The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-01-04


Definitely Settled Upon-wsn Rect
Again on Monday Night.
/The City Council last night again
Erestled with the amendments to the
bity charter. Few propositions were
considered and fewer still adopted, and
after being in session for more than two
hours the body adjourned to meet on
Monday night, with the work in con-
dition which will require o general
overhauling.
Tho following members were present:
Messrs. Baohman, Boehm, Casey, Coul-
bourn, Fox. Guy, Hawkins, High, Rich
mond, Loughery, McNamee, Mays,
Starkey, Stevenson, Terry, Wilson and
Buckner.
The Council went into q committee of
tho whole and took up section II, which
provides that no person shall BIO allowed
to hold more than ono of the offices
mentioned in tho charter OF tho Same
time, which MIR. Terry moved to amend
by providing that the clerk of Council
may, when the duties can DO discharged
by one M an, be elected city auditor.
This proposition was rejeoted by vote
of 10 to q
Section 16. providing for president
pro tempore Of Council, wss agreed to
without discussion.
When section ~, providing how inn
provements shall be made snd property
owners assessed, was reached, Mr.. Will
son submitted communicative from R.
e. Scott raising objections to the pres-
ent plan. Mr. Scott statos in his lie tier
that tho charter ought to provide that
the property owners bhoold be assessed
one third on each side OF the street and
the city to pay the other third, in place
Of leaving the matter to the discretion
of Council, az to how much the city
should pay, II any, and how much the
property owners should pay.
j. Allen Watts was present, and
being accorded the privilege Of the floor,
addressed the Council. Mr.. Watts
thought that the section proposed should
be amended 30 that the charter would
clearly define what proportion of the
cos' should BIZ borne respectively by the
city AID by tho AUDITING property
owners.
Mr. Wilson moved TO refer the aection
back to the committee for further con-
sideration, which WAS rejected. A mo-
ton 10 adopt The section as proposed
by the committee was rejected alec nv
b vote of to 10.
Mr.. Glasgow, tho city solicitor, ad-
dressed the Council on this section,
AMI stated that the proposition TO
change tho mode of Assessment should
not be considered while the city had
cases pending in the court OF appeals
for the collections Of assessments -eg-
gregating SS0,000 which were levied
under the provisions OF this section.
The committee had only proposed an
amendment TO conform to u recent de-
cision OF the court of appeals, and
further than this he thought it would
be unwiso for the Council to proceed.
Section l,prescribing that tho duties
of the mayor shall be 10 preside over
the police court. as proposed by the
committee, Was amended by Mr. Terry
by inserting the provision now in force,
prescribing that tho police justice shall
perform these dutien.
Section 81, providing how money sha all
be paid out and how persons shall make
payments of Gums due the city, other
than taxes, shall pay the Same to the
treasurer, was reported from the COM
mittee SO amended as to provide that all
CITY warrants shall be- couutersigned by
the clerk OF Council, in order to conform
to the present law passed by Council.
Mr.. McNamee was in the chair, and on
putting tho proposition, TO which there
seemed to be but little objection. there
we're no responses. The negative was
taken snd there were several nays. The
chsir decided the question lost, thereby
" n mt IA
Mr.. Buckner then took the chair and
Mr.. Loughery addressed the Council.
He stated that the matter in which the
proceedings were being conducted had
every appearar CO Of n farce. He thought
that If the members of Council wanted
any amendments to the charter they
should get down to business. Mr.
Buckner also spoke on tho same line,
MIR. Terry being in the obair.
Section 6S. providing. that the city
treasurer shall be paid salary for the
performance Of mis- duties in connect ion
with collecting and disbursing the
city revenue. WAS next taken up. Mr..
Wilson proposed the section in the
charter now In force in lieu thereof,
The present law provides that the treas.
urer shall receive the same compensa-
ton for collecting and disbursing the
city revenue and school levies 90 he re-
ceives for the same duties in connection
with the State taxes. Mr. Wilson's
proposition WAS rejected by the follow
ing vote:
Ayes-Bacbman, Boehln, Coulbourn,
Fox, Hawkins, Richmond, McNamee,
Wilson's.
Noes-Casey, Guy, High, Longhery,
Mays. Starkey, Stevenson. Terry and
Buckn sr-9.
Mr. Wilson at this point made o mo-
ton to adjourn sine die. which was re-