Selma Council Authorized Street Rail Roads
From "Selma; Her Institutions, and Her Men" by John Hardy, pub. 1879:
R. D. Barry made application for permission to construct a street railroad through the streets of the city. Part of a street was sold to Dr. Kent, and a part of another to Sam. Steele. Councilmen Gatchell and Krout were appointed a committee to close a contract with Shelley & Wright to build a new market house, &c. Thos. J. Goldsby resigned his seat in the Council, and Wm. M. Byrd, jr., was elected to fill his place. The city paid Jere Johnson $210 on account of crossing cotton wagons over the ferry. A black uniform was adopted for the Marshal and police. The Mayor was complimented by the Council for the able and satisfactory manner in which he had prepared the new charter, and he was voted thirty dollars for expenses in going to Montgomery to have the Legislature pass it into a law. Fees in arrest cases were abolished. A contract was made with A. Barry to extend gas to all parts of the city. A special tax was imposed upon foreign insurance companies for the benefit of the fire department. The Clerk reported the floating debt of the city $39,677,93. The Mayor was authorized to borrow $7,000. Mr. Vaughn proposed to loan the city $15,000 at twenty-five per cent. A tax of twenty-five dollars was put on cock pits. Each Councilman was to be fined five dollars for every meeting he failed to attend. A proposition was made to keep up the streets by contract. Hooks and ladders were reported as needed. A proposition was made to issue $5,000 of city change bills, and the Mayor was authorized to have that amount prepared. R. A. Ferguson petitioned to allow him the privilege of constructing a street railroad, which was granted. The Mayor was authorized to borrow ten thousand dollars at twenty per cent. For twelve months. The salary of the Mayor was made $3,000 per year, that of the Marshal $3,000, Clerk $1,200, and police seventy-five dollars per month. Two thousand five hundred dollars were paid for printing shinplasters and bonds of the city. The police were directed to be uniformed. The act of the Legislature authorized Randall D. Berry, his hairs to construct a street railroad on water and Broad streets, dated December, 3, 1866, was spread upon the minutes of the Council The limits of the city were extended very much in the new charter sent up to the Legislature to be passed into a law. The new market house having been pretty well completed by Messrs. Shelley & Wright, the contractors, the old market house was rented out for twelve months. An ordinance was passed making it finable to smoke inside the new market house. Watson & Becker were paid $410 for the police uniforms. Gen Joseph E. Johnson, Gen John T. Morgan, Gen W. J. Hardee and Maj. R. M. Robertson, were appointed delegates to represent Selma in a railroad convention in New Orleans. The Mayor was authorized to borrow $10,000 on the best terms the could. The Mayor had 3,000 copies of the new charter printed in pamphlet for to distribute among the voters, to induce its adoption by them. This charter was never voted upon, however. F. A. Woodson leased the wharf for ten years at $2,000 per year, and kept it for about one year and returned it to the city. The Mayor was authorized to borrow $6,000 in gold for one hundred and twenty days at twenty five per cent. The tax collector was authorized to take city change bills for all city dues. Dr. Isaiah Morgan died in May 1867, and the Council passed a series of resolutions in respect to his memory. Dr Edward Gantt denoted, in his will, two lots to the city, on Franklin street, to be devoted to the erection of a lyceum building. The offices of Clerk and Tax collector were united.
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