Daily national Republican., 1865-10-28
Natiuual gspnblitaa
LOCAL AFFAIRS.
The Alexandria and Washington Rail-
road-Citizens Of the Seventh Ward
Protest against the Cars running
through tho streets.

beNenth street, IOf the purpose oi thhlhk hotVn
aud protesting against the passage o. the bill
which passed tho Board Of Common Council o.
Wednesday evening last, granting certain priy-
ileges to the Washington and A,emandria Lex, hsil.
road Company-a copy Of which bill appeared In
the REPUBLICAN, Of Thursday last.
The meeting was called to order, and, on mo-
tion, DR.. James 3. Morgan was chosen president,
and Mr.. Joseph L. Pearson secretary.
DR.. Morgan said he presumed the gentlemen
understood the object Of the meeting. The con-
dition Of Maryland avenue was we'll known to
all. railroad which would be disgrace to
any village extended along Maryland avenue,
from one end to the other That road could not
be tolerated In any civilized community; and yet
our Board Of Common Council had passed bill
extending their privileges for period Of twenty
years. 1t was impossible for person with
vehicle to cross the avenue, unless he went TO
one Of the cross streets. He was satisfied the
bill was passed by the Board without reading II
carefully; for no one who had the interest Of the
city at heart could have voted for such an act.
DR.. Allen moved that q committee Of Ave be
appointed to draft resolutions expressive Of the
sense Of the meeting adoptedj and the Chair ap-
pointed as such committee, Dr. Charles =. Allen,
John Blvans, Jonas B Ellis, John Knight, DR..
X. G. Croggin, VIM. J. Murtsgh. and J. II. Bird.
Messrs. Elvans and Ellis were excused, and
Mr.. Robert Graham was appointed In place Of
Mr.. Ellis.
The committee having retired, afterwards re-
turned and reported the following:
Whereas the Board Of Common Council did, at q
special meeting held for that purpose on Wednes.
day evening, pass an act granting the right Of
way with steam power through our streets on the
railway now laid there;
Resolved, That as citizens OF Washington we
solemnly protest against the aforesaid act which
consents to the running Of steam engines through
the centre Of the city at all hours Of the day and
night, as being dangerous to the lives and
limbs Of citizens, and being greatly I'M urious
to the property on or near said route.
Resolved, That the present railroad track was
laid down by the Government in the hurry Of
military operations as h temporary expedent,
without reference to the convenience or interests
Of the city, and was submitted to by US as q mil
itary necessity to end with the war aud that the
to its proper condition. The track now laid being
above tho grade Of the street, with excavations
rendering It impossible for vehicles to pass from
one side Of the street to the other, and which IL
to remain, according to the provision Of the first
section OF said act, Is an unmitigated nuisance,
which would not be tolerated by any respectable
village in our country.
Resolutd, That we are in favor OF manufac-
lures, commerce, railroads, and all other inter-
nal improvements, but we ask that they be man
aged and regulated as In other cities, so as to be
benefit and not an Injury TO our city and as
four miles per hour Is the rate Of speed allowed
by tho bill to steam cars, horses could draw
them quite as fast, which would Obyiate nearly
all the objections to the use OF steam for that
purpose, the security and comfort of our citizens
boing OF at least as much Importance as the in e
terest Of railroad company which has not ap-
preciated favors already bestowed.
Resolved, That the thanks of our citizens are
due, and are hereDy tenuereu, 10 mesbFh.
ton, Mead, Williams, Joyce, Wright, Dudley,
and Walker for their strenuous opposition to the
above named iniquitous measure, passed as 1t
was by an overbearing majority In such inde-
cent haste.
Dr. Allen said he thought It perfectly right and
proper for the citizens to take action in regard to
this matter. The meeting Of the Board OF Com
mon Council on Wednesday night was called for
the special purpose Of passing that bill. 1t was
forced through In one night. They could not
wait until next Monday, but had to call special
meeting. The bill had been adroitly drawn and
framed, aud he had no doubt that many mem bers
voted for the hill without having read 1t over
carefully. The engines were running all day
and all mig i rumbling, screaming and whistling.
One could imagine how exceedingly annoying II
was. The bill also contemplates that the road
shall be run out Sixth street TO the northern part
Of the city, so II may be near the new depot OF
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company. The
road did not benefit the city. No city was ever
benefited by railroad running through 1t. The
Councils tell us we will get the sixty thousand
dollars due the corporation OF Washington by
this railroad company.
He thought II the Corporation had endorsed
those bonds the road was good for 1t and the
money could be made. He understood the road
was one Of the best paying roads In the country
II they are allowed these privileges, soon they
will bring train Of cars from New Orleans and
carry 1t through to New York, aud this city will
not be benefited any by the road. The locomo
tives would cause innumerable accidents, as they
had already done He thought these considera
tOns were sufficient to oppose the passage OF the
bill He would not say 1t was the excursion
tickets to Richmond given to the members OF th'
Council which induced them to vote for the bill,
hut certainly something unknown to the citizen'
must have induced them to pass IT,.
Alderman Thomas Z. Lloyd did not think !
was proper for him to say anything on the SUB
ioct. When 1t came before the Board OF Alder
men he would act with view to the interest anc
welfare Of the citizens Of his ward. number
Of serious questions were connected with this
1t was question in his mind II we, as u corpo,
ration, had a right to pass such law. In lS5
Congress made a law placing all the avenues II
the city under the Commissioner OF Public Build
ings. II we cannot prevent the passage OF tn
bill as 1t passed the lower Board, | think We cal
appeal to the magnanlmity Of the members L
allow us to govern the road by such police regu
latiOns as will ensure safety'to the citizens.
We can provide that they run their cars througl
at certain hours; that they shall employ signal
men, and direct that they should take up and re
lay the track, so as to correspond with the grad
Of the street. We could prevent them blowing
the whistles in the street, and do many thing
which would make the bill less Objectionable
The gentlemen might rest assured that thei
representatives in the Board of Aldermen woul
do all they could for the interest and welfare o
tho citizens but he feared they could do but little
One thing which his friend (Dr. Allen) had SAT-
he must resent, and that was about the tickets I
Richmond. Whatever charges could be brough
against the members Of the Council the gentle
men might rest assured that the members ha
not been corrupted by having railroad ticket
given them. He thought railroads were beneh
course Of a few years provisions and produce
would be brought in from Virginia which woui'
greatly benefit the city, He thought we nigh
now assure ourselves Of the fact that the Lonl
Bridge was permanency, and that II had be
come permanent on account Of this railroad
Alderman c. g. Noyes said his colleague ha
said all that could be said on the subject. 1t wa
known that wherever railroad passed directl
through a city the business Of such city wa
ruined almost entirely. II the people Of the cit
could understand that the city would not be ben
lad hu tha m iUh ha a
feated He did not think Congress would pas
bill in favor ofthis railroad in opposition to tn
wishes Of the citizens Of this place. II the BIZ
could not be defeated In the Councils 1t might b
made less Objectionable.
Mr. Lloyd said he would be glad II gentleme
would address himself or his colleague, givin
their views on the subject, they could b
brought before the Board.
DR.. Allen thought that If they were made I
pull their cars through the streets by horses tn
bill would not be 30 Objectionable He kneN
two cities which had been ruined by railroad
passing through them. As long as the road ter
minated at Il city the place prospered, but whe
the road passed through to connect with othe
roads, then the city was injured. That bill, Il
passed in the lower Board, must have bee
drawn by some one In the employ Of the com
pany.
MIR, John R. Elvans, as one Of the residents oil
the much abused Maryland avenue, thought W
might do ourselves much harm while we wer
endeavoring to do ourselves some good. II
thought the citizens should endeavor to impres
upon both the Councils and Congress that W
were not only in favor Of, but would try to x
all the railroads we could to the city Had W
not the power to instruct our representatives ths