Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-10-29
FAVOR THE MEASURE.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS THE
VIRGINIA co.'s ORDINANCE.
THE MAIN STREET FRANCHISE.
city Attorney Says This Council Has
Nothing to Do With It's Expiration.
otber Electric Petitions Tabled
STRENGTHENING Measure Referred.

The Council Committee on Streets
met in Room No. 5 OF the City Hall at .
o'clock yesterday afternoon. 1t was
regular session, and those present were
| Chairman Allen and Messrs. Bahen,
Bloomberg, Burton. Ebel, Foster, John
J. King, Pollock, and Woody. The ordi-
nance granting to the Virginia Electric
! Company, Of Baltimore. the right to uti-
lie the waters of the James for the pur-
pose of carrying on a general electric
| light and power business in the city, the
measure carrying with 1t the privilege
to run poles and wires upon the streets
and alleys OF Richmond, was recon-
merded to the Council. The petitions Of
the Southern Electric and the Home
Electric companies, for permission to do
general electric-light and power busi-
ness in the city without reference to
water-power, were laid upon the table
until the next meeting Of the committee,
TO be held November 18th.
STREET FRANCHISE.
In reply to the interrogatories recently
forwarded to the City Attorney relative
TO the expiration of the franchise Of the
Richmond City Railway Company, the
City Attorney replied as follows:
To the Committee on Streets:
Gentlemen-I am in receipt Of your
communication submitting to me the fol-
lowing inquiries:
/. The date of the expiration Of the
Tpaf1x
Company.
O. What notice, if any, the city is re-
quired to give this company before the
expiration of its franchise.
g. The terms upon which the city can
take back the franchise, and upon what
terms the franchise may be let out to any
person in respect to the present owners
of the franchise.
A. Has the present Council the right to
put out the franchise?
5. Any other matter that the City At
torney may think necessary to report
upon this question.
In reply to your first inquiry, have to
state that the rights of all the routes OF
the Richmond City Railway Company
will not expire on the same date. BY the
sixth section Of chapter 46 of the city
Ordinances QSS5), all Of its routes In ex-
istence at the time said compilation OF
city ordinances was adopted, and which
have not been subsequently surrendered
expire December 81 1900. All of its routes
granted since 1885 and now in use expire
January l, 1900 except the northern track
on Broad street. which the company ac-
ouired from the Richmond, Fredericks-
burg and Potomac Railroad Company,
and which the company uses, with the
fn (
time. The routes which expire on De-
cember 81. 1900, are as follows:
Main street from Rockets to Reservoir,
Eighth and Ninth streets from Main to
Broad. Broad from Ninth to Laurel
(single track, and on Laurel street from
Broad to Main.
The tracks which expire January /, 100
are as follows: From Rockets and Nam
down Rockets to Fulton; on Main from
Reservoir to the corporate limits, ana
the HOLLYWOOD extension from Laurel 10
Main.
Your second. third, and fourth inquiries
can be answered by showing what pear
ing twelfth section Of chapter 40 OF the
City Ordinances QSS5) has upon the saiu
charter.
The City Attorney then quotes from
several sections of the City ordinances
and says that the ordinance OF December
II. 1865. in itself contained no provision
as TO what should be done at the eXplra-
ton of the franchise, etc.
NOT REQUIRED TO GIVE NOTICE.
The City Attorney goes on to say:
"From reading Of that section lsection
IL of chapter 45), il will be seen that the
city is not required to give any notlco
before the expiration OF said tranch'Se.
1t is allowed one year from or after said
expiration to give notice TO the COM
pany as to what it desires to be done.
During that year the Council may, at
its option, extend said franchise for an
other period. or 1t may refuse to make
such extension. If 1t shall determine
to extend them, II must specify for what
length of time and upon what terms, con-
ditions. and restrictions 1t will grant the
privileges. If upon those provisions and
limitations the Council and the company
can agree upon terms which are salts
factory, the City Council has obligated
the extension can be made by ordinance.
'If the Council shall refuse an extension,
or If the Council and the company can
not agree upon terms which are satisfac-
tory, the City Council has obligated It
self to take the railways and fixtures
thereto lying within the city, and the
lots and buildings thereon, &C., the price
to be fixed by arbitrators, sc.
The City Attorney then goes on to say:
at will be seen from the above section
that the present Council has not the
mower to dispose of said routes without
the consent of said company, so as to
prevent that Council which shall be
elected in 1898 from regranting to the said
company the routes which should expire
December 81, 1900. OF course. II the
present Council and the company can
come TO terms as TO any extension OF
franchise, ii can be done by mutual con-
sent, but only i'm that manner.
'In reply to the fifth inquiry l have to
say that as the present Council can do
nothing without the consent OF the said
there is nothing that ] would
suggest to be done at present, unless the
said company should come forward and
ask for a franchise. Very truly,
&C. V. MEREDITH, City Attorney"
On motion of Mr.. Bloomberg, this was
forwarded to the City Council.
NEED OF SEWER IMPROVEMENTS !
There was much discussion over the
matter Of funds for sewers. Colonel Cut
shaw pointing out the necessity for i'm
along this line at once.
On motion OF Mr.. Pollock a sub-commit- |
tee, consisting OF Messrs. Allen, Pollock, |
and Bloomberg. was appointed to formu-
late a report TO the Council asking for |
an appropriation of Ssl 900 as a sum abso-
lutelg needed for sewer work immediate
ly.
The City Engineer stated that a serious |
condition OF affairs existed on north 1
Fourth street where the old sewer broke |
again a few days ago. A number OF houses /
49, inf bo