Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-05-09

BOARD OF ALDzRNEN.-SpeeiaI bIesfing.-The
board met on Saturday night for the purpose Of
considering the Water Bill as amended by the
Board Of Co,nmon Council:
The Chair read a communication from the Mayor
! transmitting the opinion of the Corporation Attor-
ney. on which was founded the legal points sub
united by the Mayor in his veto Of the w ashing-
ton Asylum bill, and the act for the market house
IN tie Seventh Ward, as follows:
OFFIcEoF THs CORPORATION ArroRxEY,)
May 5, 1859. (
SIR: have TO acknowledge the receiptof copy
OF The resolution Of the Board Of Aldermen re-
questing to be furnished with the opinion Of the
Corporation Attorney alluded to In the message
sctGlns Tie act for supplying the Washington
hsfIun with water, &c., and the act authorizing
The erection Of a market-house in the Seventh
Ward. That opinion, though formed upon great
ooIS,derdilo0, was, as you are aware, communi-
Gated to you verbally, and was not thong hit neces-
s1ry To be reduced to writing your intention then
being 10 present the grounds fully In the message
1sn; l have Perused that paper very carefully,
and do not perceive that can add ANYTHING TO in
contents TO make my view of the leoal a nestion
more lnteihgibie or the reasons which support 1t
AN, sir, very respectfully,
j. VI. CARLISLE, Attorney, &C.
Hon. ]. q. Berret Mayor.
Mr.. Thos. Miller thought the opinion a curious
do uincni and hoped IL would be published
MIR. Brown thought ID a most extraordinary doc
unl-nt, and seconded the motion to publish
Mr. n w Miller stated that this document had
u. In
The request IF the resolution.
Mi Dove stated that he had great confidence i'm
the corporation Attorney, aud would take his
opinions anywhere; but there were 4 dozen IcraI
questions In the Mayors message on which The
opinion IN question did not hear In his Indictment
tie would like TO know which of the Ie.al points
I'D Ie Mayor message the opinion in question
Mr. Barry wanted either the Corporation Atior-
hey or some one to plTticularize the legal points
involved. f
MIR. smith would dislike 10 see sucb n,p., a.
TINS printed The Mayors message had been
bt@.d entirely upon the opinion of the Corpora-
Sion of the board.
some debate ensued. when Mr. smith raised a
point It order, stating that this WIS a meeting 70
'".id., INC water bill, and that any question out
The Chair held that the communication from
The Mayor conld not bat be considered ss before
the board, and some disposition must be made
of it
Finally, it WIS ordered 10 be printed.
y ne Shdlf Then announced the object of the
htTnhg when Mt Brown rose to make personal
CAPdAai1on. This bill had at first provided for a
Nttfr Board iu dirert acquiesccnce with the act
q congress After il passed this board il became
known that the Cooperation Attorney held that
this Water Board must be a standing committee
appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the
h'Strd al Aldermen, and regarded as water com
InIS>loncrs At the instance OF the chairman Of
Va. committee of the lower board, he had preuared
the amendments adopted by that board i'm accord
an'e win That opinion of the Corporation Attor-
ney- This was the reason why those amendments
had appeared IN the lower board ina his own hand
writing after his having opposed similar amend
ments ia this board, and this was the grouDd for
the remarks made in the lower board that he had
. CmaSculatod" and = crucifed'' tie bill lie bad
acted fOr the committee Of the lower board in the
character, as u Were OF an aInenuensis and as he
would have done for any gentleman if requested
He had written the amendments but had not
suggested them. He wished this to be distinctly
understood; and this he had done in Difference 10
the opinion before alluded to-
ftsraS tbai
this bill, which provided for no Water Beard he
thought 1t useless to delay much with other
amendments, but to Precipitate the issue at once
w bile stating this, Mr.. b. did not wish to be
understood as rejecting on the Mayor indiyidu-
ally, but upon the office which he neId and occu-
Pi"d- III was not the man, but the Mayor He
wished IL 10 be understood also, that he was op-
posed In every respect to the placing of this powe,
Ia the hands Of one man. He would much rather
see III vested In thirty-six men than In one man
" was manifestly more proper to keep such a
power in the hands Of the Councils than 10 con-
Centrate man.
MIR A. w. Miller thought the gentleman WAS
PrOInulgating strange doctrine. Ills idea must
not be construed as implying that there was moi
bCardS - "
Mr.. Brown denied In emphatic term. HAVING
intimated any such idea. What ne had said coul3
not lie 80 construed He had said he would rather
trust We Corporation, who were COMPOSED of
awarding contracts to one man
Mr.. A w. Miller proceeded to speak Of the re-
sp'ectiye powers If the Mayor and the CouncIIs g
81 iofih IN The charter of 1920 and contended that
The Councils could not act as such committee 10
award contracts without first petitioninp Compress
" enlarge their powers. Members Of The Board
ci Aldermen could not even act as may istrates in
Mr. Pearson denied this, saying that was pre-
oISely what Aldermen could do under the charter
Of 1910.
Mr. Smith sustained MFR Pear.on In tbi. vie,,, n,
the matter. -
Mr.. NJ. went on to advocate the idea Of having
eI,hef 'bree or hVe members In the water board
be removed every year He should vote against
the amendment Of the lower board which struck
out the first two sections
Mr.. Brown commended that this vas n m,nI6..,
Inconsistency. The question was very plain and
the gentleman was going 20 sustain the veto
why would he vote for keeping in those sections
which the Corporation Attorney had said were no,
legal, Mr.. b. commended that the Corporation
had the power TO award contracts under the ACT of
Congress Of Sd March last They had never given
il' power away, and therefore it still remained in
Mr.. Fisher wished TO know for information
whether the Corporation Attorney had really a.
Illegal
Mr.. Brown replied that he had. and went on tn
explain what that officer had told him in relation
90 their ilt-sality.
The board then proceeded to vote on the several
amendments Of the lower board and conquered in
them all with very little debate
20 the Water Bill is passed, and ready for the
dcilcn Of the Mayor.
CHARGE oF BieaNY james Ccnroy, al,s Flan-
Ei5ah, was arrested on Friday by Officer Ginnity
ola charge Of bigamy. The charge is brought
10y wife No 4 who alleges that they were married
Ia Ireland about nine years ago, and his name was
JlmCs Flanagan. He left her in Ireland and
cam" To New y ork, where she followed and met
him about seven years ago. He then declared his
Inability To maintain her. aud she went into ser
vice IS hired servant. and mai ned herself
Since that time he came 10 Washington and was
married under the name % Conroy, and by hI.
l9s' wife hos bad several children. lie has been
doing very well, and has managed To become a
property owner 10 some extent in this city. lie
w'SseBt to Jail for a hearing saturday; but at the
request of his counsel and the prosecutrx consent
ing, he was again committed for a hearing to- day
The Prosceutrix brings with her certificate Of her
marriage in Ireland
HARDCP.-Yesterday, an indiv dual well known
ia the vicinity Of Ninth street and Market SQUARE.
being out Of funds, and sadly depressed In spirits
by his inability to raise ante, - complained 80
bitterly In the company Of his acquaintances that