The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-07-15
TAzEwELL.
The Councils Petiaionod TO Give This
NHnte 60 the Property OF the west
End Eand COmpapy

End Land Company.
The following petition was presented
to the Councils last night, to name
the property known as the West End
Land Company, Tazewell
To the Honorable Select and Common
Councils of the City of Norfolk:
We, your petitioners, who are resi-
dents, house owners, lot owners, or ten
ants. in that part of the Sixth Ward
known as the West End Land Com
panys property" bounded on the north
by the Lambert's Point road, on the
east by the property known as the Rib
bic farm, and on the west by Client. re-
specially represent that we wish to
adopt name for said property, and
have selected in place of. Its present
name the name OF 'Tazewell."
This name was suggested to your petit
TONERS as one that would tend to com
memorate the distinguished services of
Littleton Waller Tazewell. as United
States Senator from Virginia and as
Governor of this Commonwealth, and
also In honor of his distinguished father,
Henry Tazewell who represented his
State in the Senate of the United States,
and was one of the leading statesmen
who directed in his time the policy
and enunciated the principles of the
practical nature for thus designating
this property will be given later on in
this petition.
Your petitioners deem the present
liiHe IiOSI ODpOTtune LOT making tnlS
effort to perpetuate the honor and MEM
DRY of that illustrious man in particular
who was citizen of Norfolk for nearly
two-thirds of n century, and who Is
still remembered personally by nearly
all of the citizens of Norfolk who are
past middle age.
We regard this as the suspicious time
because the people of Virginia have re-
Gently had their hearts stirred with
patriotic feelings by the magnificent
ceremOMialS TINT have n In lsep
place in Richmond. in honor of the great
President OF the Southern Confedcracy,
as well as by the revival in our memo
ries of the great principles and great
deeds of our Revolutionary forefathers
caused by the truly national holiday of
the Fourth of July.
In order to bring before the minds of
the members of your honorable bodies
the estimate that was put upon Cover
nor Tazewell by his contemporaries, we
deem it proper to quote from the beau
tiful address of the Hon. Hugh Blair
Grigsby, delivered in Norfolk on the
29th day of June, 1860, before the bar
of Norfolk and the citizens generally.
In that discourse he spoke as follows:
You know that whatever may be the
estimate of the value of the life and SER
vices of Littleton Waller ,Tazewell. it
was never denied by his contemporaries
that he was endowed with an eXtraordi-
| nary intellect, and that in popular as
semblies, at the bar, in the House of
Delegates. and In the Senate OF the
United States, If he did not-as IL was
long the common faith in Virginia to
believe that he did-bear away the palm
from every competitor, he had few
equals, and hardly in any department
In which he chose TO appear superior
At the call of your fathers, gentlemen.
he was ever ready to render any
service in his power, and on two occa-
Sions especially, when important inter
ests of Norfolk were in jeopardy, at
81 l,t.
| he was sent abroad to protect them
On another occasion. when a foreign
| fleet was in our waters, he undertook
the errand of your fathers, and per-
formed IL with unequalled success. 1t
was in the service of your fathers that
he won his great reputation as lawyer,
and to them and to you, disregarding
the obvious dictates of personal inter-
ests and ambition, he chung for almost
two-thirds of century as to his friends
and neighbors, and to your city as the
abode of his brilliant manhood and the
home of his declining years. and he has
left his children and grandchildren,
| those dear objects of his love on whom
his eyes rested in the dying hour to live
and to die among you"
Indeed, so Intimately connected was
his name with the name of your city for
sixty years. the first words that rose on
country and In England, We're inquiries
respecting Mr. TaZewell The genera
| ton of men who smiled ut his wit, whose
tears flowed at his bidding, who relish
| ed his wonderful colloquinl powers, who
regarded with sense OF personal tri-
| umph his marvellous displays at the
bar and in public councils, and who
looked up to him in the hour of dnnger
as their bulwark and defense have.
with here and there n solitary exception
long preceded him to the tomb. Those
men were your fathers. He performed
the last sad rites at their graves as
one by one. year after year, they passed
away; and you, their sons and sue
cessors. and, ] rejoice to add their
daughters and granddaughters have
now met TO pay tribute to his memory
To honor the illustIious dead is a noble
and double office. 1t speaks with one
accord and in a language not to be
mistaken. the worth of those who have
gone before us, and the worth of those
who yet survive"
In addition to the above expressed
| idea of honoring the name and helping
! 10 perpetuate the fame of Governor
TaZewell and his father, Henry Taze-
we'll, we desire that our property should
have q better name. and one more s,Ig-
gestive of city, than its present awk-
| ward and almost unknown designation
\ of The West End Land Company's
property or the jocose appellation of
| Poverty HILL" which is sometimes
given it.
Like Atlantic City. Client. and Level
| lyn our section is n large integral part
of the Sixth Ward, and is entitled 10
distinctive name.
| That of "Tazewell" when sanctioned
| by your honorab BILE bodies, would at