Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1866-04-05
LOCAL: NEWS.
"sAYINas . OF OUR CITY FATHERS.
SPIeY EXPR ESSIoNs.

d pressure 6l more Important 0aICer 20 uLuAl
the Sayings Of our City Fathers, but as these
saying are always of more or less interest to
! the community represented, We publish ou1
deferred report, or rather the most spicy por-
| zion of it, this evening.
/ As soon as the the Presilentof the Common
| Council announced that the business, for which
the meeting was called, had been transacted,
Dr..J. B. johnson rose, and read from man.
uscript tefore him, as follows:
'Mr President: I arise to a question Of
| privilege. The majority, in the discussion OF
tie question OF appointing Clerk 10 the >Gas
Work., based their position upon q point OF
order, and have been governed entirely by law.
principle aud prop riety. They did not forget
the respect due this intelligent Board, nor their
own seit-respect by characterizing the argu
| ments used by the minority, as gas.
The COMMITTEE on Light, CLAIMS the right
to appoi-t Clerk under re-olution adopted
by the Board of Aldermen and Common Coun-
Gil of 1854 or SIS. The COMMITTEES had per-
feet right 10 exercise the appointing power SO
long as there was no objection made to Its Dr.
ing so, but there is now objection made 10 the
COMMITTED useng this power. This objection
springs not from the faucies and Whims OF a
factious minority
Mr. Brent Will the gentleman allow me to
make remark?
Dr.. Johnson-No, sir, not word.
Mr. Brent-Mr. President, [ rise to a point
of order The gentleman rises to question OF
privilege. but is going on to read us a speech,
on question wholly beyond the control Of this
tody, unless they revoke the power heretofore
granted to Committee.
DR.. Johnson-I call the gentleman to order
and insist upon his taking his seat.
Mr.. Bren1-I Insist upon calling the gentle
man to order, and call upon the Chair to sus-
tain me.
Dr. Johnson-The Chair has perfect right
to decide the point
The Chair declined to determine the point,
but
Mr.. Brent insisted that it was the duty of
the Chair to sustain his point, or overdue it.
The President, after deberarion, decided
that the gentlem IN from the lst ward, (Mr.
B. emit was out of order.
Mr.. Bten,-I appeal from the decision of
the Chair
The President-The gentleman appeals from
the decision of the Chair and the question will
be on sustaining the appeal.
Mr.. Brent-Mr. President, is the appeal de-
batable
The President-It ia sir.
Mr.. Brent-Then viii accomplish my OBJ
ject by this method, as we'll as by the manner
which just p opposed. Mr.. B. then proceeded
to give succiuct statement of the action OF
this Council in regard to the appointment OF
the Clerk of the Gas Works, when he was call
ed to order by Dr.. Johnson.
The President sustained the call, and stated
that be could not see that the gentlemans re-
marks were petiuent,to the appeal,
Mr. Brent cannot be expected to explain
the point of the appeal unless | am allowed to
make the statements desire, bearing on the
subject directly, but If the Chair insists, | will
take my seat ani trust to the Council sustain
ing my appeal.
The President said that he could not see
What bearing the gentleman's remarks had en-
the question of appeal.
Dir Brent insisted that to make his point III
telligiblr, it was necessary he should make
statement of the facts connected with the sp.
pointmcnt of Clerk of the Gas Works.
DR.. johnson said he had no O. j@cton to the
gentleman talking as much as he wanted, and
that he would try aud not forget himself so far
as to p,ac'ice the interruptions with which he
had been annoyed.
Mr. Brent then proceeded to explain that no
action could be taken. by this Council, on the
subject upon which the gentleman was discours-
ing, until che power granted to The Committee
shall have been revoked, and that no question
of privilege, such as claimed by DR.. John. on
could be entertained until there was some mo-
ton to that effect made.
Dr.. Johnson Holding in his hand Jefer
sons Manual -Can the gentleman inform me
how many questions of privilege there are? L
ask him as school boy axis his fellow pupil.
Mr. Brent-I do not regard the gentleman
as either my pupil or my teacher
Dr. johnson, afer Informing the gentleman
that there are fJurteen questions of privilege,
proceeded to conclude the reading Of his speech
| as follows:
but from majority Of this Board, and ev-
cry principle Of gncd tas'e; dictates that de-
cent resp; ct should be aid to The wishes Of
that n,%iority. If the wishes oft, were base d
upon desire to place in the position tavorit",
then indeed would the motives of the majority
merit the contempt of all honorable copsltera-
lions; but it is otherwise, Some of The mem
hers of this Board heard that the Commute e
on Light, had appointed Clerk Of the Gas
Works, aud they caused special meeting OF
the Council to be called, to investigate the mat
ter. The result of that meeting was the pas
SAGE of resolution, instruc.ins the Committee
to suspend the appointment of Clerk. Tie
matter vas again mnoted at succeeding meet
,ng, and the discussion then resulted IN the LAS
sage of motion to lay on the table, reso'u-
\ ~ 81 ttn ;ft n uY1.