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December 3rd~ 1959.
<br />
<br />At a called meeting of the City'Council, held on December 3rd, 1959, there were
<br />
<br />B.W.-Baker, A.C. Bartlett, W~R. Breedlove, R.B. Seward, R. Irvine Smith,
<br />George R. Walker, H. E. Weis~eman% A.P, Johnson,Jr., City Manager, and
<br />J.S. Livesay, Jr., City Attorney.
<br />
<br /> The Clerk read the following cai1 for the meeting:
<br />
<br /> P~ease attend a called meeting of the City Council, on Thursday, December 3rd,
<br />1959, at 7:30 P.M., in the Council Chamber, to consider the following:
<br />
<br />1. The following ordinance, placed on first reading on November 24th:
<br />
<br /> 'AN ORDINANCE APPROVING~TH~ REDEVELOPMENT PLAN AND THE FEASIBILITY OF
<br /> RELOCATION FOR PROJECT VA g-6, LINCOLNSVILLE PROJECT, DETERMINING THAT SAID
<br /> PROJECT AREA IS BLIGHTED ANDDETEHIORATED WITHIN THE I~dHVI~ OF SECTIOF
<br /> 36-49, CODE OF VIRGINIA, AUTHORIZING'THE EXECUTIOS' OF A CO-OPERATION AGREE-
<br /> MENT WITH THE pORTSMOUTH REDEV~LOP~IENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY AND ~AKING SUCH
<br /> OTHER DETERMINATIONS AND PROVISIONS AS ARE REQUIRED IN CONNECTION WITH SAID
<br />..PROJECT bY T~HE LAWS. OF THE CONNONWEA~._TH OF VIRGINIA AND THE UNITED STATES OF
<br /> AMERICA'
<br />
<br /> 2. The :following ordinance, on first reading{
<br />
<br /> '~N ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING TBL~ I~CING OF a DE~ND NOTE ON DECEMBER
<br /> 31st, 1959, WITH THE C~SE MANPItTTAN BANK IN ANTICIPATION OF ~HE PROCEEDS
<br /> FROM THE ISSUE OF $6,800,000. GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS WHICH WERE AUTHORIZED
<br /> BY AN ORDINANCE ADOPTED ON OCTOBER 13th, 1959, SUCH NOTE NOT TO EXCEED
<br /> ~5,000,000. AT AN INTEREST i~TE NOT TO EXCEED 3.74 PER CEN~dM PER ANNUM,
<br />~.AND.~A~SIGNING THE PROCEEDS OF SAID BOND ISSUE AS COLLATEt~L'
<br />
<br />By Order of the President."
<br />
<br />lng:
<br />
<br /> 59-306 - Motion of Mr. Weisemsn to approve the following ordinance on second read
<br />
<br />~.~'AN ORDIN~nNCE. ~PP~0V~G ~-~E~5~VELOP~ENT PLAN AND THE PEASIBILITY OF
<br /> RELOCATION FOR PROJECT VA R-6, LI~COLNSVILLE PROJECT, DETERMIN~N~ ~HAT ....
<br /> _SA~D PROJECT ARK& IS BLIGHTED AND DETERIORATED WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF
<br /> SECTION ~6-49~ CQDE~OF VIRGiNiA, AUTHQRIZ!~ THE EXECUTION OF A CO~~
<br /> OPERATION AGREEMENT WITH THE PORTSMOUTH REDEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING AUtHO-
<br /> riTY AND M~.KI~G..~U~H OTHER. DETERM~NA~IO~ A.ND, PROVISIONS AS ARE REQUIRED
<br /> IN CONNECTION WITH SAID PROJECT BY THE MeWS OF THE COMMONWHALTR OF VIR -
<br /> GINIA AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA"
<br />
<br /> Mr. Walker read the following statement:
<br />
<br /> "Tonight we have forged another link in a chain of slavery which has grown heavier
<br />each year for a decade. This chain is not forged by others wishing to bend us ~o their wills as is done to men
<br />of crime or was done ~o slaves of old. This chain is the property of the god of Mammon and few chains are of
<br />gremter strength. This chain is self-inflicted.
<br /> Men can chain themselves with ~aterial things and ~esires and as the chain grows
<br />heavier their freedom of action is restricted and the voice of conscience grows weaker until the soul is dead.
<br />Nations, and states, and cities sre just organizations of men and expression~ of their people. Sodom and Gomor-
<br />Tab-.were not-'.the, only lessons of history. For those who have a free soul and eyes to see, all recorded'history
<br />is..tike a mirror.
<br /> F~r many months w~ ~ave been carried ~p on the mount. We have been tempted with
<br />p~er, and goid, end earthly things. All these could be ours in exchange for something very easy ~o give - our
<br />soul, our faith. Very easy ~o give because all around us others are yielding. Easy to say our crime is lesser
<br />because so many others are co~uitting, ~ . it. We have~succombed~~ .
<br /> We have added to the weight of the mill stone aroun8 our grandchildren's necks in
<br />full knowledge that the millions can be spent only by increasing the already staggering national debt. We can
<br />salve mur conscience by insisting that wa mus~ get our share of the loot or others will ge~ it.
<br /> We have ~emmitted an offenseI against moral law. We have coveted our neighbor's
<br />lands and salved our conscience as did Pilate by yielding to the clamor, washing our hands, and pretending we
<br />are not responsible.
<br /> We have committed an offense against our own law and broken its covenant with the
<br />governed. We have done this with full kn~vledge that its guarantee of the right re hold private proper~y safe
<br />from seizure is void of meaning if the material value ~o the State be the only criteria, i~ full knowledge thai
<br />such guarantee is the foundation on which this nation has prospered. We can salve our conscience by claiming
<br />that the Great Sanhedrin. has so decreed, bu~ we muss ignore OUr kngw~edge of its deterioration in order to do
<br />
<br /> A virile na~on of free people such as ours can only fall from within~
<br /> The action of this bo~ tonight.~ould ~e unbearable but for my faith in the power
<br />of whst lies deep in the bosom of all free Americans, and my belief, if Truth is not shackled, that our Erans-
<br />gressions will cease and~r~ght wil~: preyai!{ { .... '.. ,
<br /> God bless you gentle~en~.~ (Signed) George R. Walker."
<br />
<br /> ~he following aeked '~at
<br /> it 'be recorded that they objected ~o Mr. Walker's state-
<br />ment:
<br /> Messrs. Weiseman, Smith, Bartlett and Seward..
<br />
<br /> Mr. Breedlove stated that he ~id not think the statement was germane, but he
<br />thought Mr. Walker should be accorded the privilege of having it recorded, if he so desired.
<br />
<br />
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