Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1860-08-13
LOCiL ITEMS.

TUE MAYORS OrFlCH.-The AleXandran
upon whom his telowcitizens may please tt
bestow the office of Mayor of this city. takes
with that Office an amount Of duty, OF which
the general public can form but a small es
timate. The official duties involved in the
examination and approval Of the acts passed
by the CITY Council and the recommenda.
tons to that body of such municip pal legis-
lation as will promote the general veal, re-
quire sound Judgment, and an intimate
acquaintance with the wants and interests
of the city.
The reception of strangers, having Off
cial business with the city authorities, is
another duty, the proper discharge Of which
involves the credit of the city among her
sister municipalities Such visits are not
untre1uent. Most of tie business with the
municipal and police authorities of other
cities is carried on by means of the mail and
telegraph. Scarcely day passes that let
ters are not received-some asking intorma-
! tion-othcrs giving notice of the escape of
criminal who. it is supposed, has come
| this WAY. Others tell of associations form
cd for criminal purposes, and ask the assis-
tance of the Alexandria police in thwarting
criminal efforts, and ierreting out the
ng-doers. To all these, the Mayor has
to reply, and they require, TOO, his direction
and supervision of efforts made by the police
in the general system, which prevails, of over
| throwing the criminal enterprises, which in
many cases unite large numbers of persons,
and extend their operations over half the
States of the Union.
The most trying task of the Mayor, is,
however, his criminal trials. These take
place every morning at o'clock. First,
come the watch-house cases-drunk and
disorderiv--who, unless they are old otfen-
ders, pay watch-house fees, a minimum fine,
and then 60 with the injunction of the
Mayor, "now, don't let me lay eyes on you
again" The old offenders get the work
house for ninety days, or heavy fine, and
some whose offences rise to the Importance
of crimes, are bound over TO appear at
Court, or committed to Jail for safe keeping.
During these hours, however, multitude of
complaints are addressed to the Mayor
One comes to have nuisance abated; an
other because he has been overcharged for
digging a we'll; another to complain that his
neighbor has vicious and dangerous dog;
another to ask that a gang OF dlsorderly boys
that nightly gather near his residence may
be dispersed; another to know whether there
is any law to prevent her neighbor from
"throwng her slop water right before the
door, of the complainant. In snort, there
IS no end either to the number and variety
of these complaints. The Mayor does all
that the law gives him authority to do in
the premises, and seldom fails to give salts
faction a new Office with better accommo-
dations is much needed for the transaction
Of the varied business intrusted to him.
UNION MEETISG.-The Union Club of the
First Ward at its business meeting last Fri
dav night, spent a most agreeable time
Several good Wing songs were sung. and upon
the call of the meeting, James A. English
and VIM D. Massey, esqrs., addressed the
club in stirring speeches that were respon-
ded to in the spirit of 1910. The First Ward
is bound to to give good account of herself
| in November