Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1856-01-30
BOARD OF COMMON COUNCIL.
MONDAY, Jan. Is, Is.

All the members present. -vH.
On motion, the reading of the journal was dis
pensed with
Mr.. Walker presented the petition of Charles
Lyons and others, praying that footway and curb
stone may be placed in front of squares 534, 535,
and $50 which was referred to the Committee on
improvements. Aed $3.50 Nf3J
The President laid before the Board the report
of the lntendant of the Washington Asylum for
the month of December which was referred to
the Committee on the Washington Asylum.
Also, communication from the Mayor, giving
his reasons for withholding his assent to the bill
for the relief of VIM. Macaboy, Joseph B. Stanley,
and Edward A. Thomas which having been read,
The question was put " Shall the bill pass not
withstanding the objection Of the Mayor ?" and the
yeas and nays being demanded thereon, it was de-
cided as follows:
Yeas-Messrs. AtLee, Baldwin, Bayne, Bohlar-
er, Fuller, Jefferson Peters, Humphrey, Ruff,
Towles, Turton, Venable, and Walker-l3.
Nays--Messrs. Albert, Bal, Fisher, Lloyd, Nc
Cutchen, Orme, and Clements, (President)--7.
So the bill was rejected, two-thirds not having
On motion of Mr.. Albert, the communication Of
the Mayor was ordered to be printed with the pro-
ceedings Of the Board, and is as follows:
4 MAYORS OrricE, Jan. %, 1856.
| To the Board Of Common Council:
GENTLEMEN herewith return the act entitled
! San act for the relief of VIM. Macaboy, Joseph B.
Stanley, and Edward A. Thomas" without my APP
proyal, believing that all the facts in the premises
were not before the two Boards when the bill was
| under consideration. s @
The facts in the case, as they have come to my
| knowledge, are as followsi
The parties above named are members of the
Auxiliary Guard, and on the night the arrest was
| made they left the guard-house to perform their
usual duty, without any special directions what
ever; and, having proceeded on their beat as far
| as square 449, lying between Sixth and Seventh
streets west and L and N streets north; and, as
the general directions to the guard prescribed that
they should pass through all the alleys in their
spectve beats, they entered the alley in said square,
After proceeding short distance, they noticed
some one in the alley and hesitated to watch his
movements. They Immediately after saw match
lit and applied to some combustibles. The officers
started in pursuit. and after short chase arrest
| ed the party, and took him to the watch house !;
and he was finally convicted and sent to the peni-
Tertiary. There had been no previous suspicion
to call attention to these premises and consequent
ly no previous watching, involving discretion iudg-
ment, or labor, or any extra duty whatever; but
the discovery was entirely accidental and in the
| usual discharge of the duties Of their Office. To
correct an erroneous impression, it may be proper
to state that have deemed it necessary to issue
but one advertisement offering reward for ncen-
diaries, and that one is dated August O. 1854, and
which applied to previous acts of incendiarism
which took place in the eastern section of the city
| deem it but an act of justice to say that the
parties named in the bill are considered as faith
full efficient, and vigsnt officers and, in with
holding my assent to the bill for their relief de-
sire to cast no censure upon them, or to withhold
proper expression of the regard in which their
services are held; but for simple, plain per.
Torrance of duty specifically required of Off
Ger by the law creating that officer, cannot assist
in establishing precedent, which will very soon
grow into practice, by granting extra compensa-
ton therefor. The act of Congress establishing
the Auxiliary Guard states that it was established
for the protection Of public and private property
against incendiaries, &c, and they have but per-
formed an act of duty which they could not have
overlooked. Respectfully,
JOHN T. Towers, Mayor
The bill from the Board of Aldermen entitled
An act providing for the removal of offal, sops
&c, was taken up for consideration.
Mr.. Jefferson moved to amend the bill by stri-
king out the words g TO deposite the same in such
place as may be designated for that purpose, in
the second section, and inserting the words t" to
carry the same beyond the limits Of the city,
On this motion the yeas and nays we're demand
ed, and, being taken, it was decided in the mega
tive, az follows:
Yeas-Messrs. Alice, Baldwin, Bohayer, Fish
or, jefferson, and Towles-6.
Nays--Messrs. Albert, Ball, Bayne, Fuller, Lloyd,
McCutchen, 0rme, Peters, Humphrey, Turton,
yenable, Walker, and the President--lS.
The bin then being on it's third reading the
yeas and nays were ordered, and, being taken, il
was decided in the affirmative, as follows:
Yeas-Messrs Albert, Alice, Ball, Bayne, Fish
er, Fuller, Jefferson, 0rme, Lloyd, McCutchen,
Humphrey, Turton, Venable, Walker, and the
President--l5. :
Towles-4
The bill was then read third time and passed.
The resolution from the Board of Aldermen in
relation to gas-ppes was next taken up for con-
sideration.
Mr.. Jefferson moved to amend the resolution by
inserting after the word bridge" the words and
along New Jersey avenue, from the Capitol to
Massachusetts avenue, and thence up Massaehu-