The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-05-20
COUNCIL SUSTA|NS
LIGHT PLANT VETO.
Lower Branch Refuses to Concur
With Board iii Ignoring
Mayors Objections.
LONG DISCUSSION AGAIN
LONG DISCUSSION
New Ordinance introduced to
Meet Points Raised in Another
Message. Read Last Night.


Il BY vote of Is to 10 the Common
Council last night Endorsed the position
taken by Mayor Mccarthy in rejecting
| the ordinances submitting to popular
vote the question of the issuance Of
bonds for municipal electric light
plant. and thereby refused to concur
with the Board of Aldermen in passing
the measure over the Veto An effort
OF Councilman David Meade White tc
get suspension OF the rules in order
to have the question OF the Issuance
Of bonds acted on by the Council
failed. The lower branch also sus-
tanned the Mayor in vetoing an ordi-
nance providing for the issuance Of re-
! funding bonds and new ordinance
correcting the defects of the former
was introduced and referred.
Much Discussion.
| In the discussion, the whole matter
of the expediency OF establishing a
municipal electric plant was gone over.
with the usual divergence OF views
with which this question has been
treated for years.
| Mr.. W. L. White approved the Mayors
veto, holding that it was inexpedient
to issue any bonds at time when the
city is so near its bond limit. AS usual
| his colleague, Mr.. David Meade White.
disagreed, fighting hard for the sub
mission of the question to vote. say
| Ing that the Council had been "fooling"
with the electric plant proposition for
twelve years.
Mr.. Hobson wanted to sustain the
Mayor, certainly to the extent of de-
,,,t NJ the citv'S EXPERT,
Mr.. Trafford. has made his report I'VE
have spent $4,000 to find out what an
electric plant will cost. let us walt
and find out Then let the people
vote intelligently," he said.
Mr.. Pollard discussed the reasons
given in the Mayors veto message,
saving that many Of them had been
considered by the Finance Committee
While going on record as tavorins a city
municipal plant. Mr.. Pollock said that 1t
might be impossible TO dispose OF sueh nonas
unless the plant were revenue producer.
selling Its current to others than TO the city.
Mr. Pollock also argued that s suHie .,ect
ton on June sth. when there was no contest
OF candidates. to bring any real expression
OF the wishes OF the people. Mr, Eu.c jim
saying that the Council should have the
CO urage TO face the issue and not slde-step
o, dodge BY submitting 1t to general eiec-
ton.
Vote Taken.
| On the roll call those voting to concur
with the Board OF Aldermen in passing the
nea sure over the Mayors veto were Messrs
Atkinson. Davis, Ferguson CARRIER. Gates
Batkins. Grimes Pollard, Spence. wise. D.
N white. Wiltshire and Petcrs-Is
Those voting to sustain the Mayor were
C. B. Hobson. Huber. Lea, Lynch, Mills,
Pollock, Powers. E. D. Richardson. ". +.
Richardson umlauf and William L. White
Mr. D. NJ. White asked suspension OF
the rules in order TO take from the table an
ordinance creating a bond issue for a mum
pend the rules and place the measure
sauarey up to the Council failed to receive
the required number of votes, Messrs. Atkin-
son, Bliley, Ferguson. Gates. Green, Hobson.
Huber Lea and w. L. White voting In the
negative.
Veto Message.
The following veto sc was received
from Mayor Mccarthy:
II have returned without approval an
ordinance entitled An ordinance to authorize
the issue and to provide for the redemption
of sese.5oo of bonds to raise money for the
redemption OF bonds of that amount matuc-
ing July /, 1905 adopted BY the Common
Board of Aldermen May II. 1908.
''The reasons for Withholding approval OF
this ordinance are as foilows
THE second section of the ordinance pro-
rides that the bonds authorized shall be sold
to the highes, bidder 'or bidders and after
declaring this proceeds to say: Or In such
manner, at such times, and In such amounts
az the Committee on Finance may direct
Now the city Of Richmond has no right
to issue refunding bonds except as prescribed
by certain act of the Legislature and in
conformity herewith. this ordinance. con-
tanning these clauses. is to that extent void,
and If bonds should be issued and sold as
proposed by these clauses the sale would be
illegal and the bonds of questionable valid
ity The statute requires that bonds issued
9r the s. so9 % Ss
der and there is no authority in the act for
the insertion of the words or bidders To
say that these bonds may be sold In such
manner, at such times, and in such amounts
as the Committee on Finance may direct is
to defy the explicit terms of the only act
and to make the bonds themselves OF ques-
tonabe validity. In other words, for the
FINANCE Committee or the Council to under
take to sell these bonds in any other manner
than that prescribed by the act is TO violate
the statute and put on the market bonds
which no critical examiner Of the. records
honorable body TO the act OF March 7, 1908.
as amended and re-enncted December 10.
1908, both Of which acts prohibit the sale Of
refunding bonds In such maner. at SUCH
times. and in such amounts as the Commit
tee on Finance may direct by prescribing
explicitly how such bonds may be sold
New OrdiQance
subcharman Pollard Of the Finance Com,
mittee said that though he did not alto
gether agree with the Mayor. he did not
deem 1t wise to issue bonds. the validity OF
which have been questioned by the execu-
tive. He asked the Coupcil to sustain the
Mayor. There were twenty-seven votes to
sustain the Mayor. President Peters alona
standing by the ordinance as originally pass
ed Later in the meeting Mr.. Pollard intro
duced a new ordinance covering the issu-
ance OF refunding bonds, which measure he
stated would meet the objections raised
by the Mayor. It was referred to tho
Finance Committee.
Charge Sunday Selling.
William Burton and Joseph Nelson were
arrested yesterday by Bicycle Officers Wiley
and Thurman on the charge OF selling liquor
on Sunday. A white man, who alleges that
he bought the whlskey from Burton through
Nelson. was locked up as witness. He
was seen to purchase the stun. and Wiley
took II away from, him.