Daily American organ., 1856-03-11
CITY AFFAIR
CORPORATION OF WASHINGTON
BOARD OF ALDERMEN.
MONDAY, March 10, 1855.

MONDAY, March 10, 1856.
| Mr.. Pearson in the chair.
The report Of the Intendant of the Asylum for
| February, 1865, was received.
A bill was reported from the Council increasing
! the salary Of the Mayor to $2,400. Madethe spe-
cial order for Monday next.
bill was introduced to prevent fast driving
over the bridges. A
| Mr.. Smith remarked that the omnibus drivers
on the Alexandria route were in the habit of Civ
ing the reins to a passenger when crossing the
Long Bridge, to prevent the responsibility resting
upon them. 1t was trick, and in this way the
bridge had been seriously damaged, as he had been
informed. The object of the bill was to make the
owner Of the vehicle responsible.
| Mr.. Busey argued, that il the owner Of the vehi-
Gle was not present, bis vehicle might be detained
through the recklcssness Of his servant, and thus
the business of the city would suffer. fs F
/ The bill was imperfect and ought to be referred
| Mr.. Dove thought that 1t was illegal to make
the owner of q vehicle responsible for injury in
! ficted by any one who happened to be driving it.
| The bill being moved to third reading, the
vote was as follows,
! Ayes--Messrs Bayly, Tretler, Busey, Evans,
Pepper, Emery, Pearson, and Smth-8.
! Noes-Messrs. Dove, Houston, and Marks.
| Mr.. Busey moved reconsideration for the pur-
pose of perfecting the bill
Mr. Evans stated that the bill was reported at
the request of the Commissioner of Public Build
ngs, who wished to have it passed Immediately,
| to prevent further injury to the Long Bridge.
Mr.. Pepper inquired if the bill repealed the old
| laws. s
Chairman. 1t does not. stg
Mr.. Pepper. Then why not pass the bill with
| out delay2 He was in favor of making the owner
responsible for all damage done by his vehicle. He
did not believe that anything but rufleshirt infu
| ence defeated laws. The poor man was trampled
under foot, but the rich man escaped.
| Mr.. Busey read from the law, to showthat there
was no such act as that which this bill proposed to
add. 1t was proposed to add certain words to
| the law, but whore we're they to be added? No
particular section was mentioned, to which these
words were to be added. The general law con-
tanned seven sections. To which section was this
amendment to be addedf
Mr.. Pepper remarked that this bill came from
the Lower Board, and had been concocted by the
Judiciary Committee, composed Of several attor-
neys.
Mr.. Smith admitted that the old law was detect
i've, and the object of the present bill was tc amend
these defects.
Mr.. Busey then read from the rules, to show
that all laws altering any other law shall contain all
the provisions of said law, and shall repeal said
law.
consideration 1t was reconsidered, and the bill
was referred to the Committee on Police. sses
joint resolution in relation to limit partner
ships was passed
Mr.. Pepper offered resolution that the com
mittee having charge of the affairs of the city be-
fore Congress be instructed to request an appro-
pration for the erection of new county prison
| Mr.. Busey wished this proviso inserted-that
| the new prison be erected without the limits Of
| the city.
Mr.. Pepper thought that this question of locality
| should be left to future day.
Mr.. Busey wished to be sure that the all would
| be removed outside the limits Of the city before
he voted for the bill.
Mr.. Pepper took broad view of this matter.
He had no interest in the locality of the present
| jail He wished he had He advocated the in
| the jail which were highly indecorous, as he was
informed this evening. Still, hethought the main
object was to remove the building first and settle
| the Question Of locality afterwards. S'ot
| MIR. Dove opposed the resolution, as he did not
wish to infict the same nuisance on any of his
neighbors. M es. #ss3
Mr.. Pepper was himself in favor of locating it
beyond the limits of the city. But he was no sec
tional man he for the interests of the whole
| city. e
| Mr.. Busey's amendment was then voted on, as
| follows: ayes, n; noes A. @SH1
So the amendment was adopted.
| The resolution as amended was then adopted
Mr.. Smith offered joint resolution that the
committee having charge of the affairs Of the city
before Congress be instructed to request appro-
priation to erect House of Refuge for juvenile
| offenders. r 4@
Mr.. Busey opposed the resolution. We might
ask Congress for the power 10 establish such an
institution, but for nothing more. He was in IA
vor Of the establishment Of such an institution,
but he thought the city ought to control and man
| age it. A bill to effect this had been passed by
the Senate, but failed in the House by the adop-
| ton Of amendment.
Mr.. Smith thought this would be the case again
He believed that our Juvenile offenders ought to
be provided with place of confinement where
they could be separated from older Offenders
We had vary large number of juvenile offend
ers in our city. And IL was important that some
means should be. adopted for their reform 1t
was matter of Surprise to strangers, particularly
from the North, why VIC had not House OF Re
fuge here. He regarded it a. a matter OF vital
Importance, and II he were a member of the CON-
mittee, he would devote his whole energies TO effect
this object. -..ss
Mr.. Busey offered substitute for Mr.. Smith g
resolution, TO the effect that the committee should
be instructed TO ask the passage Of law author
izng the city TO erect House of Refuge, and to
pass laws for the government Of the same
Mr.. Houston said that there we're multitude of
applications to Congress- from the city already, and
there was danger that we should sverdo the mat
ter. With regard to House of Refuge, he would
IL AZ a AN.r n .