The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-02-24
LOWER BRANCH TO
PASS ON 1T AGAIN
Amended Ordinance for Union OF
Cities Comes Back From
Conference Tonight.
CARRIES ONLY ONE CHANGE
Amount to Be Expended on
Streets Is Main Point
of Difference.

PRESIDENT Robert Lee Peters issued
Yesterday a call for a meeting of the
common Council at s O'Clock Tonight
TO receive the report of the conrerees
on tho annexation ordinance. The
committee report Will propose. as a
oasis Tor agreement between the two
branches OF the Council. a street guar
antce at 80 per cent. Of the revenues
or Manchester for the first five years
tho original ordinance as recommended
by the special committee, and adopted
by the Council, having placed the guar
"ntee at 40 per cent, which was amend
ed In the Board of Aldermen to read
20. Tho conferees therefore take the
middle ground as n basis for bring.
ing the two branches together.
The other two Board amendments
are retained and made a part of the
conference committee report. They ex-
cept receipts from the sale OF gas from
the basis on which the percentage is
estimated, and the entire elimination
OF the clause which permitted one
fourth OF the street fund to be expend.
ed in paving sidewalks. The latter
clause was held to be or doubtfm le-
as to Richmond's ability under its
Minority Report.
A minority consisting OF Aldermen
Richardson and Cottrell and Council-
man Gentry, all OF whom voted against
the ordinance for union, both as orig
inally proposed and as amended, Will
present substitute report. the exact
terms OF which have not been made
public. though the views OF the mem
bers have been expressed by Alderman
richardson, who is drawing the re-
port. He is in favor OF annexation.
provided the Southside city will come
in without special guarantees. and
take part in the city government as
one of the wards of the city He is
opposed to the court provisions. but
thinks Richmond should agree to ruild
the bridge in the event of union.
Something of parliamentary tan
gle may be expected when the Council
meets to-night for the rules OF the
body as to conference committees and
the status OF their reports are not eX-
plicit.
The opposition faction. headed by
Alderman Richardson. contends that
the ordinance in which the Council
refused to concur in the Board amend
ments Is now dead, and that to bring
1t again before the house 1t will be
necessary to reconsider the vote by
which the Council rejected the amend
ed ordinance. Such reconsideration
would require two-thirds OF all the
members present. which may be diff
fcult to get. as the ordinance proper
can be passed by majority OF those
elected to each branch.
parliamentary TnnElc.
Others claim that the ordinance was
not killed and that 1t will not be nee
essary to reconsider. bastng their ar
gument on the fact that the Council
was put on notice before its vote that
a committee OF conference would be
requested, and the very fact that the,
ordinance has been before legally
constituted committee Of conference
would seem to indicate that it is not
dead under the rules Members of the
conference committee say that their
report should come In as a substitute
for the original ordinance referred to
the conferees and that the vote should
be taken directly on the ordinance rec
commended by the conference The
leaders OF the various factions are Sc
curing legal advice and Will be armed
with the rules of various legislative
and dellberative bodies.
While the Council and Board Of Al
dermen of Manchester are divided as
to the merits of the proposition for
union Of the cities, there is a growing |
belief that the question should be set /
tied in the Southside city by a vote OF
the people, as provided for in the ordi-
nance. Prophets differ widely as to
how such an election will go, but many
agree that the Manchester Councils
should adopt whatever proposition
Richmond makes and thus put it upl
to the voters of Manchester to take 1t
or leave 1t, as they see fit.