Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-04-18

|
nicaton of Mayor Magruder to the Council,
signing his reasons for declining to sign the bill
for lighting up Seventh and Twelfth streets,
through the MALI IS s..-.E
| MAYORS OFFICE,
| WASHINGTON, April 9, 1897. }
To the Board of Common Council:
fort and convenience Of my llow-citizens, as
well as the growth and prosperity OF the cltyi Dy
| advancing every effort to improve It's sTeets dhu
avenues il is with great reluctance thai nnd my
self on anv OCCASION Obliged to withhold my ap-
nrovaI fr9m any act intended to further those OBJ
iects; and therefore regret 10 1eel compelled TO
return 10 YOU without my signature, the "Act
anthorizinp the erection of lamp posts, &c, and
the LAYING of gas pipes on certain streets running
through the Mall,' for the Following reasons,
} The Government of the United States very lust.
liz claims thsHexclusive right to the Mall and
s uSn hOp eSSeGy ss
evinced disposition to do so by paving the foot
way and setting the curbstones In ALL and paving
the carriage way through most of those which Il
admits may, according to law be oDened thronqh
that reservation, and have otherwise improved
them by planting trees, &C., along them; and I
think 1t would be unwise and injudicious in the
Corporation In any manner TO interpose a prcce-
dent now which would show an acknowledge
ment OF an obligation on the part of the city to
To interfeSe Win tSe IN any way OF
I eminent with them; and / have no doubt but
that, IN very short space of time, Congress will
make make the necessary appropriations to light all
| 1.-The streets running through the Malln in the
| most ample manner, for know that disposition
to do so existed amongst the friends of the CITY in
both houses during the last session, but it was
deemed advisable by them not to press the matter
then, lest 1t might endangor the great and para
| mount objects OF appropriations for the water
| works and the arsenal extension, to which many
other subjects of importance were made to Weld
for the time being and think that IL those streets
are even indifrrently lighted by the Corpo- alton
that fact will be used as an argument In favor of
nor ny no Natl
lature.
The principle upon which the expense of light
ing the streets Is to be paid is clearly defined by
law, as well as established by precedent, and Il
il, that 1t shall be borne by the property holders
upon whose fronts the light is dispensed and this
principle has never been departed f.om, except in
a few cases where the property was owned or
used by the Corporation, as In the case of market
houses or canal bridges or where II was necessary
to avoid the danger of being mulcted in damages
for injuries individuals might sustain by falling
into bitches Iavlnes.
One of these examples may be found In the four
lights on street and Indiana avenue, leading to
the railroad depot; and in this case the lamps and
lighting were only intended to be paid for out of
the city treasury temporarily, until the Corpora
ton could make those streets safe by filling up the
holes and removing the precipices which render
ed them dangerous; and besides the Corporation
did not pay any portion of the expenses of the
main running through these streets by which the
lamps q re supplied with gaS-that expense having
| been entirely bone by the railroad company
Another example may be found in the case of
some eight lamps. to burn oil, placed at certain
! points in the Fifth Ward TO mark pits out of
! which gravel had been taken, or where other
cause Of damage existed and in this instance the
| expense is charged to the Ward fund
| As Il departure from the law and the practice in
this case will be establishing Il new precedent
and enc which will doubtless be quoted as rea-
son for further encroachmcnts upon the general
/ fund for objects of this nature, | deem il pTop.r
10 endeayor to check practice so contrary to the
spirit of the laws in its very incipiency
If, however, none Of these objections existed
there is another which would be fatal to the pro
ect, and that is its mpractcabiliy under the bill
aS presented to me. 1t requiresthat an inch and
a-half pipe be laid, Il main from which lamDs
at the several points indicated shall be lighted |
have made inquiry from experienced officers of
the Gas Company, and learn that one of those
mains will be two thousand and the other about
fifteen bundled feet long, and that gas will not
pass through an inch-and-a-half pipe as to
afford light OF any value at distance of two
thousand feet, and that the smallest which is
practicable Is three-inCh one, merely to Law
| which Will cost half dollar a foot, which will
! amount to about five hundred and fifty dollars
/ more than the sum appropriated; and as the Gas
Company claim all the mains as their own, no
matter VINO may have paid for them, and refuse
! to connect with them unless with an acknowl-
edgment of the claim, the sum paid for laying the
pipe, Is we'll as the pipe itself, will all be lost to
| the Cooperation; thus making the cost of eight
lamps, even at the sum appropriated by the law,
! cne hundred and fifty dollars each, nearly six
times a. much az they cost when erected under
, legitimate circumstances.
Very respectfully, w. Il. MA6RUDER,
Mayor.
ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE AFRICAN NJ
| E. Zion CHURCH.-Sscoad Day-Thc Confer
ence met on Monday, pursuant 10 adjournment
| and opened in the usual manner, General Sup't
Bishop presiding. The examination of characters
was entered upon, and the following passed ::
Elders ]. Trusty, 5. II Jones, and Rob't Squirrel
| Elder >. Golden was called for, whose ministe-
! rial character was questioned by Elder Trusty !;
! wheTeupon spirited discussion took place, in
| which a number of the brethren participated.
| Adjourned.
Third Day.-Conference was opened by Gen
eral Sup't Bishop, assisted by Assistant Sup't J
}. Clinton. The examination of cha. acters was
resumed. Elder ID. Stephens, Preachers WIN. II.
Johnson and stephen r. Brown severally passed
examination. The Of Elder Golden was
again taken up, and at the suggestion Of Elder
stevens and the request Of the chairman, he and
! Elder Trusty, the complainant, retired a short
| time from the Conference room, for the purpose
OF endeavoring to adjust the difficulties. The two
| brothers returned and informed the Conference
that their differences were settled. The character
Of ). Golden was then examined and passed.
Elder } d. Brooks was elected reporter for the
Conference.
The rules of the Baltimore Annual Conference
Were read, and adopted for the government of the
| present Conference
Elders MackalI, Squirrel and Reese were ap-
| pointed Committed on Credentials. A docu-
I inent was put in their hands in regard to the
cePtiOn OF society. They retired and Ia a short
time returned and reported fayorably; which re-
! port was received.
| Several letters were read, and ordered to be
| numbered.
Elders Mackall, Golden and Reese were ap-
pointed committee to investigate the difficulty
between Elder Squirrel and Preacher Gassaway
| Adjourned.
Fourth Day.-ConfeIence met pursuant to ad-
journnent, General Superintendent Bishop pre-
| siding, aided by the Assistant superintendent J
! J. Clinton.
| The latter commenced the opening exercises by
reading portion of Scripture; after which sing
| ing, and prayer by Elder Mackall.
The committee appointed to investigate the
matter Of complaint between Elder Squirrel and
1 Preacher Gassaway reported, in substance, that
they could not adjust the difficulty, and therefore
referred the case TO the Conference to be disposed
OF as II deemed best. The report was received
and discussed at length; after which several inef
fectual motions were made to recOmmit the report
| The Conference then took up the case; where
upon Elder s. Il. Jones offered a motion to drop
Isaac Gassaway from the Conference for inSubor-
dination. Elder ID. stevens moved to amend the