Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-08-01
READY FOR ACTION.
RENEWAL OF THE TUNNEL FRAN
CHISE TO COME UP MONDAY.
Ordinance Prepared which Requires q
$4,000 Forfeit and the Deposit OF
City or Government Bonds.

A remarkable thing in the history OF the
Street and Finance Committees of this
city occurred yesterday. and was nothing
| more than that punctualy Mt the hour
prescribed for the Joint meeting of these
bodies 70 receive the ordinance drawn by
the City Attorney recommending to the
Council the extension of the franchise of
the Richmond and chesapeake Railroad
Company. quorum of zach was present to
answer to the roll-call.
Chairmon Capers. of the frst-named
body, presided, and Colonel Cutshaw. city
engineer; Mr.. Charles V. Meredith, city
| attorney. and Mr.. John jackson, counsel
for the railroad company. were present.
The chairman stated the purpose for
which the meeting had been called.
THE NEW oRRINANCE.
The City Attorney, upon being requested
10 present the paper he had prepared for
recommendation to the City Council.
stated that he had placed broader inter
pretation upon the resolution passed by
the committees in joint session than the
wording indicated, and instead of merely
drawing up paper which provided for the
extension of the franchise of the Richmond
and Chesapeake Company had prepared
such a document as he considered would
cover the requirements of the city legally
and otherwise.
voLUMrNous AND ExAcTING.
The ordinance as recommended is q
| volumnious one and imposes more strn-
! gent regulations than the former ones.
Several small changes were made IN diff
| ferent sections and the railroad company
| will. if the ordinance passes the Council
and is approved by the Mayor, nave TO PUT
| up cash and bonds or its charter Will be re-
| voked.
| In the sixteenth section the company is
! compelled to deposit with the City 1rea-
surer 100000 in city of Richmond or
| United States Government bonds. These
will be payable TO the company and can
| only be paid ont by power of attorney from
the Mayor and City Treasurer upon the
written application Of the Street Commit
| tee.
EsSw ITO RECOVER DAMAGES.
! Mr.. Guigon, in this relation. asked how
an individual sustaining loss TO property
because of said tunnel would obtain re-
lief.
The CITY Attorney stated that the proper
course would be to bring suit against the
company, get judgment. and then II the
railroad people would not pay it the mat
ter could be turned over TO the Street
| Committee and that body order the sal,
| of bond or bonds to pay the damages
fixed by the Jury.
| Sl50O00 IN BONDS.
The ordinance provides that when judg
| mept to the amount of $4,000 shall have
| been obtained against the company. II
| shall be required to deposit with the CITY
Treasurer $50. coo more. These bonds are
to stand until the road shall have been com
pleted and one year after the first train shal
| have passed through the tunnel, and vii
be - pledge of indemnification tor dam
age to the city and to the property OF cltl
| Zens of Richmond which may have oc
| CURED before or after the extension OF th'
| franchise.
In case there are unsettled claims agains
the company even after this period thes'
| bonds Will be held until said claims shall
have been adjusted
FORFEIT OF $4,000.
On motion of Mr.. j. Taylor Stratton
whose efforts for his Eighth-street constitu
ents have been untiring and indefatlgable
clause was inserted in the ordinance re
curing the company to place wlth th
City Treasurer $4,000 as forfeit that TN
work shall be completed within sixty day
from the date of the approval by TN
MAYOR, and must be deposited within tel
dags after such approval. ms none,
| Will remain III tIt Duilu- VI tho wy <AN"
urer. subject to forfeit whenever the wor'
ip the tunnel shall cease. and only to b.
returned when it is completed.
| Another section recites that wheneve
the company shall cease to prosecute worl
in the tunnel, and such cessation contlnu
for three months. the city Is empoweredt Z
revoke said charter and take charge OF tn
tunnel property.
The rate OF speed for trains while pass
in, through the excavation remains To b
fixed by the Committee on Streets later.
At the close of the meeting Chairman
Capers stated that he would probably b
OUT of the city when the Clerk woui'
have his report to the Council ready 10
| hissicnature and designated Slr. HargroVe
chairman of the Finance Committee, I
perform that function in his stead.
TO MEET MONDAY NIGHT.
The lower branch will meet Monda
night. and among other things 1t Will con
slider this question. Great interest IS Eel
as TO what disposition Will be made OF ia
matter. though it is sincerely hoped b.
the Eichth-street residents that the pape
will get no further than that body III pom
Of passage.