The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-06-06
local. MATTERS.
Tl,E C0NNoN COUNCIL.

lO(All NJ Al / ERS.
THE CoNNoN COUNCIL.
>f;NUrRS OF THE SCHOOL BOARD WHOSE
Trims EXrIEE-TuE UNION UIII AVE-
:, E-DllORTANT FINANCE MEASURES
g..g CU!ME0EAXO APPROPRIATION DE
CARED ELECTROMAGNETIC OF THE
,.IN COLLECTOR REDUCED WOODEN
!.DJ >f.>-r!IE CITY JAIL IMPROVEMENT
TIA uIL-nACGISG QCESTIuN-ABOUTT TIE
ri~r-pl:IN EHS-FlRE-TEL spE-
rlt, MEETING on THURSDAY WEEK TO
,uNslNIE THE AVENUE RESOLUTIONS
.r"M THE UrrEE BRANCH.
rh" REGULAR >"mi-lnonthly meeting of the
,uMmrn Council was held III the Council
..a,ahrr Yesterday afternoon. Present {:
.rp>~rh r. Anderson, Esq. president, and
Nc,>.>. Bar@amin, Garter, Christian, Curtis,
pArHpOrt. Davis Of Madison Ward, Davis
Il Marshall Ward. Foster. Higgins. jenkins,
Johnson. Laucr, Manson. Newell. Oliver,
Powers, Purcell. Tower. Charles l.. Whit
lex. and L. II. Whi,lock.
TERMS EXPIRED.
The ~,rccant-at-Arm laid before the
ruuariia communication from Mayor Kelley
calling attention 10 the fact that the terms
~ oihcc ot McssrS. W. II. Scott and w. G..
KNIGHT "a, members OF the City School
Board expire this month.
en- motion oi Mr.. Purcell, the communi-
cation was laid Oh the table
THE UNION HILL AVENUE.
Sir. +. II. Whtlock. from the Committee
~, streets Generally. submitted the plans
and estimates oi the City Engineer for the
..yrnlr 10 connect Union. Church. and
>anckoo Hills route mentioned in the Dis
7.G'ch Yesterday. The plans are not con-
lined 40 the construction oI the avenue
alone. but hy direction OF the Council also
embraced recommendations for improving
the streets "t Union Hill by properly @ra-
din- aad draining them, petitions for which
were constantly being received by the Coun-
Gil. The committee incorporate the report
ii Colonel ". +. Cut>haw, City Engineer,
IL part oi their report, and present rcSolu-
iIom, appropriating $4,000 in six per
cont. bonds OF the city. having thirty.
Iollr wears u run. for the pur-
pose ~ constructing Il sewer in the
Iuynr from Twenty first and Marshall to
Twcmly-liith and VI streets, and to construct
au avenue from TWCnty-tirSt and Broad TO
IWrnty-li1th ana NJ streets, according TO the
r!au> Submitted by the City Engineer. The
-aih bonds 10 be issued under direction Of
tav Finance Committee: also resolution
assessing one fourth the cost OF the avenue
upon The property abulting thereon.
Mr. Davis. oi Madison Ward, moved TO
r,irr the report 10 the Finance Committee.
Mr. Higgins moved to lay the report on
the table Tor the present. Agreed TO.
FINANCE MArTERs-TnE CuIMBoRAZO CUES
TlON.
MIR. Burgamin, from the Committee on
Finance. presented Il series Of resolutions
rrjcctin. the petitions OF \. l.. Boulwarc,
assignee, II. Asher, and ". III. Anderson, for
release from taN-pcnally and reduction OF
assessment: also. Il resolution granting pc
liiiou oi Rev. ". -. Hogc and others for
abatement oi taN-pcnaEty on property pur-
chased from Jane VI. Rutherford in May,
1870. for the erection Of a church building.
In r>pou>c 10 The resolution us to whether
the resolution OF October II, 1915, binds
the city 10 the purchase Of certain land on
Nhimborazo Hill, the committee report the
following extract from written opinion OF
John O. Stcgcr. Esq, submitted to them by
the City Attorney, to whom the matter had
been referred: "Drpcnd> upon the action
which has been taken under il. The reSo-
luton Of itself does not bind the city to
make the purchase. and until the city by its
constituted authorities has entered into
some agreement with other parties, it is not
bound hv the resolution. In other words,
il may or may not be acted on rs the Coun-
ell NAV please, or it may be reScinded at the
pleasure Of the Council. But il it has been
acted on and a val id agreement to purchase
land on ChimtoraZo Hill has been made
with the owner or owners thereof, then the
Council cannot rcScind the said resolution
without suhjccting the city to damages for
breach Of the agreement, or to suit IN
equity to compel the specific performance OF
the agreement.
"lt Is hardly necessary for me to add that
no change in the charter Of the city, made
since the passage Of the resolution Of Octo-
hcr II, 1870, can in any manner Affect its
validity.
"P. S.-I can find no .limitations' or con-
d!tions in the charter OF the city Of Rich
mond (which render null and void the
appropriation made by the resolution Of
October II, 1876, and | am satisfied there
are nonen
From detailed statement from the Audi
tors office, submitted TO them at their re-
quest, the committee are aware that the gross
receipts and commissions, &c, by the City
Collector amount to about IS, 900 per mnum
Il, the present rate OF compensation. Their
attention has also been directed to varia-
t0n, III the fourth section OF chapter four
Teen of the city ordinances, from the require
ihcnts OF the city charter, section forty-nine,
which demands OF the City Collector reports
10 the Auditor, undcr oath, of his collections
from time to time, as therein mentioned.
The committee also submitted an ordl-
nance TO amend section four Of chapter four
teen concerning the collection OF the assessed
taxes, 'rcquriDg Of the Collector reports
under oath, &c, and allowing upon amounts
OF collections therein stated three quarters OF
one per centum," in lieu of the present allow
ahcc OF zone per centum," as commissions,
winch would still yield compensation OF
about $4,000.
Dir. Curtis moved to lay on the the table.
Iost-aycs, 6; noes, Il.
Messrs. Curtis, Higgins, and L. Wiley
Davis thought it unfair to cut down the
salary from $4,000 to $4,000 after the cleo
lion had taken place.
Slr. Purcell said that the committee had
decided to cut down the salary long ago.
Dir. Curtis said that the Mayors salary
had been cut down long before the election,
md the competitors knew what the pay
s sould be.
Dir. Davenport said he didn't believe the
lection had anything to do with the ordi- |
lance
Mr. Davis. OF Madison Ward explained |
nat q few years ago there had been reduc- |
ion in the salary OF this officer when the