Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-11-18
LOCAL INTELLIGENCE<

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BOARD OF ALDEsNES.-The Board met at
the usual hour last hight; the President in the
chair. ..r - =
A communication was received from the
Mayor in answer to the resolutions of iuouirv
in relation to tax sales, passed at the last
meeting Of the Board, and published in the
Star. The communication is as follows
" Gehte-sen: There is no data in this Office
which Will enable me TO answer your resolu-
tion of the 10th inst in which Won ask
whether the last and any previous adver-
tsement for sale of lots for taxes due and I'm
paid thereon lots were advertised on which
she taxes had been paid previous to said ad-
Tertisement, and if any were 80 advertised.
the number Of lines used therefor and the cost
of advertising the same I-haye therefore
sought the information desired from such
sources as thought were reliable; and en-
closed your resolution in letter to the present
tax collector, asking him to answer the uues-
tions 1t contained. A copy Of his answer I
herewith transmit you, by which you will per-
'ceWe tast lots were advertised for sale on
Enien the taxes had been paid, but as no
record OF them was kept, he is unable to fur
nish you with the information you seek. also
addressed letter to Messrs. Andrew Roth
well and X. j. Roche, formerly Tax Collec-
tors, enclosing to each a copy of your resolu-
tiOns, and asking from them the information
you desired as TO the previous tax sales, and
also as to the person who had always paid the
expense Of such erroneous advertisement, and
enclose you copy Of their answers, from
which You will learn that the cases upon
which property was advertised after tho taxes
had been paid were very rare, and scouId
only occur IN consequence of errors in the Of
fee Of the Collector, and that whenever thew
did occur no claim for payment for such ad-
Vertislng was at any time made either upon
the owner of the property or upon the Corpo.
ration, the cost being paid by the Collector
: The Information requested in your resolu-
ton Of the same date, on the subject of taxes
will be furnished you with great pleasure az
soon as il can be collected but as it will in.
volTe considerable labor it will be some time
before IL can be transmitted to you'
On motion of Mr.. Miller, the communica
ton and accompanying papers were referred
TO the finance committee, and ordered to DO
printed.
Bill providing for conveying gas to the
Northern Liberties market was passed. Also,
bills for the relief Of b l. and W. u. Jack
son; of George Miller; of John W. Pitshuzh :;
bill for taking up and relsying gutter on
Eleventh street, from the corner Of D to tie
corner Of streets, in the Second Ward and
bill for the relief Of Martin Bose.
Resolutions in reply TO the address Of the
people Of Wakefield, England, were adopted
and ordered to DO transmitted to the autaori-
ties Of W akefeld.
Bill to grade First street east, from to D
streets south, was passed.
An invitation rendered to the Board To At
tend the funeral Of the late General John Fl
EatOn was accepted, on motion Of Mr.. Miller
MI Smith called up the special order, the
bill regulating the inspection Of lumber, bu.
withdrew the call temporarily, when
Mr.. Mile. offered a resolution appointing q
special committee, consisting Of one member
from each ward, to enquire into the expsdi-
ency of remOdsling the Fire Department
The resolution was adopted, and the Chair
appointed Messrs. Miller, Riggs, Tretler,
Moore, Busey, Ruff and Smith on this COM
mittee.
Mr.. Smith, addressing the Board upon the
special order, said the present Law regulating
the inspection Of lumber was imperative and
detective, and the sooner it vas got rid Of the
better. Lumber brought to this market almost
invariably fell short Of the measurement for
which IL was sold. Vessels bringing lumber
from Port Deposit anchor in the channel, and
the lumber is landed in lighters at the yards
frequently without any ins pecriOn at all.
hr. Smith explained the material aItera-
tons proposed by tie new bill. IT was made
imperative that lumber should be inspected
Immediately upon its arrival in the city. The
defect in the old law by which the penalties
for violation Of the law were divided between
buyer and seller and thus rendered inopera-
tive, was proposed TO be remedied by fsstsn-
ing the penalty upon either buyer or seller.
In the course Of the debate which followed,
and which was p anticipated in by nearly every
member Of the Board, il was stated that bun
dies Of laths ostensibly sold az containing one
hundred each, average only so to the bundle;
also, that sellers OF lumber were IN the prac-
tiec Of re sorting lumber brought TO this city
Ill 81
grade than it was purchased by them.
The new bill requires that all laths shall be
put up in bundles Of one hundred each ; and
that all lumber shall be marked agrseably to
the quality.
While the lumber bill was under considera.
ton, the committee Of conference with the
lower Board upon the appropriation bill, re-
turned vita recommendation that the Board
Of Aldermen recede from its amendments,
viz: those striking out the appropriations for
payment Of the salaries Of the Commissioner
Of the Third, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Wards,
and the Intendant and Physician Of the Asy-
lum. A prOtracted debate ensued upon the
amendments and various points OK order, after
which the Board refused to reeede, ami on q
motion 10 reconsider, re-afhrned that deci-
sion.
The lumber bill was then laid upon the
table and made the special order for Monday
next.
Bill making an appropriation of S504 o. fol
completing the Northern Liberties Market
was passed.
On motion of Mr.. Busey, the nomination,
were taken up.
Hugh DOugherty and Joseph Mitchell wer.
rejected as police officers in the Fifth Ward; dc
Joseph Ii. Gill in the Seventh Ward
Joseph u. Gill was rejected as wood, coal
and bran measurer.
Bill authorizing curb-stone to be set and
foot-uay paved il front Of market square on
Is street north, between Seventh and Ninth,
was passed; also, bill for gravelling north
Capitol street from Ne. Jersey ayenus to O
street north.
Bill extending First street east to C street
north, and grading the same from the north
side of B street to north side Of A street, wal
passed.
And then the Board adjourned.
UNEXPECTED VIsIT Yesterday, two Of
fcers Of the fourth district police called at an
oyster house TO direct the proprietor to remove
heap Of shells from bis door. They walked
10 without rapping, and there was a congre-
CATION Of colored people seated at table. The