City Council.
--The monthly meeting of this body was held yesterday afternoon.
Present--
Messrs. Saunders,
Grattan,
Denoon,
Haskins,
Critchfield,
Stokes,
Griffin,
Scott,
Eppes,
Burr,
Glazebrook, and
Hill.
Mr. Stockes presented a report from the
Commissioners of Schools in
Jefferson Ward, respecting the unauthorized use of a room in Bethel Church, for a school, by the
Treasurer of the
State Literary Fund.
The following resolution was adopted.
Resolved, That the
Commissioners of Schools for
Jefferson Ward be authorized to demand, of the
President of the
Seamen's Bethel Society, possession of the school-room in the
Seamen's Church.
Mr. Burr offered a resolution authorizing the payment of $500 to
Mr. Robert Howard, for a new
Index of Deeds, prepared under his supervision.
Adopted.
Mr. Grattan read a memorial, prepared by himself under the direction of the Council, addressed to the State Convention, asking the body to legalize the previous issue of small votes by the Corporation of
Richmond.
Approved, and ordered to be printed.
Mr. Hill, from the Committee of Finance, submitted the following:
‘
"The Committee of Finance, to whom was referred the resolution to fix the amounts to be paid to each person employed in signing the small notes issued by the city, respectfully recommend the payment of the following sums to persons employed in the said service, viz: To
David J. Saunders $1,000;
Thomas Lawson $300;
M. L. Stratton $200;
D. J. Saunders, Jr., $200;
John Saunders $300;
Moseby C. Stratton $150;
David J. Burr $200;
P. R. Grattan $200;
P. W. Ralston $150. Total, $2,700. The committee that acted on this report, have doubts of the propriety of paying officers of the city any additional amounts for extra duty that they may be called on to perform, in such times as these, or at any other time, and while they are willing to make the above allowances to them, they by no means intend to imamate that they are entitled to it now, or for this act to be construed as a precedent in the future for any extra labor they may be called on to perform."
’
The report led to considerable discussion,
Mr. Scott opposing and
Mr. Hill and others favoring its adoption, though averse to the principle of the thing.
Messrs. Stratton and
Saunders, though peculiarly situated in regard to the matter themselves, thought it no more than just that others who had been subjected to additional labor should be compensated therefore.
Mr. Glazebrook considered the compensation an act of justice, and would prefer a higher rate in some individual instances.
Mr. Crutchfield thought the report, which had been prepared with great care and deliberation by the committee, should be adopted without change.
Mr. Scott wished it understood that, in opposing the report, he only included that portion which proposed to further compensate officers already in the pay of the city.
Messrs. Griffin and
Denoon opposed any alteration in the report.
It was then adopted--
Mr. Scott voting no.
Mr. Glazebrook presented the following petition.
To the Council of the City of Richmond--Gentlemen: I respectfully petition your honorable body to remit a fine imposed on me by the
Mayor for repelling an assault made on me by a man of the name of
Kersey, near the
New Market.
The latter made his escape, or he would be the party who should have been fined, as will be testified by the parties whose names accompany this paper.
I am a poor man, and ill able to pay the fine, and pray your honorable body to remit it, and as in duty bound will ever pray.
Respectfully,
John W. Woody.
Referred to the Committee of Finance.
A petition from
Richard Fox, Gauger, praying for an increase of fees, was debated, and referred to a special committee, consisting of
Messrs. Burr,
Stokes, and
Haskins.
The following ordinance on the subject was subsequently reported by
Mr. Burr:
‘
'An Ordinance to amen an Ordinance entitled. 'An Ordinance concerning the Ganger.'
"Be it ordained by the Council of the city of Richmond, that the seventh section of the Ordinance concerning the Gauger be repealed and re-enacted so as to read as follows:
"
Sec. 7.
The person submitting any cask of spirituous liquors, wine, oil, molasses, vinegar, spirits of turpentine, or
burning fluid to the Gauger, shall pay him, for ascertaining the proof or gauging and marking the cask, fifteen cents for every cask over sixty gallons, and ten cents for every cask under sixty gallons.
"This ordinance shall be in effect from and after its passage."
’
The rules having been suspended, the Ordinance was read three times and passed.
Adjourned.
