed the bill up for the
rgmmittee, as above stated; and all the
ak about the original charter being lost
yr7ws out Of the fact that the two bills
were uiuued together - one, and were
so returned 10 the senate. Mr.. Camp Snd
Colonel Eusiey did the WORK ln
our room in the Maxwell house,
aud 80 iarirGm any bill being 10 T. stolen I
ar strayed, it is now pinned TO house
oil 81. which il the charter as pub"
lished, and If any one has the interest
OF curiosity 10 turn over the leaves OF
the bill they win find the memoranda I.
made bv the clerk OF the senate on the /
hack OF the bill. These are the facts. l I
.usv, however, be mistaken as = the /
numbers Of the bills, but l think they /.
we're 81 house and 24Sa senate. As TO F..
rba other matters / am most positive