Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-11-27
FOR ONE TERN ONLY.
SCHOOL FIRE, AND POLICE COM
NssIoNERs TO SERVE THUS.
50 SAYS The CHARTER COMMITTEE.
min with such an Object fin View
Adopted Last Night-Nominations
Not Made for Finance Board-Mcm-
hers of the Wards 10 Meet.

ri.ht 40 $50 O'clock and held an inter
,s.irg session OF about two hours. Nc
names were recommended for the III
nance Board, as Mr. Carter succeeded
q, convincing the members Of the COM
.-i,ifa that when the nominations came
f,r-s the Council there was likely to
t. considerable competition. and the gem
r.m,u who might be named now in
,f,snce would not like TO be placed in
Che embarrassing position Of being
s,grncd down by the body.
The mos, interesting action taken by
.b, committee was the adoption OF bill
r.sparcd by City-Attorney Meredith.
rroyidiur that the members OF the boards
n Fire and Police Commissioners, the
school Trustees. and the members of the
Finance Board should not be eligible for
reelection.
NAMES NOT AGREED UPON.
The committee was called to order by
N- Eountree. the following other mcm-
f.-s being present: Mcssrs. Allen. Car
,-r. CARRIER Jones. Noble. and Ryan.
IN. first question 10 come up was that
rf furnishing the names for the Ri
mans. Board. bat this was for the time
l,n. passed by. Alr. Meredith then
r..l bin prepared 10y him, 10 change
The ordinance tn regard 20 the construc-
zion of frame houses within the city
limits. This provides that permission
sb.v Dc secured from the Board of Fire
commissioners ana the Chief Of the Fire
u4rartmelt before any committee shall
Of
l.IdIuE. Messrs. Allen and Jones both
ssrrovsd OF this change. and expressed
IN opinion that IL was simply a question
lis 90 whether laws were to be made for
. town or a city. Mr. Meredith also
,rarcht that I'm this ordinance the Coun-
rr should be given the power TO pass
--rlr the material used in the cOnstruc-
lion o. buildings. not only so far as
,-,y concerned the safety of such struc-
tunes On regard 20 fires. but the safety
N the building itself. lt was cited that
rfa Grlce-Street church. which burned,
was really in an unsafe condition, and
Oh. opinion was expressed that the des-
r-rctIou Of the edihce was q blessing in
disguise. These amendments were
adopted.
GIVES THE COUNCIL 4 SAY.
Mr. Meredith then read bill in regard
Do the act creating a Board of Fire
commissioners. The ordinance, as it
now stands provides that the Council
,haIlannuauy appropriate sufficient funds
for the maintenance of the Fire and Fire
Alarm departments. with the special pro-
vision that such appropriations shall not
.s less than those Of 81 and 'SS Mr..
Meredith. in the bill prepared by him,
units this latter proviso, thus putting
De two departments on the same foot
ng with all others. The bill was
l1pted.
CAN SERVE BUT ONE TERN.
The CITY Attorney next presented
ill which he had been instructed to pre-
are. providing that the nomination OF
,embers Of the Fire and Police Commits
0ners should be taken from the Board !
( Public Interest, and that the election |
{ such officers should be conferred upon /
ne Council. the terms of the said officers |
be six years, as at present M. Jones
Iggested that Mr.. Meredith insert that |
.o such Commissioner shall be elected
, succeed himself" He thought that
bis rule should also apply TO the School
GARD and all others. Mr.. Meredith said
Ie law on the subject of the election OF
,hool trustees was laid down in the
ode of Virginia, a reference to which
-0ved the correctness of his assertion.
he Attorney said that the only way TO
ach the school trustees was by tia
.actment of a law excepting the city OF
edmond from that particular provision.
Mr.. Jones's next suggestion was to also
clude the James River Bridge Com
issioners in the bill, and make them
so not eligible for reelection. II was
own that this would not be practicable,
this commission acted in conjunction
I'M a similar body from Manchester.
\lr. Rountree then moved that the bill
So include the Finance Board. Mr..
.rter asked how IL would do 10 make
uncilmen and aldermen ineligible to
eceed themselves. This, Of course. was
Gated as a joke. The vote was then
ken on the bill, as amended, to in
glc the School, Fire. and Police COM
ssioners. and the Finance Board, and
opted unanimously.
The question then came up Of recon-
ending the names for the Finance
Iard Mr.. Carter objected to this being
ue by the committee. The nominal
us were, in the end, TO go before the !
uncil, and that body might turn
wu" the gentlemen named by the COM
ttee, and thus place the candidates in
embarrassing position. OtheT mtlu-
rs OF the several wards might have 7
mes 10 suggest, and the result would
a lively night, probably, which the gen y
men Of the committees choice might !
sh 20 avoid. Mr.. Allen said this view
the matter had put the question be- ,
re him In new light. and he was not
Hing, therefore, TO put in nomination ,
fore the committee the name of any
ntleman, without first informing him
what would Likely be the result when
& matter came before the Council. Mr.. p
'ble took the same view. a
IT, Jones suggested that the members Il
m each ward be requested to meet and L
eide among themselves as TO the cam II
Tate whose name they would present.
T. Carter thought this suggestion was C,
wise one. IN
The motion 10 go into the nominations II
~ was recOnsidered. and il was decided OF
postpone the question until the next d,
citing. ~
IT, Allen then put in the form Of a
u0n Mr. JOnes's suggestion as 20 Ia
members from each ward deciding NJ
10 nomination. and II was adopted. m
was next decided that the committee ia
20 again next Tuesday at Z. NJ, II
sr which they adjourned. he
- III
fASEn WITH " AMEN xsx-nxnc eN