From the Richmond Dispatch, 7/22/1864, p.1, c 6

City Council. – A special meeting of the Council took place at five o’clock yesterday afternoon. In the absence of Mr. Sanders, the President, Gen. George W Randolph was called to the chair.

Mr. Hill, from the Committee on the Police, to whom had been referred the petition from citizens of Richmond asking that Jas. B Pleasants, former Captain of the Night Watch, be reinstated, or else that the matter be referred back to the people, presented a report adverse to the prayer of the petitioners. The committee took the ground that the charter of the city did not provide for filling a vacancy in the Captain of the Night Watch by special election. As to the number who signed the petition, upon a careful examination it had been ascertained that, instead of there being seven hundred signatures to it, as it purported to have there were only 457 names, and of these forty-one are not on the Assessor’s books; two had signed twice, thus leaving only 414 who were voters in the city. The committee also contend that, should there even have been more genuine signatures to the petition than was claimed for it, they would not feel justified in recommending to the Council a change of their action. They therefore recommended the rejection of the petition, and in order that every citizen should be apprised of the result of their deliberations, they suggested that the report should be published in all the city papers.

The report was then adopted by the following vote:

Ayes – Messrs Clopton, Denoon, Stokes, Griffin, Richardson, Scott, Glazebrook, Hill and Randolph – 9

Noes – Messrs Crutchfield, Epps and Walker – 3

Subsequent to the adoption of the report, Mr. Hill asked permission of the Council to reply to certain remarks which had been made by Mr. Walker, at the last regular meeting, in connection with the petition concerning Capt. Pleasants’ removal from the watch. Reference was made in Mr. W’s remarks on that occasion to an honorable member of the Council who partook of refreshments on the Square on the day when Capt. Pleasants was reported for playing cards, and who did not then think the act a grave offence. If allusion was made to him, the gentleman was entirely mistaken, for he did not once go on the Capitol Square that day, nor did he know anything of the card playing till some time afterwards. He was satisfied that Mr. Walker did not design any unkindness towards him but thought it an act of justice to himself that some notice should be taken of the accusation, and he, therefore, hoped that the reporters would set him right before the community. Mr. Hill spoke at some length upon the general features of Mr. Walker’s speech, but our limited space to-day prevents any further report being given of it.

The Committee on Supplies recommended to the Council that parties contracting to furnish the city with beef and other articles or provisions have permission to use two of the stalls in each market free of charge. – The request was complied with unanimously.

An adverse report was submitted by the Committee on Markets, to whom had been referred the application of J. P. Tyler, Clerk of the Second Market, asking for the remission of a fine which had been imposed upon by the Mayor for making purchases in the market.

After the transaction of some other business of minor importance, the Council adjourned.

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