The Wheeling Daily Intelligencer

CITY COUNCIL,
Second Branch.
City Council met in special session last evening. Present at roll-call: Messrs. Armbrecht, Baird, Carpenter, Crawford, Darrah, Forbes, Hazlett, Hildreth, Warren, Moffat, Pollock, Simpson, Sweeney. In the absence of President Logan, Mr. Sweeney was called to the chair.

The special Committee upon Paving the Streets submitted a lengthy report, with the following resolutions:

Resolved, That the Committee on Street Paving be authorized to advertise for two weeks in the Register and INTELLIGENCER of this city, in one paper in Cincinnati, and in one in Pittsburgh, for proposals for paving the streets named in this report, according to the following specifications, and report the bids to Council for its acceptance:

Foundation.—After the roadway has been properly graded there is to be spread a layer of broken stone eight (8) inches deep, the stones to be so broken that no stone will measure more than five (5) inches in any direction, nor less than an average thickness of two (2) inches. This will be thoroughly rolled or rammed with a road-rolling and ramming machine. Upon this layer will then be spread a bed of pure gravel ten (10) inches in depth, which will be thoroughly rolled and rammed with the road roller, and on this two or three inches of gravel with which to pave.

Boulders—To be laid between the gutter flagging, to be of good shape, free from all flaws or breaks, of hard, imperishable substance, no stone to measure less than three (3) or more than eight (8) inches in longest diameter; the stones to be carefully assorted and so placed that the largest ones shall be next the gutter flagging and gradually diminishing in size to the center. No stone when set in an upright position to show a horizontal diameter of less than two (2) or more than six (6) inches in any direction, and must be finely set upon the foundation in a perfectly upright position and as closely and compactly together as it is possible to set them; under no circumstances must any stone be laid upon its fat side or lengthened upon its largest diameter. After the boulders have been set for a distance of fifty (50) feet, they must be lightly rammed, after which a covering of gravel, sufficient only to fill the interstices, will be spread over the surface and thoroughly broomed in, after which the whole will be thoroughly rammed, when they will be again covered with gravel, broomed and rammed as before; as soon as two sections (100 feet in length) have been thus treated, the whole will be again covered with gravel, broomed and thoroughly rammed as before, or with road rolling and ramming machine, if required by the Committee on Street Paving, and held ready for inspection. As soon as the same has been accepted and certificate furnished, a final covering of two (2) inches of gravel will be spread over the entire surface. The top surface of said pavement to curve at the rate of one-half inch to the foot.

Resolved, That the Committee on Street Paving be authorized to advertise for one week in the daily papers of this city for proposals for breaking and spreading the strings of limestone on Jacob street, from 45th and 48th streets, and report bids to Council; roadbed to be graded, corded. rolled and rammed as described in the first resolution, but without the ten-inch bed of gravel.

Resolved, That the Committee on Street Paving be authorized to advertise for one week in the daily papers of this city and Ohio City, Bellaire and Moundsville, for furnishing the curbing which may be needed on the above streets. The curbing to be of the sizes prescribed in the ordinance on streets and alleys, except that the depth shall not be less than 22 inches; and to be delivered on the several streets, prepared for setting, as the contractors for paving and macadamizing shall require it.

G. BAIRD, Chairman.

The resolutions were adopted.

The following report was submitted:

Your Finance Committee, to whom was referred the following resolution:

Resolved, That the Committee on Finance ascertain and report to Council on what terms $200,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary for the above work. can be obtained for the use of this city.

Beg leave to report as follows:

First. That they think the money can be had on reasonable terms when needed. (The time given to the consideration of the resolution having been so short, they would not speak definitely.)

The difficulties arising from the constitutional provision prohibiting the city from issuing a greater amount of bonds than 5 per cent on the assessed value of the real and personal property of the city according to the assessment made by the State for the purpose of taxation, can be avoided by the Act of the Legislature passed Dec. 2, 1873, Chap. CXLI, which reads as follows:

"An Act authorizing Municipal corporations to issue bonds.

"But no city, town or village shall ever impose or enact from the inhabitants thereof, a greater amount than the following rates, to wit:

First. If it be in and for a city containing a population of more than 20,000 inhabitants, the power of taxation shall not exceed two per cent on the assessed value of property for State purposes beyond a tax for railroad purposes which may be exempted for that object, not exceeding three per cent of such value."

The levy for 1873 was 8 mills on the dollar for city purposes, and this amount has paid the current expenses of the city. The law as given above would enable you to levy an additional tax, to the amount of 17 mills on the dollar, which upon the assessed

Value of the real and personal property of the county
$15,000,000
Less estimated amount of property outside the
city
8,000,000
Leaves taxable property
$7,000,000
Upon which levying 2 per cent
would give
$140,000
From which deduct
45,000
Which was the amount levied last
year (8 mills on $5,625,000) would
leave you
$95,000
Applicable for the purpose stated.

The present debt of the city is as follows:
6 per cent Funding Bonds
$147,000
Loan of 1871
161,000
Compromise Bonds, 8 per cent
140,000
5,500
Kentucky & Cincinnati R. R.
10,000
Hempfield Railroad
5,000
Cleveland Pittsburgh
14,000
Gay Loan
60,000
Market House Bonds
50,000
Toll
$531,000
From which deduct amount in hands
of Commissioners applicable to the
reduction of the debt
43,000
Total
$488,000
There is yet uncollected of the water
rent of 1873 and real and personal property of 1873, $46,762; less possible deduction for delinquents, say $6,000, leaving a
balance of $40,000 which might be used
to purchase $66,666 of the 6 per cent
bonds, which would reduce the bonded
debt of the city to $421,334.

A levy of 20 cents on the taxable city
property list of $7,000,000, in addition to the
30 cent levy of 1873 (making total of 50
cents for 1874) would produce $30,000,
which would purchase of 6 per cent
bonds, $50,000, which would reduce the
entire city indebtedness to $371,334.

If this was done, as the constitutional
provision is 5 per cent on the assessed
value of the property in the city made by
the State for taxation is about $7,000,000.
5 per cent of which is $350,000, it would
leave the city the privilege of issuing
$225,000 of bonds.

S. P. HILDRETH, Chm.

Mr. Hildreth stated that the Committee on Finance had not met, and that he had examined the subject and submitted the result as above.

Mr. Hildreth's communication was referred to the Committee on Finance, for report at a special meeting of the Council on next Friday night.

Petition of Samuel Kindelberger was referred to the Committee on Real Estate with power to act.

The following communication from the Wheeling & Belmont Bridge Co. was read:

To His Honor, the Mayor, and Council of the City of Wheeling:

The Wheeling & Belmont Bridge Co. would respectfully represent to your honorable body, that with a view to accommodate the traveling public and especially the citizens of the Seventh Ward, they will place gas pipes and erect a sufficient number of posts and lamps on the suspension bridge.

And would respectfully petition your honorable body to instruct the trustees of the gas works, to enter into a contract with this company by which gas and attendance to these lamps shall be furnished under the same regulation and at the same cost as for the city street lamps, said cost to be paid by this company.

Very respectfully,
R. CRANGLE, Pres.
JOB Lawson, Sec.

Referred to the Committee on Lights.

Thomas Shanley appeared and took the prescribed oath as Deputy Sergeant.

The following was offered and adopted:

Resolved, That the Street Commissioner be instructed to make some provision to take the gravel from the lots now being excavated on 11th street, and put it some place until wanted, the same to be done without other cost to the city than labor and hauling.

Mr. Hobbs offered the following, which was adopted:

Resolved, That the Committee on Ordinances report an ordinance establishing a Board of Public Works, said Board to have control of all improvements in the city. The Street Commissioners, Superintendent of Water Works, and Gas Trustees to be under their control. This Board to receive compensation for actual service rendered, the same to be fixed before the election.

Adjourned to meet on Friday evening next.

First Branch.

At roll call there were present Messrs Blair, Boring, Cowan, Handlan, Kelley, Pannell, Wallace, Wilson, Schambra and Todd.

On motion of Mr. Wilson the reading of minutes of last meeting was dispensed with.

The report of the committee appointed to straighten South Front street (Island) from the Daniel Zinc property to that of E. J. Stone, as adopted by the Second Branch, was concurred in.

An ordinance of fifteen sections, making the Health Officer a regular city officer and providing that he shall be a regular physician, and have a salary of eight hundred dollars, together with rules and regulations providing for the management of contagious diseases, also in relation to interments and the publication of a mortuary report at stated intervals and annual statements of the same was read the first time. The nomination of Thomas Shanley as a Deputy Sergeant for the 8th Ward which was laid over at the last session was taken up and Mr. Cowan having withdrawn his objection the action of the Second Branch in confirming the appointment was concurred in.

The report of the Special Committee on the subject of paving the four great thoroughfares of the city, Zane, Main Chapline and Sixteenth streets, was read. This report elicited a good deal of inquiry and discussion upon the possibility and feasibility of raising the money under the constitutional provisions of this State.

Mr. Wilson felt almost sure that the limit of our borrowing capacity had been reached, or so nearly, that there would be nothing left approaching the amount necessary to do the contemplated work. This difficulty seemed to be the "thorn in the flesh" with all the members. Not one word was said against the improvement, but all expressed their faith in the projected improvement as the best investment the city could make. After a great deal of discussion on the subject the matter was referred to the Committee on Ordinances to examine into the cost of preparing the grade of the streets, and all other matters tending to throw light on the subject.

The action of the Second Branch in providing for the remedy of a nuisance on the city lot was concurred in; also the action in relation to the care of the gravel dug from lots on 11th street.

The Mayor, being desirous of finishing the reading of certain ordinances, said he would excuse gentlemen wishing to retire whereupon all the members but four retired.

Mr. Blair moved a call of the roll, after which, on his motion, the Branch adjourned.