Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-03-16
BUDGET AGAIN FAILS
DOESN'T QUITE GET THE TWO
THIRDS yoTR IN THE BOARD.
DEBATE CHR ~ APPROPRIATIONS.
Efforts In Behalf of Little sisters of
the Poor-schooi Trustees Re-
on Streets, Light, &c.


extraordinary session at O'Clock last
night to consider the ordinance making
! appropriations for the various city de-
partments for the fiscal year 1891 II was
lengthy, and. in some respects. in
teresting and important meeting. since
! the grave question of giving money 10
sectarian institutions wastdiscussed earn
estly and vigorously for some time. There
was also a fight made TO get the allow
ances to hands and carts and streets gem
| orally increased. The members In their
seats when President TUrpin brought his
| gayel down were besides himself. Messrs.
| Allen, Bahen, Burton, Carter, Cutchins,
Hardwicke, King, Montgomery, Moore,
Lawder, Noble, Smith, Snead, Starke,
Vaughan, and Zimmerman.
The Board jumped into the considera-
tion of the budget without rereadng IT,
this function having been undergone at
the last meeting. Mr.. Turpin left the
chair and moved an amendment taking
$3.50 from the contingent fund and placing
It to the credit OF the Little Sisters OF
the Poor He said there was present
committee Of gentlemen who would pro-
baby like to be heard upon this matter,
and offered a motion, which was adopted,
| allowing these gentlemen thirty minutes
| in which TO present their case.
SPEAKS FOR THE HOME.
Captain John NJ. Higgins. as chairman
! of the delegation representing the Little
| Sisters of the Poor said that as he had
| been suffering from a severe cold ne
would deputiZe Mr.. w +. Reddy TO speak
| for the visitors. Mr.. Reddy made an
| earnest and vigorous appeal TO the Board
| to restore the appropriation to the Little
| Sisters Of the Poor, asserting that this
| was I'm no respect a sectarian institution.
He said there were now eight persons at
this home sent there by the city. The
| only requisites for admission there were
| old age and dependence. With these the
| doors of the institution We're open to all,
and the Little Sisters went out In all
Aside from the help which had been
given by the city from year to year. the
! Little Sisters of the Poor had had no
| other permanent assistance.
! Mr.. Reddy was followed by Mr. Otway
s. Alien, who spoke in opposition 10
| granting any allowance TO any sectarran
! institution. He said il the Board, con-
sidering carefully that budget were TO
! make such an appropriation. 1t would be
committing a theft, since the city did not
| actually have the money this year with
/ which TO run It's departments. He could
not take away from the people to give
/ to charity, when the taxpayers did not
| have the necessities OF life, such as water
| and sewers.
Mr.. Hardwicke said he hoped the Board
! would not cripple the budget by tacking
I
| promptly passed; after which he would
! offer a resolution making appropriations
TO the institutions left out this year. D
| Il should like 10 know where we are
| going 10 get the money from" declared
| Mr.. Allen, addressing himself 10 Mr..
| Hardwcke as chairman of the Finance
| Committee.
! why, from the place we always get IT.
| We could take it from the contingent
fund" replied Mr.. Hardwicke.
Does not the member from Jefferson
| Ward know that this budget binds US
not TO increase any of the appropriations
4 made hereinY
'Yes. but this does not increase the APP
| propriations, there is $500 to the credit
Of the contingent fund by this budget"
COULD GEPTHE MONEY.
Mr.. Turpin here gained the floor again
and said 1t did not look much as If the
Finance Committee could not get the
! money when IL could appropriate over
| $4,000 TO other charities, spend $1,000 on
| water-meteIs. and have 5000 for which
! there was no use.
Mr.. Allen then spoke Of the dreadful
! condition Of the streets and OF the very
small apportionment 10 the street De-
| partment this year.
Mr.. Zimmerman moved 10 restore all
| the allowances 10 charity institutions and
| to cut them all % per cent. This was
| briefly discussed, but ruled out OF order.
Mr.. Hardwicke finally moved 10 amend
| Mr.. Turpin's amendment so as to fix the
| appropriation 10 the Little Sisters Of the
| he being the only member TO vote for IT,
The amendment OF Mr.. Turpin was then
defeated by the following vote:
Ayes-Messrs Bahen. Burton. King
Moore, Smith. and President Turpin-6.
Noes-Messrs Allen. Carter. Cutchins
Hardwicke, Montgomery, Lawder. Noble
Snead, Starke, Vaughan and Zimmor-
mann-1l.
ST. JOSEPHS ORPHAN ASYLUM.
Mr. Turpin then moved that $3.50 be taken
| a nd
10 the credit Of st. Joseph's Orphan Asy-
lum. That institution, he said, had taken
seven orphans from the city on the
strength of this annual appropriation. II
II cut of the appropriation. he said. the
city ought TO take the children back
They will not. as they might. turn those
children back 10 the city" said Mr. Tur-
pin, for one Of the sisters told me that
they would work their fingers TO the bone
rather than let the children return TO the
almshouse TO be reared as paupers." OPP
position to this appropriation, ne
said, could only be banked upon
turn these seven girls adrift on the world,
and such opposition is neither manly nor
honorable
Mr.. purpin then read a lengthy commu-
ncation from Sister Madeline McDermott,
which he had received In the morning.
The letter stated that ii was under the
impression and belief that the city would
make the appropriation of $50 annually
that the sisters ndQ consented 10 take Inc
seven children from the City Almshouse
To turn these children adrift on the COM
munity would be shocking. immoral. ana
inhuman. II urges that the Council can
not refuse to contribute to the support or
the children without rendering the mem
bers liable TO the charge OF injustice. 1t
appeals TO the Board not to SHIFT the bur-
den from the taxpayers OF this city 10 the
shoulders Of a few hard-working ladies',
who are as poor as the poorest In the com
munity.
MIR. Allen opposed the amendment. He
said that St Paurs Church Home was
similarly circumstanced If exception were
made in one instance. IL should be made In
all Ii was not a personal matter. but the
Board was dealing with public funds. ana
ne could not vote for the amendment
under existing circumstances.
Mr. Zimmerman offered as a substitute
that appropriations should be made for
the following institutions; Free Dispen-
sary. Emergency Hospital. Founding
Hospital. Little Sisters of the Poor, Pro-
testant Episcopal Home, Richmond Home
for ladies' ST. Joseph's orphan Asylum,
and St PauIs Church Home. and Home
for Aged Women.
The amendment was lost by 2 vote or
Mr Turpin's motion TO appropriate $50
for St Joseph's Orphan Asylum was then
put and lost by vote OF 10 TO Z.
THE COMMITTEE APPROPRIATIONS.
Mr.. Carter offered substitute to sec
tion g making II read as follows: THAT
the amounts herein shall be deemed to
be the limits of the amounts expended by
any committee or head OF department
respectively, except such appropriations
as are now provided for under existing
ordinances" In support OF his motion
ne said that when improvements are
needed or emergencies arise the commit
tee must not be blamed II they are unable
10 cope with the situation under the pres
ent ordinance.
Mr.. Hardwicke said that the origin OF
- A..1 Aaar
that the Street Committee had constantly
made contracts and carried balances for