Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1856-10-11
BOARD OF ALDERMEN.
WrDNEsDAY. October 8 l86s

Il
The Board met pursuant to adjournment
i Present Messrs. Dove, Miller, Bayly, Tretler, En-
cry, Moore, Busey Houston, Clarke, Ruff, Smith, and
Pearson.
The Board resumed the consideration Of the bill
entitled An act prescribing the duties and salaries
of the Surveyor and Assistant Surveyor.
Mr.. Busey then withdrew the amendment propos
ed by him yesterday, and moved TO strike out the
whole OF the sixth section and insert the following in
4 lieu of it, viz:
"And be 1t enacted That il shall be the duty of tn,
Surveyor within forty-eght hours after being mott
fled to do so, to examine the foundations or walls
all houses to be erected when the shall be leve
with the street surface of the ground for the pur
pose of adjusting the line of the front of such buildna
to the line of the street. and correctly placing the par
ty wall on the line of division between that and the
adjoining lot LOTS and shall gvea certificate there
of and record the same with the names of the
owner and builder in the Office of the Surveyor and
it shall not be lawful for any person persons to
build or erect or cause to be erected any house OF
tenement above the level of the street or surface
| the ground without having procured from the Sur
yeyor certificate TO the effect that the party wall ia
correct and said house is not outside the building line
of the street on which said house may be erected and
for every violation of this provision the person or per
offending shall be subjected to the penalties
prescribed by the building regulations"
Mr.. Clarke moved to amend the said amendment
by striking out the latter clause commencing with
the words and it shall not be lawful &c and the
question was determined in the negative as follows
| viz:
| Yeas-Messrs Emery, Moore, and Clarke-s.
| Nays-Messrs. Bayly, Busey, Dove, Houston Mil
| Ter, Pearson, Ruff, Smith, and Tretler-s
Mr.. Ruff then moved to amend the said amendment
so that its provisions should not apply to frame
houses of less value than thousand dollars; which
| motion was negatiVed as follows viz:
IS. - .'''' ''-''N' 0'Ai -
Eays-Messrs Bayly, Busey, Dove, Houston, Mil
| Ter, Pearson, and Tretler-7.
Mr.. Smith then moved to amend the said amend
ment so that the Surveyor might be called to ex-
anime the foundation after the first course Of bricks
was laid which motion did not prevail.
The question was then agreeing to the amend
ment offered by Mr.. Busey, and it determined in
| the affirmative.
And, after some verbal amendments, the bill. as
amended, was read the third time and passed
Mr.. Busey was at his request excused from voting
on the passage OF the BILL on the ground of an ind
| rect interest in il.
On molten of Mr.. Busey, it was ordered that the
bill be published with the proceedings of the Board
| 1t is as follows:
AN ACT prescribing the duties and salaries Of the
Surveyor and Assistant Surveyor, and for other
| purposes.
BE it enacted &C., That the present Surveyor of
the City of Washington and his successor shall be-
fore entering the duties required by this act or
any other act amendatory thereto give bond to the
Mayor, Board of Aldermen, and Board of Common
Council of the City of Washington with two sureties
to be approved by the Mayor in the penal of FIVE
| thousand dollars conditioned for the faithful per-
Torrance of the duties ofhis office as Surveyor which
have been or may be imposed on him by law, and
also take oath affirmation before the MAYOR that
he will faithfully and impartially perform such du-
ues which bond and oath affirmation shall be de-
posted with the Register of this cty and that the
Surveyor be and he is hereby authorized and requir-
ed to appoint suitable person as his assistant for
all OF whose acts the Surveyor shall be held respon
slple to this Corporation; and the Surveyor shall
have full power to dismiss any assistant and to ap
point another ct any time and the salary of the as
sstant surveyor shall be at the rate Of nine hundred
dollars per annum, payable out of the general fund
Sec. q. Ind be Renacted, That whenever the pro
pretor OF any square or lot in the city of Washing
ton shall deem it necessary to subdyide such square
or lot into convenient building lots pieces or por
tons Tor sale and occupancy and alleys for their ac
commodation, he may cause plat of the same To be
made, on which shall be expressed the dimensions
and length of all the lines of such portions "a are ne
cessaFy for defining and laying off the on the
ground, and may certify such subdivision under his
hand and SEAL in the presence Of tyo or more credi-
BILE witnesses, upon the same plat or on q paper or
| parchment attached thereto. -
Sec. 3. AHd be al enacted That at the request of
the said proprietor the Surveyor of the city shall ex
anime whether the lots pieces parcels into which
any square or lot may be subdipided as aforesaid
agree in dimensions with the whole Of the squaFe OF
lot 80 intended TO be subdiyided and whether the
dimensions expressed on the plat Of subdivision Be
the true dimensions of the parts so expressed and IT.
upon such examination he shall find the plat correct
he shall certify the same under his hand and seal
with such remarks appear to him necessary for the
further illustration thereof and record the said plat
as examined IN book books to be kept by him for
that purpose
Sec. A. Ind Be 1t enacted, That when any such CUB
DIVISION Of any square or lot shall be so certified
examined, and recorded the purchaser of any part
thereof or any person Interested therein may refer
10 The said plat and record for description In the
same manner as to squares or lots divided between
the commissioners and original propretors: and the
ways, alleys, OF passages laid out or expressed on
such plat of subdivision shall be and remain To the
public or subject to the uses declared BY the person
making such subdivision, at all times under the same
police regulations as the alleys laid off by the com
| missiopers on division with the proprietors
i Sec. 5. IND ~ u enacted That whenever the Sur
yeyor Of said city shall lay off any lot therein for
any OF The parts into which square or lot may be
subdividsd as aforesaid be shalt measure the whole
OF that front OF the square which such lot OF part
hes and NJ on such admeasurement the whole front
Of the square exceeds falls short of the aggregate
OF e fronts Of the lots that side Of the square as
cess of deficiency AMONG the lots or pieces on that
front agreeably 10 their respective Dimensions
SEc. 8. Ind belt enacted That 1t shall be Che duty
OF The Surveyor within fortyeight hours after beink
| nouhed TO do so, to examine the foundation or walls
Of all houses TO be erected when he same ahal be
leYs with the street or surface Of the ground for tie
purpose Of adjusting The line OF the front Of such
building 10 the line Of the street and correctly placing
the party wall on the line Of division between chat and
the adjoining lot or lots and shall give certificate
thereof and record the same, with the names OF the
owner and builder, in the Office Of the Surveyor; and
u shall not be lawful for any person or persona to
build or erect or cause to be erected any house or
tenement above the level Of the street or surface of
the ground without having procured from the Sur
veyor certificate 70 the effect that the party wall IL
correct and said house IL not outside the building line