Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-03-25
EVENING STAR.
LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.

Mayor, calling attention to the condition OF
the streets, alleys, and cutters of the city, and
asking for appropriation to have them
cleaned out; referred to finance committee.
The Council amendment to the bill regu-
lating the sale of lottery tickets, and which
amendment req uires the Mayor TO call the at
tention of the Chief of the Police and Captain
of the Auxiliary Guard to the violation of
the law in relation to lotteries, was taken up,
and after some debate, was, on motion of Mr..
Pepper, Indefinitely postponed.
resolution from the bower Board was
adopted, allowing Messrs. Rogers and Spalding
the use OF the southern portion of Centre Mar
ket space for equestrian purposes.
Mr. Pepper presented the petition of b. b.
French, asking for the draining of east Capt.
tsi street; referred to Improvements commit
tee.
The Chairman presented a petition from
John W Stevens; referred to claims commit
tee
Mr.. Pearson introduced a bill for grading
ID street south, between Eighth and Ninth
streets west passed.
Mr.. Smith presented resolution instructing
the committee on claims to examine the con-
dition of the canal bridges, at Virginia ave.
nue. and l. and NJ streets, and ascertain if
they were in dangerous condition passed
On motion of Mr.. Pepper, the bill for dredg-
ing and wal!iDg the canals, was taken up and
passed.
reported bill authorizing the Mayor to an
ticipate the revenue of the Corporation to pay
for the new steam dredging machine; passed
Mr.. Houston, from the same committee, re-
ported bill making an appropriation TO pay
the salary of Commissioner of Health to the
end Of the fiscal year; passed.
Ir. Pepper, from improvements committee
reported back bill making an appropriation
for grading and graveliDg Fourth street east
from Pennsylvania avenue to A street south
Mr.. Busey moved to strike out "a street
south" and insert GO to East Capitol street"
The amendment was adopted, and the bill
passed
Mr. Houston called the attention of the
Board 20 a new pump called Polley's Patent
pump, and which he desired should be exam
med by the Mayor with view to having it
introduced in place Of the pumps now in use
The Patentee offered to place this pump in any
well, however deep, at the rate of fifty cents
Per foot
Mr.. Houston proceeded to draw up a resolu.
ton to effect his object, and meantime Mr.
Magruder presented the petition of John o.
Dryer asking remission of a fine, which was
referred to claims committee
Mr.. Houston introduced a resolution re.
questing the Mayor to have Polley's pump
tested, and making an appropriation of one
hundred dollars for tina; purpose.
Mr.. Busey opposed the resolution. If the
invention was a good one, and the inventor
really desires to introduce it. he will test it
At his own expense. He was surprised that
his colleague, who was generally so anxious
to save the public money, should offer this
resolution.
protracted debate sprang up, participated
in by Messrs. Miller, Pepper, Magruder, Dove,
Smith, and others, in which pretty severe
overhauling of the present pump system OF
Washington was gone into.
Mr. Miller said that in the First Ward the
hydrants were indeed "hydrants," as they
were always running. Pages pump had
worked well on trial, but from that day to
this had never yielded one drop of water.
Mr.. Magrudcr moved that the matter be
referred to a special committee, who shall ex-
anime this and all other pumps offered to
them and report to the Board
Mr.. Smith expressed his opposition to the
whole system Of dragging in patents. If the
improvement was valuable one il youId
make its way in the community. and then it
could be adopted by the city. This practice
was opening door and establishing a prece-
dent that would be vexatious to the Corpora
ton.
The question being taken on Mr. Magruder's
amendment it was rejected.
A substitute for Mr.. Houston's resolution
was proposed by Mr.. Busey authorizing the
Mayor to examine Polley's pump and other
lifting and forcing pumps, and report tho re-
suit 70 the Board with his opinion as to any
pump being superior to those now in use
Mr.. Magruder offered an amendment that a
committee of one from each Board should act
in conjunction with the Mayor.
The amendment and substitute were agreed
to. The chair appointed Mr.. Houston on the
committee on the part Of the Board of Alder
men
And then the Board adjourned
TIE DISTRICT IN COyGREss-The De-
hciency bill being up in the Senate yester-
day, Mr.. Hunter moved the insertion of an
appropriation for the repair of the Long
Bridge. He thought it would be an act Of
great injustice to leave that bridge unre-
paired when roads had been made to connect
with it. He contended that to leave the
bridge there unfit for use would not remedy
the evil complained Of by the people of
Georgetown, while it would of necessity cut
on all the avenues of approach to the city
from the people of Alexandria and the ada
cent country. He denied that the filing up
of the mud fats was occasiOned by the build
Ing Of that bridge, and exhibited a map tn
snow that these fats were causes of complaint
as long ago as 1880; and that so far on any
injury having been inflicted upon the people
OF Georgetown by the building Of the bridge,
1t had really benefited them, by being the
means of deepening the main channel and en-
Iarglng their avenues of trade. If injury has
been done to the navigation, it was by the
cluzens themselves in connecting AnelOstan
island with the main land; and he insisted
that the evil complained of could not be
remedied unless that OBJECTION was entirely
removed He quoted from reports Of dis
tingulshed engineers to show that the bridge
had not caused the evils so much complained
Of, but that if any existed it was owing to
their own act in erecting the causeway
Mr. Brown considered it high time to stop
patching up the old brid &c, and that any ap-
preparation to repair such an old rickety con-
Germ would be worse than useless. 1t would
stand there as disgrace to the nation. bespoke
of the fats occasioned by it, which at the ebb-
ing of every tide were exposed TO the rays of
the sun, causing q sickly malaria to arise
from them. He thought if the commerce of a
large and growing city was INSTRUCTED from
such a structure that it was time to cease
making appropriations for its repair.
Mr.. Rusk avowed his intention to sustain
toe amendment of Mr. Hunter. being satisfied
from the he af hat GO Il 81