City Council.
--A special meeting of the City Council was held yesterday afternoon, for the purpose of considering two ordinances previously reported from the Committee on Police, Messrs. Saunders, Grattan, Denoon, Glazebrook, Wynne, Crutchfield, Epps, Scott, Griffin, Hill, and Burr were in attendance.The ordinance providing for increasing the number of the day police from eight to eleven, and for making pay of the force $800 to each officer, was taken up.
Mr. Scott suggested the propriety of a section in reference to providing a badge, by which the police officers might be readily recognized by strangers and others, but none was offered.
Mr. Epps moved to lay the ordinance upon the table, and demanded the yeas and nays upon his motion.
An informal discussion took place, in which Mr. Crutchfield emphatically opposed the proposed increase of police, inasmuch as it would increase the expenditures of the city $2,400, with no equivalent benefit, and no request had been made by the Mayor for an additional number of officers.
The measure was advocated by Messrs. Scott, Hill, Wynne and Denon.
Mr. Burr said if he voted to lay the ordinance upon the table it would be with the view of informing himself upon the subject. None of the facts yet mentioned by the friends of the measure had satisfied him of its necessity.
Mr. Grattan argued that if the object of a police was to keep order in a city and to prevent offences, the proposed increase was absolutely indispensable.
Mr. Epps renewed his motion, and the vote being taken, the Council refused to lay the subject on the table — yeas 4, nays 7.
The ordinance then passed — yeas 7, nays 4.
Mr. Hill moved to take up the ordinance to prohibit the sale of ardent spirits in the Theatre and other places of amusement.
Mr. Epps opposed the taking up of the ordinance at present, and Mr. Hill withdrew his motion.
Mr. Grattan offered the following resolution, which was adopted:
Resolved, That the Committee on Finance be authorized to attend to the indictments made against the city of Richmond, the members of the Council, and officers of the city, for the issue of small notes, and that they be authorized to employ counsel to defend said parties if they shall deem it necessary.
The Council adjourned.
