Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1868-10-14

corporation would agree to release or suspend
the ground rent of 81 900 ca the mill and $10O
on tie cooper shop, and S128 taxes.
! Alter silence of some minutes Mr. Massey
arose and said that he had waited to hear the
remarks of any member who might be in favor
| of granting the petition, but that as 40 one had
said word in its behalf be supposed the meas,
ure had no advocates in the board. He, from
his convictions Of duty was compelled to oppose
granting the petition. When The property
upon which the Pioneer Mills we're erected,
was leased to the owners of the mills, 10 spirit
of accommodation, and as an iuducement the
corporation had agreed to part with it Tor a
price greatly below its value That the mills
had not been profitable was no tault of the cor
poratlon, and no reason why Mr.. Newman
should ask Alexandria to make him present
of $4,000. 1t the petition was granted Mr.
Rosenthal, who occupies adjacent properly,
| and all the other manufacturers in the city
would expect to have their taxes removed, as
their business operations were beneficial to the
city's prosperity. The proposition was so alb
surd as to require no opposition. If Mr. New
man had offered to purchase the property at a
reduced rate in order that he might sell it, the
proposition would haYo been entitled to more
consideration. When the lease was made the
lessees agreed to pay for it in current money
but they had not paid for it in such currency
but in corporation certificates worth fifty cents
on The dollar.
Mr. Mckenzie had known MIR Newman Il
| long time. Lie was a noble and generous fe.
low, and was entitled to sympathy. Lie had
made a terrible investment in the Pioneer Mills
Mr. Smith had called upon him (thc speaker)
to see about the probability of the corporation
abating the taxes on the prOperty-but
| he had told him to let the men who were to
buy the mills come here and make it evident
! that they would run them, and that then it
would be time enough to determine about the
abatement Of the taxes The mills were en-
tirely too large Tor this section of country They
perhaps would do for Brooklyn, where their
| fellow was located. They ought never to have
been built, and were erected solely in accord
ance with Mr. Towle's hifalutn notions Of do
| ing business. A sufficient amount Of wheat
was not grown 10 the country of which Alexau-
Gria is the market to keep them running for
more than two or three months in the year,
after which they would be compelled to sus
pend grinding unless they were supplied with
grain from the New York market, and it would
not pay to bring wheat from New York here to
be ground and returned to the same city on
consignment 1t required twelve tons Of coal
per day to run the mills and he was sorry to
say that Mr.. Newman must make up lis mind
to loose his whole investment
Mr. Arnold said the whole amount of taxes
collected from the property was but a fraction
over ST 900, and he did not think man acted
with sincerity who said he could make money
by running mill OF the size of the one referred
to, and still object to paying 81, 900 rent That
the mill had not heretofore made money was no
reason why if properly managed, it might not
be a profitable Investment in the future. Such
had been the case with the Mount Vernon Cot
ton Factory and other stock companies in this
city. 1.-THE rent was removed from Mr.. Newman
so much additional would have to be imposed
upon other people, and for the reasons he had
stated, and Others he was opposed to granting
the petition.
Mr. Reid had high respect for MIR. New
man; knew him personally; but could not see
any reason why the city should make him a
present of 100000. If that sum was to be
given away it had better 90 to some man who
would commence business here that would
employ more labor than that requisite to oper-
etc the Pioneer Mills. The tax on that prop.
erty was now less than the wharfage would be
on the number of barrels OF flour that could be
manufactured there; and he would be willing
to give more for the lot on which the buildings
are erected, for wharf purposes, that Mr.. New
man now pays for it.
Mr. Massey moved that the Clerk of the
Board respectfully Inform Mr.. Newman that
his petition could not be granted, and the mo-
ton was unanimously adopted.
When the papers went to the Board OF Al
dermcn
Mr. Brewis thought it vas matter Of too
much importance to be SO summary disposed
of. He thought that Mr.. Ncwman's PROPOSE
ton should receive more thorough considera-
ton. He moved to non concur in the action OF
the council, and refer the communication to q
special committee, consisting Of two members
of each Board.
The aldermen adopted this resolution, but
the council refused to concur, and no further
action was taken by the Board of Aldermen.
The clerk then read a communication from
Patrick ONeae, whose house was destroyed
by locomotive explosion some weeks since,
asking that the City Council should inquire into
the circumstances of the explosion by which
his property was destroyed.
He also states that the company is totally
irresponsible, even if he should obt ain judy
ment against it, and asks that the City Coun-
Gil appoint committee to investigate the mat
ter, and take such action as shall compel the
railroad company to pay for his loss OF property,
or remove Cuelr tIaCh lIUlu lllc SIlCcI.
Mr. Martin favored the appointment of the
committee asked for, and said that the corpor-
alton had the right to grant privileges to rail
road companies to traverse the public thorough
fares, hut no right to give them permission to
allow the locomotive engines to stand in the
public streets, block up mans doorway and
explode there, and blow up private property,
and endangcr human life; no right to allow
them to make depot Of mans house, and
blow that houses to peices. The petitioner
merely wanted to know what course to pursue,
and he thought he was not asking too much.
Mr. Massey opposed the granting Of the
petition and said that the corporation had no
right to incur unnecessary expense in discov-
ering who has violated franchises. If the rail
road company had exceeded its privileges those
whose rights had been intringed had their re-
course-certainly the city could not employ
counsel for the benefit OF certain injured par
ties He moved to lay the petition On the Ia