Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-07-03
A NEW DEAL.
The Redistrieting Question ia the City
Council.

100 ~ AnN AOaANs dill N WI
Readings in she Lower BOaTd-Its
Provisions EIRbOrateIy Explained
by she Author.
The Board Of Common Council met last
night, President Pitcher in the chair, and
the following members present: Council
men Robertson, Burgess, Coleman, Towles.
Martin, Adams, Reddick, Cunningham,
L.teIer, Slowey, Underwood, CrossthWait
Willard, Ambrose, MOcker and Moore.
y message Of the Mayor, calling the
Board together for tue purpose Of conclud-
ing the TedistTictiug Of the city, was read
aud received.
Councilman Towels moved to take up
the bill as passed by the Board of Alder
men, and pass it on its first reading.
Councilman LitteTer objected and called
the yeas and nays.
The vote on the motion to pass the bill
on its first reading stood as follows:
Yeas-COuncilmen Robertson, Towles,
Adams, Reddick, Cunningham, Ambrose,
Mocker, Moore and President Pilcher-9.
Nays -COmcilmeu Burgess, Coleman,
Martin, Litterer, SlOwey, Underwood,
CrOsthwait and Willard-S.
Councilman TOWles said that they had
been called together by the Mayor to take
action on the bill providing for the redis-
tricting Of the city. This was a question
that had been agitated a great deal, and il
was one that was in every respect highly
important 20 the constituents, that sent the
members Of tie Board there 10 represent
them. IL had been demanded by them not
ony in obedience to an act passed by the
Legislature OF Tennessee, ard the members
owed it to themselves, as men capable Of
taking charge of the interest
confded to them, to do something,
in an intelligent and quiet way,
in this all-impOrtaut matter. They should
not allow any ill-feeling or sectional or
personal interests 20 control their action.
He was sorry TO see that one Of the oldest
members Of the BOaTd-OHe who had stood
more firmly upon the ground of respect for
the other Board, than any other member
On the floor, rise to his feet and express
his opposition TO the passa-e Of one of
these bills On its first reading. If it were
matter of minor importance it would be
quite a different thing, but to run through
or set aside a measure Of such material
importance TO the entire city, in such
manner, was something that
they ought not to do at all
The members had had no opportunity to
discuss the merits or dement's Of the bill,
and be would certainly be in favor of pass
ing the bill on its first reading for that pur-
pose, even if he was opposed to the bill.
y comparison Of views was certainly the
only way 10 arrive a. a sensible conclusion
! Of any question.
Councilman L:ttGrcr said that his idea in
| Directing to the bill was to save time. The
probability was that they would not have a
sufficient number of members pre-: ent -
suspend the rules for a second reading, if
tie bill should pass its first reading, and
| hence hethUughJ that they might as well test
the bill on IFS first reading as on its third.
| That was the reason he called for the vote.
The rules were suspended on motion Of
! COuncilman TOwlCs, who said that he
moved the suspension OF the rules, in order
to bring the bill before the Board for dis
CussjOn. He then moved that the bill PASS
upon its second reading.
Councilman Cunningham said hat the
objection he had 10 the bill passed by the
Board Of Alderman was that there was too
great a discrepancy between the large and
small wards. lie believed that the law re-
guired the wards 10 be divided rs
nearly equal as possible, and he
thought the Haley bill came
nearer doing this than The other bill. He
moved to strike out all Of the bill known as
The ToW.es bin, except the enactiug
clause and insert rs . substitute the HALEY
bill.
Councilman Underwood called for the
reading Of both bills, which was done.
Councilman Towles then enteredinto an
elaborate disCUssi ion If the merits and de-
merits Of the two bills. lie said that the
motion Of the Councilman from the Fifth
Ward brought both Cf the bills before the
Boar :, and tina. the members would have
an opportunity % discuss both measures at
the same time. lie could lot tell why
one Of the bills should be called the
IOwles bill, as he had nothing 70 do with
the making Of The bill, but simply made
suggestions TO The committee of fifteen
having the matter under consideration, as
To the lines that had TO be drawn, and had
done this al the instance Of some Of the
members. His object was to have the city
rediStriCted in a manner that everybody
cOIld feel perfectly satisfied, 50 that no in
justice could be done 10 any portion Of the
city OraHy Of its citizens. He hoped he
had succeeded, and if he had not made the
proper suggestions be was ready and viii
ling 10 change las notion, in favor Of bet
ter bill If he could be so convinced.
According TO the census taken by the
two gentlemen detailed from the police
force by the Mayor, the total voting popu-
laliOn was G,T-O. In accordance with an
ordinance passed, the city was to be di-
yided of into ten wards, which would give
TO each ward little less than seven hun
bred, provided they could be divided about
equally. l. occurred to him, however, that
il would not be best for the City CCunc
10 divide them exactly even, although It
was his belief that It could not be done.
Il occurred to him that the wards in the
central part Of the city should have from
one to three hundred more voters than
those in the extreme ends, because it was
well known that the extreme wards were
growing much faster in reputation than
the central wards.
Mr.. TOwles then referred at some length
TO the different wards described in the bill, |
and the population OF each, which has al
ready been pub He said that upon
ALI examination Of the books, he had found |
that from DemOnUreun street on the south |
to Cedar street on the north, the two diVid- !
ing lines, there was little the rise of sew |
eEty-iiye per cent. Of all property owned by |
parties living in those wards, leaving less /
than one fourth 10 be divided between the !
north and south, while they would have, |
according 20 the HALEY bill, eighteen rep
resantatiyes in the City Council, and yet |
only paid one-f0urth Of the taxes,
the other twelve, representing constituents
who pa u ssyenty-five per cent. of the pres
eut taxes. 10 was obvious, then, that
neither Of the extreme ends of the CITY
could put into successful operation any
thing that would be particularly objection
able TO the main taX-payiH- portion Of the
city, because they would have twelve votes
and they could throw their influence to
either end, thereby defeating the object in
view. Every member knew tAat, FOR many
Yeas, there had been ~ ill-feelirg exist
ing between North and South Nashville,
especially about election times, and il was
claimed by a good many that South Nash
vile was endeayOring to make an
aggressive movement Upen what
was really the Iax-paying portion Of the
,ity. II was his opinion that the TOWles
lill would Obviate this entirely and would
10 away with all contention amOng mem
,stv