City Council.
--The regular monthly meeting of this body was held at the City Hall at 4 o'clock yesterday evening.
Present:
D. J. Saunders and eleven members.
Absent:
Messrs. Hinkins,
Crutchfield, and
Denoon.
Mr. Grattan, from the
Committee on Finance, offered the following resolution.
Resolved, That under the authority of the act of the General Assembly, entitled ‘"An act to provide currency of notes of less denomination than one dollar,"’ passed March 23th, 1862 the Council will issue three hundred thousand dollar of the notes of the city or
Richmond, of the denomination and amounts following:
- 1.
Of the denomination of 75 cents. $100,000; of 60 cents. $60,000; of 50 cents, $60,000; of 80 cents, $40,000; of 25 cents, $40,000.
- 2.
The notes so issued shall be in the following form: "The city of Richmond will pay to bearer, on demand,--cents, when presented in same of one or more dollars; and this note is receivable for any dues to the city of Richmond. "--, ‘"For the President."’
- 3.
The President of the Council shall employ — clerks to number and sign said notes, at a compensation not exceeding 15 cents per hundred for numbering, and 40 cents per hundred for signing, and so far as it can be done, without too much delay.
The same clerk shall sign all the notes of one denomination.
- 4. It shall be the duty of the President to superintend the purchase of paper and other contracts, and the printing, numbering, and signing of said notes, and he shall deliver the same to the Chamberlain.
And the same shall be issued by the Chamberlain, subject to the rules and regulations prescribed for the issue of the notes authorized by the Council by the ordinance of the 17th of April, 1861 entitled ‘"an ordinance for the issue of notes by the city,"’ and subsequently amended the President to receive a compensation of — dollars per month for his services.
Mr. Scott moved to amend the second section so as to provide for the issue of the following additional denominations: $20,000 of ten cents, and $10,000 of five cents; which was passed after striking out the provision for five cent notes and reducing the amount of ten cent notes to $10,000.
The report was further amended by reducing the amount of 30 cent notes to $30,000.--The first and second sections of the report were then adopted.
Mr. Scott moved to amend the third section of the report, so as to cause it to read: The
Chamberlain of the city and his assistant, the
Auditor and his assistants, and such other persons as the
President of the Council shall employ, shall number and sign said notes.
Mr. Grattan said he was not disposed to put a burthen on the clerks of the city greater than they now have to bear.
He had no doubt but that the former
Chamberlain was killed by requiring him to sign the small notes heretofore issued.
Mr. Glazebrook hoped that the amendment would not be passed.
Nothing could be gained by it. With all due deference to
Mr. Scott, he would say that it appeared to him like a penny-wise and pound-foolish proposition.
Mr. Scott finally withdrew his proposition at the suggestion of
Mr. Burr, to offer it in another form.
Mr. Wynne said he was opposed to paying any one to sign these notes.
He could say without boasting, and could prove by facts which no one could gainsay, that he had, as a member of the
Committee on Arms, rendered as much service as any person who had received pay for signing the small notes; but if any one was to offer to compensate him, he would consider it an insult.
In times like these we should have office hours.
Mr. Grattan said that he was opposed, for economical considerations, to the employment of volunteers to sign the small notes.
Mr. Saunders said that he had rendered as much service for this city during the last 14 years as any other man in it, and had never received a cent of compensation, until the Council voted him a sum for signing the small notes, etc., which had occupied him six months and two weeks, to the almost total neglect of his private business.
The third section of the report was then adopted — ayes 10, noes 2:
Messrs. Scott and
Wynne.
On motion of
Mr. Grattan, the Blank in the 4th section was filled with ‘"50."’ The section was then adopted.
Mr. Scott offered an additional section, making it the duty of the
Chamberlain and Auditor, and their assistants, to aid in numbering the notes, when not otherwise engaged in official duties.
The amendment was adopted and the Council adjourned.
