The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-08-23
BOARD OF ALDERMEN.
No Measures Against Yellow.Fcver Il
be Taken.

BOARD OF. ALDERMEN.
No Measures Against Yellow.Fcver to
be Taken.
A called meeting of the Board OF Alder:
men was held Yesterday eyening.-President
Meredith in the chair; and present, Messrs.
Barksdale, Bass, Beall, Cabe!l. Dckerson,
Gasser, Kelly, Lipscomb, Todd, Wagner,
and Williams.
The object OF the meeting was to take
measures to prevent the introduction OF
yellow-tever into the city.
DR.. Cabell, president Of the Board Of
Health, stated that be had authority under
the State law to exercise supervision over
suspected vessels, and now all that be wish
ed was the means. What he proposed tosdo
only was to employ man at Old Point to
notify him of the approach Of vessels from
infected ports, 80 that they might be looked
after before they arrived here. He didn't
propose to establish land quarantine. BE
regarded that as practically impossible, even
II desirable. Judge Minor, Of the Henrico
Court, had consented to the establishment
of a quarantine-ground, extending for
mile below Warwick. The amount placed
ut the disposal Of DR.. Cabell, in conjunc-
ton with the Committee on Health, is about
1876. $, a...
THE PRIAUs.
MIR. Beall thought that the measures con-
templated were unnecessary, and would
prove costly to the city aud greatly iDju-
rious to our commerce. He thought that
the brig Primus had been put to unneces-
sary cost and trouble in throwing out her
ballast.
DR.. CabeIl refuted the idea that the Pri-
mus had been subjected to much trouble or
expense. The ballast would have had to be
removed anyway. Tie vessel, in his opin-
ion, never could have been fumgated with
out the removal OF the sand-ballast.
g.. DOCTOR PROTESTS.
DR.. r. G. Cabel (member OF the Board
from Jefferson Ward), entered his solemn
protest against doing anything at all. He
declared that $50 years. experience was
that yellow-fever could not live here. The
disease is not contagious. It will not pro-
pagate here. The soil will not furnish the
material for the disease. DR.. Cabell was
willing to take his chances here with cnly
the shield which nature has placed around
Richmond in her elevated position and
salubrious air.
DR.. j. G.. Cabell agreed with his brother,
tnat the disease is not contagious, but it
may become epidemic by bringing the indus
here in ship. He didn't regard it as at all
probable that the fever would come here.
All he would ask was that suspected vessels,
like the Primus, should be attended to. In
that case the cost to the vessel was only
$12.T5.
WHAT SHALL VIE DO?
Mr.. Barksdsle hardly knew what to do
where doctors disagree; but he felt that
whether yeIlow-fever could be established
here by an epidemic was not for him to de-
eide: but as there was a possibility Of our
suffering from it, he thought that the presi-
dent of the Board Of Health should be given
the small amount OF money desired.
THE REAL QUESTION.
Mr.. Cannon asked that the resolution
from the lower branch be read. II was read
as follows: .
Resoluea 1.-THE Board OF Aldermen con-
cllrring), That the president OF the Board
of Health, with the approval OF the Com
mittee on Health, be authorized to take such
measures as in his opinion may be required
for the protection OF our city against yell
low-fever, the amount so expended therein
to be paid out Of the fund set aside for the
Board Of Health.
DELEGATED POWERS.
DR.. r. G. Cabcll and Mr.. Cannon con-
tended that the Council could not Delegate
the powers of establishing a quarantine
(given it by the General Assembly, to the
president OF the Board Of Health and the
Committee on Health. -.
THE POWER OF THE BOARD OF HEALTH.
President Meredith (N[r. Bass in the
chair) said that quarantine could not be
established except by the action OF the
Council itself. The president OF the Board
OF Health considers that he has the right to
establish quarantine. That being his view,
President Meredith could not vote for the
resolution. He was willing to put an agent
ut Old Point, and was willing to make un-
usual efforts to keep the city clean, but was
opposed to quarantine.
President Meredith construed the State
law as giving the president OF the Board OF
Health no power at all to interfere Wlth veS-
sells until the Council have established a
quarantine. When the quarantine is estab-
lished by the Council the President OF the
Board OF Health is clothed with certain
powers.
TIE LAW.
Mr.. Cannon protested against the con-
struction the president OF the Board OF
Health put upon the State law. In ms ludS-
ment that officer cannot now establish quar-
antine. Nor can the resolution OF the Com
mon Council give it to him. That power
resides in the Council.
DR.. Cabell, the president Of the Board OF
Health, contendcd that the quarantine
grounds Ton the rircr) were already estaD-
lished by ordinance, and that the STATE III"
gave him authority to stop suspected YES
sells there. lie never had an idea OF cstao'
fishing 4 land quarantine.
President Meredith explained that the
had been established by
ordinance, but not the quarantine.
DR.. CabeIi still maintained that the State
law was imperative upon him to stop stlS'
pected vessels at the quarantne-sroanas
lbelow IIancock's islandl, and said that the
City Attorney sustained thlS vic" VI MS
authority and duty.
REJECTED.
The question bein. upon the adoption OF
the Common Council resolution, tue vote
resulted as follows:
AYEs.-alessrs. Barksdale, Dickerson, Gasser' and
"N6oEs-Nessrs Bass Bcal. Ca5ell. Cannon. Kelly,
Lipscoinb and Meredith-I.
So the City Council will take no action
about fever.
THE CHICAGO VISIT.
The clerk laid before the Board the COM
mon Council resolution proposing 10 Sehu
the Chief and two members OF the Ere
Committee to the Firemen's Convention At
Chicago September Sd.
Mr.. Beall, member OF the Committee on
Fire Department, advocated the resolutioh.
he mt tbe limit OF expense at 800. Mr.