The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-03-11

t,N
DUSlNEss-FRuHTn THE OTHER BRANCH, sc
Tlle Board OF Aldermen met Yesterday
aiternoon-President Meredith in the chair.
present a: roll-cail: Messrs. Barksdale
Beall, CaEell, Crump, Dickerson, Gasser
Gray, Kelly. LiDscomb, Scott, Smith. Todd
Wagner, and Williams.
Mr.. Cannon was detained from fls scat Inv
sickness.
Mr. Todd stated that Mr.. Bass vas una.
voIdablv detained from his seat.
The President laid before the Board a
communication from the Police Justice in
reference to pool OF stagnant water at the
corner OF Fourth and Preston streets; and
which nuisance the owner, III. Lohn1an, who
liVeS in Norfolk, declines TO abate. Referred
TO City Attorney,On motion OF Mr.. Barksdale.
STREETS.
MIR. Todd, from the Committee on Streets,
presented resolutions appropriating SlSS
from the street fund 10 place curbing on
west side OF Henry street between Main and
Frankin; also, appropriatine S5S from the
street fund to place granite tagging across
Governor street ut its intersection with Ross
street, north side. Agreed to.
Mr.. Todd also presented Il resolution ap-
proving the condemnation OF piece of pro-
perty OF J. NJ. Elicit, on Twenty-fourth
street near NJ, at Il valuation OF 500, for the
Union-Hill avenue. Agreed to.
Mr.. Todd also submitted the usual report
OF the City Engineer.
WORD FOR COMMITTEES SPENDING MONEY IN
EXCESS OF APPROPRIATIONS.
Mr.. Scott, from the Committee on FL
nance, submitted The following report:
RICHMOND, 7th March, 1879.
TO the City Council:
Gentlemen, The Committee on Finance
respectfully report that since the passage OF
the appropriation ordinance for the present
fiscal year claims have been certified to the
Auditor for payment from several commit
tees OF the Council covering debts Incurred
by these committees during the past fiscal
year.
This discoses officially Il fact, known,
however, to most members Of the Council
for some time past, that the section OF the
appropriation ordinance OF last year, which
declares that the amount appropria cd
Shall he considered TO be tile limit OF the
amount to be expended 10y the several COM
nitteeS, and that for any excess OF cXpendi-
ture beyond the appropriation the city OF
Richmond shall in n0wisc be responsible
(Which limitation has been rC0rdained in the
last appropriation billy, has not been OBJ
served
Your committee has been informed that
with some Of the most important commit
tees OF the Council it has for some Years
past been the practice 10 eXpend on their
own authority sums OF money in excess OF
their appropriations, hoping that by re-
trenchment or hy receiving larger appro-
priation during the next year to be able to
make up their deficits. These expectations,
it is needless to say, have uniformly failed,
and the practical result has been that these
committees have for the most part carried
over from year to year uniQudatcd balances
Of debt; the debt OF the last year being
paid by borrowing from the appropriation
OF the present year; thus leaving under
ordinary conditions Of expenditure deficit
OF the present year to be provided for by
another process OF borrowing from next
year, and so on until it ends in an increase
OF the permanent public debt.
Your honorable body will please to
obsorvo that the unpaid Dalanccs mere
treated OF comprise no part eI the
" floating debt which has been pro-
vded for by your honorable body
in your lust appropriation bill. This debt
does not appear on the books OF the Au'
ditor in any shape; and cannot appear, be-
cause it only makes its appearance after the
end OF the fiscal year, and is then paid out
OF the new appropriations upon warrants
drawn by the respective charmen OF the
indebted committees, to rcappcar again
when the books of the Auditor are written
up and Il new fiscal rear is commenced.
Upon the best information now before
your committee it is believed that this debt
does not exceed altogether ut this time the
sum of $4,000: but this debt, though
comparatively small, is none the less alarm
ing by reason OF the principle which Is in
VOWED IN its creation. For 1t must be mani
fest TO the most ordinary Intelligence that
ii a valid debt Of 100000 may be created
without the previous authorization OF the
Council, one OF ten times that amount may
is readily be incurred.
Your committee understands that the
principle upon which the validity OF debts
OF this character proceeds is the familiar
one which binds the principal by reason OF
the acts OF his general agent performed
within the scope OF general authority.
Committees and heads or departments are
the general agents OF the city Tor their re-
sDectiye departments, and II would be uh'
reasonable 10 expect the citizen VINO con
tracts with Il department TO know or inquire
whether or not the department had already
expended the amount TO its credit on tht
books OF the Auditor. Ii, indeed, he Wer(
diSposed 10 consume his time in such in
quiries, he would find it impractlcabie L
cain any certain information, for not unfrc
qncntly nominal balances appear to tn
credit of departments until near the clos
OF the fiscal year, when in reality contract
previously made are more han sufficient L
eXtinguish such balances.
Ii this theory, upon which rests tn
validity OF these debts, be correct
it is apparent that the taxpayers c
the city are placed at fearful di>
advantage. There can be no certaint
in any year what debts may be incurred i
excess OF appropriations. In one word, th
crnment by the City Council, but govern
ment by its various Icommittecs; and tn
increase OF the debt OF the city (fOr CON
mittces never diminish the debt depend
upon the judgment or caprice OF i majorit
OF q committee.
The power Of imposing taxes upon th
property OF the citizen is thus virtual
transferred from the Council 10 its commit
tees, because the validity Of such debts be
in" once established the Council must Pre-
vide for their payment. 1t becomes the etl
forced, perhaps the willing or reluctant
AGENT OF its own committees to increase tn
burdens OF the people. BY a strange abus
! OF power the servant becomes the maSser.
This flanrant vice in our muhlclpal gov
ernment demands immediate attention. IA
| evil capablc OF such indefinite eSpansio
and fearful results should ne instantly me
by adequate remedies.
| Whether it is within the chartered powe
OF the executive bead of the city 10 appl
| .schntEnr tho evil can ID