Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-10-08

Board Of Aldermen Of E. A. Thomas
and others, praying remission Of fne imposed on
and petision Of Matthew Cunningham and An,
drew Boileau, asking payment Vf their bill for
repairing the IRE plug at the corner Of Twelfth
and 6 streets is 25), were referred.
An act authorizing the laying Of a water main
along ID and Twelfth streets was passed.
concurrent resolution changing the hour Of
meeting Of the two boards to O'Clock p. m, Ia
stead OF O'Clock p. m, as at present, received
Mr. Lloyd argued that under the rule the reso-
linton required two-thirds vote to pass IL the
same evening II was introduced.
The Chair decided that under the rules the res
olution did not require a o-thirds vote.
Mr.. Moore said that the hour Of meeting having
been fxed by an ordinance Of the Corporation, 1t
would require the passage OF an ordinance to
repeal Il:
me Boards the authority to M their hour OF meet
ing, and ordinance Of the Corporation could
affect the right
Some des1ltory discussio on followed, when some
one said that the hour Of seven p. m. had been
nKed Tin 1857 for the accommodation Of mem bers
from the Sixth Ward, a. some Of them were
employed In the navy yard, and did not want
their davis employment broken into; to which
Mr. Bohrer loosely replied: THAT might have
been one reason, but another was that they wanted
an opportunity for a little spree In the city" He
afterwards exonerated his colleague mr.. Clark)
from such an i'm putation
On motion Of Mr.. Fisher, the vote was recon-
sidered, and the resolution was withdrawn.
An act to prohibit the use Of open or exposed
lights in bles, stOrehouses &c, was referred.
The bill requiring employees of the Corporation,
contractors &c to take the oath Of egiance 10
the Government came from the Board Of Common
Council with an amendment striking out the
words " shall be required" and inserting "are
hereby respectfully requested, ~ and after a short
discussion IL was referred to the committee on i'm
proVements.
A resolution from the lower board permitting
Mr. Jas Ginnityto build frame stairway az ainst
his brick building was passed.
Mr.. Moore offered concurrent resolution call
ing for joint meeting OF the boards on Thursday
next at O'Clock p. m to discharge the duty re-
quired OF them by the sixth section of the charter
a leis In consequence Of the resignation Of Mayor
Berret.
MT LLOYD said that he had no desire to take
mp this matter until all the members were present
We have bad here an opinion Of the Corporation
Attorney, the legal adviser of the Corporation,
which was asked for by the president OF this
board. We pay that officer $500 year for bis
services, aud he has written = very lengthy
whole on the best reflection that have been able
TO give the subject, l am satisfied that Mr. w al
lach's election extends to the whole remainder Of
theT election is necessary"
Mr. Lloyd said he was somewhat surprised at
the Introduction Of this resolution by the gentle
man from the Fourth Ward, calling upon the
boards TO go into new election 1t mattered not
TO him II there were half dozen elections but he
could not consent to any action by which the
opinion Of the Corporation Attorney 10 rendered
nugatory. Members Of the board are not disposed
70 accept as good law the opinion of the Attorney
In this particular case, but majority Of them,
(Mr. Bayly), were guided by the opinion Of the
same oth>er In regard to the appointment Of cor
Poration police. He (Mr. Lloyd) entertained an
opinion adverse 70 The appointment Of corporation
Ger Of the Corporation he at once Welded. That
ofncer was one he Mr. l. had confidence in asd
the board must have had confidence In him. or
they would never have confirmed him That
opinion In reference to the police was an admi-
rable one, in the opinion Of a majority of this
board. How strange that In one short week (SeP-
TENDER l6l an opinion asked for by the president
Of the board should meet with such disfayor,
How extraordinary Il L.. You say to the Corpc-
Istion Attorney, . You can give an opinion a. to
the police law, but you are incapable Of giving an
opinion on the question Of the mayoralty.n Ii was
unnecessary, Mr.. Lloyd said to 90 into details at
this tme he only wanted 10 contrast the action of
the boards on Sept and Sept. I6
Mr. Bohrer said that be would not be governed
by an opinion Of the Corporation Attorney, be- he
the reasons given satisfied him, (Mr. B } be would
vote for IL II the opinion was bad, and the reasons
not good, he would vote against Il. He differed
with ne CORPORATION Attorney on the police mat
Press authorizing the appointment Of the Metro
pOlitan Police exists.
:, Mr.. Moore said that the argument Of the gen.
temsn nom the Seventh Ward iMr. Lloyd)
seemed to the effect that we cannot reverse tn.
decision OF the Corporation Attorney In this
board, said Mr. Moore, we never recognize the
binding opinion Of that ofacer. In one case an
opinion Of the last Corporation Attorney mir Car
hEe) was reversed. We are not bound To ba
guided oy the opinion Of that officer, because we
pay him salary. His opinion has weight but
there are times, and he MIR NJ thought the
present one OF them, when the Corporation Attor-
neY IA: made mistake. He (Mr. Moore) had no
prejudice, but the Councils were bound to dir
pose OF this matter He argued that the city and
citizens might be subjected TO heavy loss N the
Councils did not settle this matter and legalize
the proceedings In this case. He said be had
carefully analysed the opinion Of the Corporation
Attorney, and he would state the result OF his ex-
animation, and would like his friend from the
could.
Mr.. Moore then read from manuscript he had
prepared, very lengthy review Of the opinion
OF the Corporation Attorney, requiring over one
hour for the reading The reporter will not do
MI Moore the Injustice Of attempting TO condense
his argument He enlarged on the point that to
MI . vacancy from disability the councils could
only elect Mayor to serve during such Inability
ana that IL was usurpation their part to eject
Mayor, and absurd to argue that 6layor may be
expelled summarily during his sickness or alb
sence nom the city. In case Of disability they
could only elect Mayor pro tenn to serve during
such disability; In case Of death or resignation
After finishing his reading, Mr. Moore eharac-
terired the written opinion Of the Corporation
Attorney a. tortuous, and Inconsistent win itself
with the proceedings Of the councils, aud with
the charter. We must have q Mayor and cases
might arise to bring this matter summariIy be-
fore the court. He Mr.. Moore) didn't see why
MI "altdCns Arlonas, or ne himself, should
want TO avoid an election He (Mr N J suspected
that one gentleman not present would change his
vote, but whether there were changes or net n
was necessary 70 elect Mayor, so that his right
to the seat might be unQ uestioned, and the CITY
not be involved In any expense or damages
Mr.. LLOYD said that he did not intend now or
At any other time TO enter into an elaborate dis
custom a. 70 whether the optnion OF the Corpora
ton Attorney 10 rig t or wrong. The reputation
OF that gentleman 10 well known, and he Is a
lawyer OF long standing. He fMr. LII had lis
tened 10 the lengthy, elaborate and labored pro.
ducusn Of the gentleman from the Fourth Ward,
and he was the nFst gentleman who had ever
charged The Corporation Attorney with disIn-
genuousness. His whole argument was 70 show
That the opinion Of that ofaeer was biased, that
there was some one behind the curtain pushing
him TO give just sock an opinion as be did. The
gentleman's review was elaborate, well written,
and calculated 10 sustain his reputation a de.
batter, but - he delivered page after page, he
(Ar. l. J remembered that treauses, ESSAYS, ser
mons a. able had been written In favor Of DO
lygamy aud inhdeIity.
Mr. Lloyd alluded to the works of Tom Paine
In the same connection, and said that he never
supposed that among the many accomplishments
Of his frisnd from the Fourth Ward Mr. Noorel