Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1864-01-05

| second Ward to license pistol galleries and
oae atei,s tables: to supply deficiency in the
| appropriation for grading and grayelling X
street north; osupply deficiency In the appro-
pfl.hon Tor grading ana gravelllng l street
| The President read the following commune
| cation from the Columbia Engine Oomnanv
which was referred 10 the COMMITTEES on fire
| departments:
Han Columbia Engine Company.
| Washington, Jan. |, 1861
| To the Board Of Common Council.
| Whereas a bill having passed the Raars ot
| Hldermen proposing a Reorganization of the
| prest mt IRE depart rtment, we would respectfully
| - limit the following statement of faC:s whinb
| we think Will answer if the bill becomes a la a.
tnder me present bill, now before your body
| All ci the engine companies now in existence
| VIII be thrown out of service entirely and hose
| companies organized in their stead, with only
| steS m engines 10 depend on TO get into service
| curing the time CT fire. To show the injury
u at VIII be done 10 certain sections Of III. ciy
| take, Tor instance, the section in which we are
| lci att a. " e are but very poorly supplied with
| Potomac water, there not being yer twelve ire
| llugs IN the Fifth and Sixth Wards, east of the
| capitol Suppose a fire occurs in a locality
| where plug is not coh yenient, where water
| can be obtained from other sources; we, being
| a nose company, will be compelled 10 stand
| powerless by, unable TO render any assistance
| Whatever until steamer, situated, perhaps
two or three miles distant, arrives, before we
| can go into service.
| The next feature of the bill which va think
| Will have an injurious effect is limiting the
| mum Der of members of each company 20 TWEEN
| ty.hYe. Under our present system, each COM
| pany n um bers from seventy. five to one hum
| dred members Taking our company as q
guide, each company have a fe W members on
| " hom they can rely at all times, and with the
| assistance OF other members who, by their oc-
| cuIatton, are prevented from being always in
| service, each company, by those m ans are en-
| abiea 10 perform active and efficient service
| and all the duty which is required; but by the
| present bill they will be limited to TWENTY-FIVE
| members, and where, we would ask, viii you
N five anti Nf a
| under The present BILL to turn out at all h0urs
| day and night in all weathers, and perform
| 'he duty that is required Better, uy far,
| wonid 1t be TO disband the different compan,as
| altogether and place the apparatus in suitable
! localities, to be used by the ctiZens in time of
| fire, than to have organized comuauies with a
| small limited number.
And we do most respectfully ramonstra;e
| against a change or alteration IN the urasert
department; unless it be steam fire depart
| ment throughout, or volunteer steam fire de-
| partment, under the Control of the present
| companies, as now organized.
ANDREW p. McCATTRoN,
| President Columbia Engine Co
| J. L. ENTwIsTLE, Secretary.
! FIT tanfield introduced an act entitled can
act to- organize and govern the Fire Depart
| ment," approved November I3, 1862
| he enacting clause provides for an appro-
| ETatlon ont OF the general fund OF thu sum of
| Sl5,ooe, or so much thereof as may he peces
larry, LOT the purpose of purchasing two steam
hre-engines, horses, two hose. carriages at least
| one thousand feet of good hose for each hose
|
| tor putting The said steam fire engines in rnn
nng order; said appropriation to be expended
| 1l der the direction of the Mayor and Chief
| Engineer of the Fire Department
| Section two provides for two Engineers
| whose annual compensation shall be $500 each.
| payable monthly; two firemen, whose annual
| com mpensation- shall be 5000 each, payarle
| monthly; two hostlers or drivers whose amman
| compensation shall be $500 each payable
| monthly. The said employees to be recon-
| menGed by the companies TO which thew ara
| attached, and to be appointed by the Mayor nv
and with the advice and consent of the Board
| OF Aldermen. And The said persons when so
appointed, are required to be constantly in or
| about the houses containing the said steam fire.
engines; and each OF said employees shall attend
| faithfully to the duties of his position, upon
pain Of immediate dismissal
Section provides that the several annoiutees
herelnbe tore specified shall be appointed as
| soon a1ter the passage OF this act as shall be
Gohhd practlcable and eXpedient, and annually
| thereafter on or before the first Monday i'm JulV
SECTION That the annual compensation OF
the Chlef Engineer shall be at the rate of Sl,le0
payable monthly; and the annual comnsnsa
| ton of the Assistant Engineer shall be at the
| rate OF S9C0, payable monthly Prorided, That
! the Chief Engineer and Assistant shall not en-
gage in any other business, or hold apy other
| appointment, and shall give their undivided
ment.
Section six amends section two article five.
| of the act of which the bill is amendatorv bv
| striking out the words, she shall examine The
reservoirs, ny drants, and inserting as follows:
| OF said Chief Engineer; he shall make an in
| sPection and examination at least once in every
two weeks of all five plugs and reservoirs be-
| longing to this Corporation
Section seven repeals all acts and parts of Acts
lhcohslstent with the provisions OF this bill
Mr. g. Wilson introduced the following:
whereas, The interest due on the list day of
| January, 1864, on bonds of the Alexandria and
Washington Railroad Company, guarantapd
by TINS CoIporation under the act passed Feb
ruary 8, 1855, and $1,000 of principal OF said
bonds due on said lst day OF January, Is6I
have not been paid by said company:
BE 1t enacted, etc, That the Mayor be and he
is hereby directed to pay the said bonds and
all interest due and unpaid, in accordance
with the terms OF the act passed: the Stn of
February, 1855, and sum sufficient for the
purpose be and the same is hereby anpropri-
ated payable out of the general fuad
Mr. Shepherd hoped the bill would be laid
over until next week.
Mr. Wilson thought there was no occasion
for its being laid over as the subject had al
ready been fully Investigated. He D oceeded
to speak OF the importance which the corpora
ton attached to keeping up the Long Bridge
comm unicaton at the time thase bonds were
endorsed, and it was then held that the expen-
ditnre OF that amount of money would be ju-
dicious if that purpose alone was gained
Mr. Shepherd said the question was now
before the courts, and it would probably De
decided before next week whether we really
owe this money.
The bill was referred to Wavs and means
committee.
Mr.. c. Wilson also introduced the following
resolution:
Be it resolred, dc That there be appointed by
the respe ctive Presidents thereof, one member
from each Board of the City Council, who shall,
in connection with the Mayor, be committee
with full powers TO settle all matters in courtesy
with the Alexandra and Washington Railroad
Company, with power and authority 10 make
settlement with said company on the basis Of
the last proposition of said company 10 this
Corporation.
Mr.. N. ID. Larner said similar resolution
passed by this Board had been tabled up stairs,
he he anna 6ISTD t.a
Of this until some action was had in the uppar
Board on the question. Carried.
Mr. N. ID. Larner, from improvements co1l-
Iii tee, introduced the following bills, which
were passed Bill providing for a flag foo.-
way in the Second Ward; Aldermen bin en-
titled act tor making gutter across Mary
land avenue and First street east; bill TO place
a wooden trunk across north street, on the
east sf6e of l street east.
MIR. Shepherd, from committee on markets,
introduced An act TO repair and to erect new