The national Republican., 1861-02-12
LOCAL EW S. i.
CITY COUNCILS.

nleS.
Also, an act for the relief Of Nicholas Drum.
mond.
Also, Gan act granting permission to erect |
building on the square attached to the City |
Hall, for the purpose of holding Union Ball |
on the 4th Of March next"
DR.. Magruder presented the petition Of j. W. |
Carr, praying the remission Of fines which was
referred.
Mr.. Bayly introduced joint resolution in
relation 10 expressing, in a suitable manner, |
the usual courtesies to the retiring President |
of the United States which was passed unani |
mously, after expressing q hope that many |
Presidents of the United States might receive |
like attentions.
Mr.. Semmes introduced joint resolution in
relation to the Metropolitan police bill now
pending before Congress, and expressing a de.
sire, that it should not pass which was passed.
Mr.. Moore presented petition from John |
West, praying remission Of fines which was
referred.
A bill was received from the lower Board,
entitled an act authorizing the alteration Of the
drop sewer on the corner Of Second street north
and Fourteenth street west which was referred
to the Committee on Drainage.
A joint resolution was presented, praying a
relief of certain fire companies.
Mr.. Huntington, from the special committee
day laws, reported that they considered the
present laws sufficient, and beg to be dis.
charged; which was agreed to.
Mr.. McNerhany moved to take from the table
the joint resolution in relation to the relief of
F. s. Walsh which was agreed to, and recon.
mitted to the Finance Committee.
On motion, the bill providing for the better
lighting the city was taken up, and, after little
discussion, again laid on the table.
On motion of Mr.. Brown, the Board ad.
journed.
COMMON CouNcIL.-A commun cation was
received from the Mayor, stating that he had
signed certain acts.
Also, another communication from the Mayor,
enclosing q communication from the commits.
sioner Of the western section of the canal, ask
ing an appropriation for the repair of the floor
ing of the Fouranda.halG, Seventh, and Twelfth
street bridges. Referred to the Committee on
Canals.
The President appointed, as the committee
to receive the President and Vice President
elect, on the part of this Board, Messrs. Easily,
Van Riswick, and Ober
THE STEAM FIRE ENGINE QUESTION
Mr.. Jones presented an act to authorize the
Mayor to purchase q steam fire engine and ne.
cessary appurtenances, costing, in the aggre.
gate, about 1900. The great damage by fires
Of late had, he thought, made this step neces.
sary.
Mr.. Mead objected to having the Mayor to
purchase and station this engine. The Mayor,
he thought, would be placed in rather an awk.
ward position. Some provision should be made
in the bill to cover that.
Mr.. Easily thought the introduction of this
matter at this time was calculated seriously to
embarrass the action of the fire department.
who were already considering the matter. He
moved that it be referred to the Committee Oh
Fire Department.
Mr.. Powell would like the Council would take
action now. More than one steam engine was
necessary. He thought there should be an in.
terchange between the members of the Coun
Gil and the leading members of the fire de.
partment, and find out what would be most
agreeable to all sides.
Mr.. Given stated that the Committee on the
Fire Department had had the subject under
consideration for some time past, and expected
to be ready to report in a week or two. He
hoped the Board would not take any action in
the matter until the committee had time to re.
port full and complete plan. Instead of
tinkering up the old plan, they had better pur-
chase two or three of these steam fire engines,
and reorganize the entire department.
The question was taken on the motion to re.
fer, and it was agreed to.
THE METROPOLITAN POLICE BILL
Mr.. Clark offered a resolution protesting
against the appointment of the police commits.
sioners recommended by the police bill now
before Congress.
I. Mr.. Borrows offered the following in relation
to the matter:
Resolved, That the committee of this Board
representing the interests of the Corporation
before Congress be directed to urge upon the
House of Representatives the propriety of so
amending the bill before that body, entitled A
bill to organize metropolitan police for the city
of Washington" as to vest the appointment Of
the commissioners named in the bill in the
Circuit Court of the District of Columbia.
He was of the opinion that the parties named
in the bill never could have been placed there,
had their true characters been known. He
was in favor of metropolitan police system.
The fault Of the present system was, that being
the appointees Of the Mayor, the police were
apt to acquit themselves more to curry favor
with him than with the citizens generally, and
that they were generally more active about
election time than at any other He wanted
neither Democratic police nor Republican
police.
Mr.. Clark would be willing TO divide the
commissioners between the two parties, or,
better still, he would prefer not having any
partisans at all.
Mr.. Chapin moved to take up joint resolu'
ton from the Board of Aldermen, in relation
to the matter, which provided that the commit
tee before Congress should inquire into the
matter, and protest against its passage if>ts
character was such as had been stated in the
city papers. He believed the passage Of this
bill would establish perfect tyranny in our
midst
Mr.. Easily was in favor of metropolitan po
lice, though he was opposed to a partisan police
He did not think it proper to have the commits
soners appointed by the Circuit Court. There