The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-12-12

Sy fiduefarfes Under orders af our Stati
Icourts. bT trustees, executors, guardians
and by domestic and foreign holders
Independent OF the known daDger-aTs
parent In all the history OF our country
of appropriations to railroad enterprises by
States or cities, have our sangufDs friends,
| who eiamor for more bonds, thought Sc.
riously, Us Mr.. John DuHlop suggests, Of
the graye question Of the iIvalidIty Of any
new issse OF city bonds in the face OF the
Is per cent. restriction .s.-z-. ...
Further: It seems that ia Ap,il, 1879 By
act Of the General Assembly the city char
ter was again amended, 80 that 9 new Issue
of bonds should be legal II ratified at the
polls by q nGjoTity OF the fresholdfrs as,
tuaify voting on the question. and by q f'sa-
jority Of GH The registered rasers.
So thar IL only ten freeholders voted or:
the question-siX for 1t and four against
|it-and majority OF the legal voters
then the appropriation would be valid!
Now. how did this amendment to the
charter come to be made2 Was il sub.
mittea to the Council and made o part of
their published proceedings, so that the
people could know that there was scheme
on foot to alter the charter in material and
vital point?
How many men can be found in the city
who really knew OF the amendment, but,
on the contrary, considered the act contain
ing the Is per cent. restriction as an exist
ing safeguard and preteetaoa r. S,',S3
Without meaning to reflect upon the au-
tbors Of The last amendment OF the charter,
Who are wholly unknown TO us, how many
even OF the city representatives In the Le-
gixature in April, 1879, knew that such an
act had been passed? And what better
evidence do the taN-ridden people OF Rich
mond fmany OF them practically paying
now per cent. on present vaiuesl want to
prove to them the dangers surrounding all
these attempts to enlarge the city debt2
With these constant efforts TO weaken the
guarantees of the city charter. and TO issue
bonds for works OF railroad and canal i'm
pruyements, are the advocates Of such
schemes aware that grave questions may yet
be made in the courts as TO certain appro-
| priations which have heretofore heen made
for such purposes without the legal sane
tions required by the charter and quite be-
yond the defined powers OF the City
| Council!
| We all want prosperity. more trade, more
enterprise, and :n infusion OF fresh energy
and Development; but 1t is judicial blind
ness TO use for that purpose the means, how
ever tempting, which have wrecked States
and cities, until, In the estimation Of
thoughtful men, il the whole OF the United
States could be sold at public auction for a
fair price il would not pay the United States
| debt and all the hoEds OF States, cities,
towns, counties, railroad and other corpo-
rations which now hang like ii dark pail
over the country, poisoning its very lfP-
blood, without including the vast private
| indebtedness. which il beyond computation.
The taxpayers oi :he city are blind il
they do not see that the sbrnkage OF values
in real estate in Richmond will bring down
the assess ment thereon in 1880 from S2S,-
000, ,000, as now assessed, to probably S22,
600. 900. This, with the estimated loss OF
$40, 900 OF city income from reduction in
the price OF gas, will so reduce the revenues
OF the city "a TO compel an increase In the
rate OF taxation OF not less than one half OF
per cent. making say , per cent. in.
stead Of S1.40, as now. This added 10 State
taxes VIII make not less than y per cent.
The erection OF the new pump-house vii
cost 5000 more, without any reference
to the cost OF new city bail; so that tho
tax x-payers, looking at this picture, can set
what Is in store for them il they plunge
| into railroad and other outside enterprises
| The writer has no interest IN this subieC
except that Of a large, tax X-payer, but in tht
present condition Of the country that " frou
the nettlc danger must be plucked th'
flower safety; and he is not, for one
willing to see the real estate OF our city
further burdencd by illegal or inexpedien
appropriations. CITIZEN.