Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-07-05
EVENING STAR.
LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.

BOARD OF ALDERNES-SPEoIALM EErINs.
In accordance with the call of the Mayor, the
Board assembled for a special meeting at hge
o'clock on Thursday evening.
A communication was received from the
Mayor, enclosing a veto Of the lately passed
tax-bill, on the ground, as stated In our last
issue, of the insuficiency OF the rate-slxty
cents on the hundred dollars
Mr. Moore said that it was the general opin-
ion that the tax.bill recently passed hxes the
rate too low, and he quoted from the messages
of Mayor Towers to show that the assessment
at sixty cents would be inadequate for the
needs of the corporation. He hoped such
bill would be passed as would do credit to the
Councils and the corporation.
IInon the question now taken, whether the
bill should pass over the Mayors veto, the
vote stood-ayes Z, noes 4, and the bill fail
ing to receive the requisite tuo-thirds vote
was accordingly lost
MI Bsyly expressed the hope that the
chairman Of the finance committee would give
his reasons for insisting on sixty cents.
Mr.. Houston commended that high taxes
were ruinous, and alluded to the city of Phil
adelphia, where the American party, coming
into power with a ma jority of ten thousand
votes, were now in a minority through their
municipal extravaganza while in power. He
would 60 as far as any one to sustain the credit
OF the city, but the true way to do that was to
restrain extravaganza.
Mr. Emery now coming in, Mr. Busey moved
reconsideration of the vote by which the
bill as vetoed failed to pass
A warm debate sprang up, Messrs. Moore,
Riggs, Bsyly and Dove contending that as
Mr.. Busey in his vote on the bill had been on
the minority, or side that failed to carry its
point, he had no right to move reconsidera-
ton.
The Chair sustained Mr.. Busey, whereupon
Mr.. Moore appealed from the decision of the
Chair
AcOpy Of jefferson Manual was hunted up,
and Mr.. Riggs read from it rule sustaining
the appeal Of Mr.. Moore, to the effect that a
motion to reconsider must come from the side
which prevailed on question. Mr.. Busey
then withdrew his motion for q reconsidera-
ton.
Mr. Moore in reply to Mr.. Houston, urged
that true economy suggested We should not
pay interest on large amount of borrowed
money.
Mr. Riggs offered bill fixing the rate of
taxation At seventy cents on the hundred dol
lars, with proviso that one-seventh part of
the amount raised should be appropriated to
pay the floating debt Of the Corporation re-
terred to finance committee
Mr.. Houston, from finance committee, re-
ported back the bill, with an amendment,
inserting sixty-fve cents instead Of seventy
This was the largest amount no would vote
lance.
Mr.. Busey offered as an amendment an ad-
diuonal section reducing the salaries of the
various municipal officers, in the appointment
Of the Mayor, fifteen per cent.-the amount so
saved to go to pay the debt Of the Corpora
ton.
Mr. Moore moved as an amendment to the
amendment that on and after June l, 1856, no
compensation be paid members of the City
COUNCILS. This amendment was lost.
Mr. Busey said that his design in afixing
his amendment to the bill was to compel the
Mayor to sign it or lose the whole bill. If the
amendment passed as separate bill it would
be vetoed
Mr.. Evans said that the revenue could be
increased by raising tho amount of licenses
He was in favor of raising the annual license
on our large hotels from one hundred to one
thousand dollars
The amendment of Mr.. Busey vas carried
AAyes-Messrs Emery, Houston, Busey, Ruff,
Evans, Pearson, and Clark.
and Riggs.
Mr. Riggs moved to strike o6t s. and insert
70-lOst
The question being taken on the bill as
amended, 1t was lost-ayes 3, noes 9.
on motion of Mr.. Busey, the vote was recon-
sidered
Mr. Busey moved to strike out IS cents and
side was willing to do.
MI Miller expressed determination not to
vote Tor the bill with any amount what
ever, while II retained the obnoxious feature
taxing the pay of the corporation officers
Mr. Houston moved to lay the bill on the
table, IN order to take up the Council bill to
anticipate the revenue of the corporation to
the amount Of $50 900, at an interest not ex.
ceeding per cont carried-and the Council
bill was passed.
On motion of Mr.. Riggs, the tax bill was re-
Tered BACK 10 the committee of finance and
then the Board adjourned.
ANOTHER HOMICIDE Yesterday a number
OF HERMAN citizens went to Beckert's, at the
Park, to spend the day quietly. About seven
CLOCK In the evening disturbance was
created oy some persons not connected with
the party During this riot Capt c. W. Bell
"a sea captain,) quiet, inoffensiye man, was
stabbed in the back, and another, whose
name We did not learn, was severely beaten
captain Bell died in about Eve minutes from
the time the wound was inflicted. Officer
heese, who knew the parties charged with
the attack, went Immediately to the guard.
house and obtained the assistance of Captain
Baggott, Chief Of Police, and c. Dom,
Esq, and on the way to arrest the parties
were joined by several of the auxiliary
guards and officers. They succeeded in ar
resting Daniel Stewart and Isaiah Stewart, as
parties concerned, and confined them in the
guard house Capt. Mills stationed his men
10 prevent the escape of others from the city.
and otlceIs were sent in search but up to
eleven O'Clock, John Eggleston, whose arrest
Is important, had not been taken
=, This morning, Justice Morsell committed
ihe Stewards to Jail for a further hearing A
large number OF witnesses were summoned be-
fore the jury Of inquest this morning.
IHE GLORIOUS FOURTH In town yester
day, the day passed very quietly with the
exception of the remarkably we'll sustained
hzz OF fire crackers. The city indeed was
nearly empty. All the avenues of communi
cauon with the country were crowded from
morning till night with parties going and "a
turning from different out of town points of
interest. The long bridge presented an ami
mated appearance through the day of pleasure
seekers, equestrian, pedestrian, and other |