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Circular To the Landlords of the City of Norfolk.
Meeting of Tenants, Friday Evening, June 29th, 1866.- According to announcement a large number of tenants convened in the City Hall, Friday evening, for the purpose of discussing their interests and receiving the report of the Committee on resolutions; appointed at a previous meeting.
The President, J. M. Freeman, Esq., called the convention to order and announced the object.
The proceedings of the last session were read and approved.
The subjoined preamble and resolutions constitute the report:
Whereas, During the last three years of the war this city being in the possession of the Fed-eral forces and made the basis of military operations &c., making it necessary for the General Government to distribute large amounts of money, large portions of which eventually reached the citizens of this place, consequently business of every kind was prosperous up to, and until about the time the war closed, when the Government ceased to distribute the large amounts of money among us; and when the time arrived for the tenants to make contracts for renting, for the present year, everything indicated that business would continue to be prosperous and profitable, and under this belief the tenants or renters agreed to pay the high or exorbitant rents demanded by the owners of the property; but the tenants are charitable enough to believe that the landlords supposed at that time that the business of the city would justify the increased price exacted; but as everyone must be aware that since the close of the war, the distribution on the part of the General Government of the large amounts of money among us, and the ruin brought upon the people generally, and more especially in this country, (the class upon whom we must depend more or less to make business of the city prosperous), by the late war, has left a large majority of the people in an impoverished condition, and has reduced the capital of a large number of businessmen; and
Whereas, there is no immediate prospect of business becoming better, or that money will be more plenty among us, and believing that the landlords, or property owners of this city, can and will appreciate our position, upon the facts being made known to them. Therefore, be it
Resolved, That the landlords, or property owners are hereby most respectfully requested to reduce the rents for the balance of the present year, say from the 1st of July to the 1st of January, 1867, at the rate of at least one third the amount agreed to be paid.
Resolved, That the chairman of this meeting appoint a committee, to consist of no less than five persons, to obtain a list of the names of all the landlords in the city, and ascertain who have, or are willing to reduce the rents,as requested, and to publish a list of the same in the newspapers of the city.
We the undersigned committee appointed under the above resolutions, would most respectfully solicit an answer to the same, to be forwarded to the Chairman of the committee, in writing within ten days.
L.W. Webb, Chairman R.W. Santos, M.W. Cobb, C. Schwarzkopf, J.D. Reid, J.M. Freeman.
