City Council.
--A special meeting of the Council was held at the City Hall yesterday at 4 o'clock. Present;
Messrs. Saunders, (
President,)
Walker,
Burr,
Crutchfield,
Glazebrook,
Epps,
Scott,
Denoon, and
Griffin.
Mr. Burr, from the
Committee on Public Grounds and Buildings, to whom had been referred a communication from the
Governor offering to purchase from the city that portion of ground known as "Gamble's Hill," for the purpose of erecting suitable buildings for the use of the
State Armory and the Ordnance Department thereon, submitted the following report:
The Committee on Public Grounds and Buildings have considered the inquiry referred to them relating to the sale of Gamble's Hill.
Your committee are of opinion that it is not advisable to sell any city property now, and they deem it especially important to retain the land used or intended as public grounds or squares.
This policy ought not to yield to anything but a public necessity, and it does not appear to your committee that there is any such necessity resulting from the wants of the
State in connection with the purposes referred to in the communication from the
Governor.
Your committee therefore recommend that the Council respectfully decline to make sale of the grounds on Gamble's Hill.
On motion of
Mr. Scott, the report was adopted.
Mr. Burr, from the
Committee on Finance, laid before the Council the report of that Committee, showing the receipts and disbursements of the
City Treasury for the fiscal year, ending February 1st, 1864,and an estimate of the same for the current year.
The report shows that the receipts for the past year amount to $1,680,812.61; disbursements, $1,664,783 16.
The estimate for the current year are as follows: Probable receipts, other than those arising from taxation, $662,428 17; probable disbursements, $1,835,740 06; showing a deficiency of $1,173,311 89 to be provided for. The Committee recommend that some action be taken looking to the restoration of the Gas Works and City Water Works to a self-sustaining basis.
The report was, on motion of
Mr. Walker, adopted.
Mr. Burr offered the following resolution, which was adopted:
Resolved, That the Committees on the Gas Works and Water Works, and on the
Hospital, be instructed to report to the Council what rates it will be necessary to charge for the ensuing year, in order to make these works pay their current expenses and the interest on cost; and that the
Committee on the Gas Works be instructed so charge to, and collect from, the city treasury the estimated cost of lighting the streets.
Mr. Walker, from the
Committee on the
Markets, offered a resolution, which was adopted, inquiring into the expediency of repealing all ordinances restricting huckstering.
Mr. Glazebrook offered the following resolutions, which were adopted:
Resolved, That a committee of three be appointed to wait on the
Mayor and ascertain the number, if any, of paroled prisoners that are now going at large in the city.
Resolved, That said Committee confer with the
Confederate authorities, and respectfully request them not to turn loose upon this community any more paroled prisoners.
The following gentlemen were appointed as the committee:
Messrs. Glazebrook,
Hill, and
Scott.
On motion, the Council adjourned.
