Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-10-12
LEE MONUMENT.
THE GOVERNOR ADDRESSES THE CITY
COUNCIL ON THE SUBJECT.
he Urges the Adoption Of the Allen-
Lot Site and Gives His
Reasons Therefor.

There was held In the Council Chamber
at O O'Clock yesterday evening joint meet
ing OF the two branches oi'the City Couh-
cil. President John $. Bethel in the chair'
Mr.. Bass. president Of the Board OF Alder
men, sent note explaining that he was I'M
able to be present on account OF sickness,
and that the object Of the meeting was TO
hear His Excelency Governor Lee tpres'-
dent Of the Lee-MOnUment B0ard) explain
the views Of the Board OF Managers in
reference 10 n site for tbem0nument.
There were present seventeen members
OF the Common Council and eleven men,
bers Of the Board Of Aldcrmel.
The Chair appointed Messrs. Crenshaw
and KauiWap 20 wait on Governor Lee ana
present him TO the body, which duty being
performed, Governor Lee was introduced
10y Mr.. Crenshaw in few fit words.
GOVERNOR LEES ADDRESS.
Governor Lee gracefully acknowledged
the courtesy Of the body. aud said that he
appeared before them under some embar-
rrssmoni, as he occupied rather delicpto
position in seeking 10 build a monument 10
the memory OF one 10 whom he bore the
relation b. did TO General II. j.. Lee. But
the position he occupied was not one Of his
own seeking. He found when he became
Governor Of Virginia that the law made
him t1-oficio president OF the Lee Monu-
ment Board. His relations 10 General Lee
would make Il indelicatc for bin 10 appear
here but that the law Of the Commonwealth
made it his duty.
He had no "sct speech " tomake-he had
Ior oil 70 a mo M lp
bad 10 say-but only plain business State
mcnt to make to those who have IN charge
the business interests Of the city.
HISTORY or THE sCnEuE,
In November, 1870, soon after General
Lees death, there had been held in this city
a. large meeting Of Confederate soldiers
presided over by eY.Prcsident Davis, who
lad organized Lee Monument As'ocia.
tion, of which General j. A. Early was
elected president, and which was soon after
chartered by the Legislature o, Virginia.
This Association put il. agents In the field
and collected money from various quarters
for the object. About this time the ladlc,
formed their Association, and there was
naturally some confusion and some
conflict in the collection of funds
IN the same territory ior the same
general object. Various ehsngcS had taken
place in the management OF the Association,
until the Board oi Managers was made =
consist OF the Governor, the Treasurer.
and the Auditor oi the Commonwealth
The Ladies Association had in hand SOM
$50 ,0CO. and the other Board about $4,000.
with about S30.0O0 more promised to be
uaid ~ soon n the work on The monument
should be actually begun.
CONSOLIDATED.
He went 10 work as soon e. he came int
office 10 cndCayor 10 consolidate the tWo
associations. and had succeeded IN doiny
.o-thc Board now coa-i>tin. ~ tho Coy
lrnGr, Auditor MaIyo, Treasurer ll3rmIr.
Mis- sarah Nicholas Randolph. Miss Slrah
Nichols, and Colonel Archer Anderson.
There are three ohicr,- 20 D., l'tamcd-
1. The money.
>. The design.
3. The fixing OF thc site.
DESIGN not AGREED or.
The Board he'd not vet agreed on lra1t-
iSf or design. The models for which the
ladies bad advertised. and which had been
Tor several weeks on exhibition IN the sem
ate chamber. bad been voted UnS1tisiaeiorv
The ,ccicl9ry of the Board. Mis- ~Irah a.
Randolph. is row CORE .p0ndiuS with thc
most distinguished artists o' the world
and tie Board VIII examine thoroughly th'
result, 81 ibis correspondence. give our
h0mr talent fir consideration. ani de-
eide 0u tLcyery Des. model That cu hc pro-
duccd.
A. 10 The uorey. TIE Board considered
tlc 100000 already iu hand amply sufficient
90 Justify ilcru in ordering The statue oi
horse ana rider, besides the large sums
PROMISED a~ soon 7- tlc work begin. 90
lie money already SiY0n Virginia hI> con-
trihUteL only al oCt s9,Duu, anil th' cit! of
Richmond or.y about $1,000; thr rest Ben,
come f'om nearly .li u ID" other state.
and clro u !, from a'rC.l.
Tie B0ard were confident. however thlt
Virginia and lcr capital city, Whore the
uourm.n. VII, be erected, would come up
10 thGr duty when 'hC work b. actually
begun.
INFAYoF or TIE ALIEN IuI.
The next question 10 be decided w1, n,
site oi TIE monument, and hc wanted c,pe-
cially 10 discuss that question.
Ilr would premise by saving that tic
member, - TIE Board with one ,in.ic cX-
ccyl0ul had not now. and did uoi cNp, t
to have, any pecuuaTy interest, In Ri.h-
mond-and ;llc single mtmhrr o. the Board
who owned property in Rich
mond had voted for -itc ou
Church HI, in m exactly opposite
direction from where hi~ property j.
located. The Board Lad. therefore. no b'I,
lf favor Of one .itc over another. and hlU
carefully and fairly considered the claim.
~ each one that had been named. Afirr
full consideration and discussion tAc Board
had, wiki practical unluimity which W.,
afterwards maGc unanimous, decided tlIt
the proper site uas Oh The Allen property.
beyond the termination Of Franklin street. !
provided @ suitable agreement could %"
made with the owner, ~ The property and ,
with The city.
There were. % course. objection, rli.
o. tii. site. 20, TO every other that had Dec.
considered. bui the Board. "hayin- u'
axe 10 Grind" and only >cCkinE t1 pro.
mote tho best Interests of the A>>ocijtl1a
and the best itc for The monument we.r
q. cidcd in their Opinisi that this site n the
west End, j. the best that, can be found |
He wa, glad % the ardent desire u th'
different section. of the city 10 have The
monument in their locality. as it showed |
the general interest in the subject. but d.
was sure that there would De 4 wilingue,,
10 comrromIsc on the best site when IL Wa,
demonstrated that the best had been So
lcclcd.
THE PROPOSITION.
The Governor read the written PROPOSE
tion Of tie owners ~ the Alien property, !
in which they agree "to dedicate to the citI
OF Richmond an avenue Of one hundred |
and forty feet in width, seventy feet each |
WAY from the centre Of Franklin street |
extended, beginning at the western iiae of !
Lombardy street, extending westwardly |
thence through the Allen lot 2,2l2 feet. |
more or less. TO the western line of the !
said lot. aud also an avenue u l4o |
feet in width, beginning at the north lne |