The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-12-19
WILL PUT CHECK
ON LOBBYISTS
New Rules Of Council Change
Method OF Calling Special
Meetings.
PROVIDE SEVEN COMMITTEES
Ward Lines Abolished i'll Com
position of New Street
Committee.

Plans for the reorganization OF the
Council committees after January l
to conform to the charter changes ere
ating the Administrative Board were
passed upon by the Committee on Rules
last night. all present committees OF
the Council being superseded from
that date by the following seven joint
standing Committees:
Committee on Streets. to consist or
nine members. five from the Common
Council and four from the Board OF
Aldermen. ward lines in the appoint
ment Of this committee being aboi-
ished
Committee on Finance. TO consist
of five Councilmen and four Aldermen.
Committee on Ordinances. to consist
OF Ave Councilmen and four Aldermen.
Committee on Public Works. TO con-
sist of five Councilmen and four Alder
men.
COMMITTEES on River and Harbor. to
consist of five Councilmen and four
Aldermen
Committee on Claims and Local
Assessments. to consist IF fve Coun-
cline nand four Aldermen.
Committee on Advertising and En-
terprises. to consist OF seven members.
the presidents OF each branch. three
Councilmen and two Aldermen. The
Mayor is to be an eX-ofiicio member
of this committee.
VIII Have Fewer Assignments.
Otherwise the present rules are TO
be allowed to stand except where they
conflict with the charter mendments.
No member will be eligible for the
craftsmanship of more than one joint
standing committee. and no member or
the Comittee on Finance will be eli
gible for appointment on other stand
ing committees.
Under the plan adopted there will
be. thirty-three Council assignments 10
be made by President Peters and TWEEN
ty-siX positions to be filed by appoint
ment of President Adams. of the Board
of Aldermen. After allowing for the
president. who is a member of ali
standing committees. and the members
of the Finance Committee. who may
not be appointed elsewhere, there will
be tWenty-eight Council assignments to
be divided between fourteen Nem5ers,
giving each member not on the Finance
Committee two committees. and TWEEN
'ty-two committee assignments to be
divided between the nine Aldermen not
on the Committee or Finance.
The City Attorney was requested to
redraft the rules making the conse-
quential changes necessitated by the
new charter and to have the new form
ready for a special meeting of the
Council to be called by President
Peters for next Monday night.
Will Check Lobbyists.
An important change suggested by
President Peters and which is t. be
incorporated in the rules. is in regard
to the calling of special meetings, pro-
viding that such calls. even though
signed by members OF the Council,
must be presented to the president by
some Councilman or city official. In
the recent franchise fight it became
rather notorious thing that lobbyists
working for the Richmond and Henrico
Railway Company circulated petitions
calling meetings and took them to the
presiding officers in almost any shape
they desired Rule three provides
that the president of either branch
shall call special meeting IN the re-
quest of any three members of his
branch. but hereafter the petition for
such meeting must be presented to the
president by one of the members sign
ing the call or b. some officer Of the
Council such as the clerk or sergeant
alarms. and not bys a paid lobbyist
of the interest desiring the special
meeting Under the Did plan, Mr..
Peters said. any lobbyist could secure
a special meeting OF the Council, re-
Sardless OF the wisdom or necessity OF
such A step, merely by securing three
signatures. frequently given on hasty
consideration Of the merits OF the
issue.