The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-05-04

Iamin N. Needs, resigned; DIR. VIM. Tindall,
as clerk to tho Mayor, Woo A. Z. Newton;
J. 8. Jones, to DO apotheoary for the Flfth
ward. Referred.
The Mayor also transmitted tho receipts of
the Water Register during tho month Of
April, Us followsi
Receipts oa account Of water taxes. ods C5
Receipts on sccount Of water rents, 5000 10
Receipts on ac'nt OF taps aud permits 225 90
---
Total. .''''''''''''''.'''''". N,2lO III
Also, transmitted tho following, under
date OF April 90, which explains Itself
'Tn answer TO the resolution Of the Board,
passed the Goth instant, requesting mo TO In
form the Board whether | dismissed the
commissioner Of the canal for reasons stated
In newspaper, ] have tho honor to state
that having never scon tho article In the
newspaper to which allusion Is made, and
being ignorant of its contents, | cannot OF
course give the information desired.
81 take this occasion to state that under
the charter OF the city the power Is given
the Mayor.to remove any appointable officer
under the corporation at his ,eiN and pleasure,
and that have not exercised that power,
and will not exercise Ii, excepting for salts
factory reasons and firm belief that the
welfare of the corporation will be thereby
promoted"
IL bOuNbhn, luSItNtul hhu tultlluNCH-
dent of sewers, g., transmits through the
President Of the Board, John Grinder, esq,
two communications, In which he says: SIN
answer to q resolution of the Board Of the
10Th ultlmo, requesting Information rs to
whether the foot pavement along street
south, from Seventh TO Eighth streets east,
Ia or Is not laid In accordance with the estab-
lished grades, have the honor to state, amer
careful examination, that there Is no mate
rial deviation from the established grades"
''In answer to a resolution Of your Board
of the Goth ult., requesting examination OF n
sewer In North A street, between First and
Second streets east, and lateral leading from
said sewer with an alley in square No. T2S,
| have the honor to state that have made
the necessary examination, and find that the
grade Of the alley ia too low. The drop
should have an arched covering with a
proper opening for the water To enter. Cost
Of alteration in drop about $780," Referred
| to the Committee on Drainage.
A communication was received from Mr..
B. seyerSon, in reply to a resolution Of in
Qury from this Board, adopted on the 10Th
| instant, In relation to the Washington canal:
ESGINEEk,s oIHIcE. wAsH'S CANAL,l
| WAsBISUToS, May 3, 1859.
To ne Board Of Aldermen:
GESTLEMESi My attention has been called
to the following resolution, which appears In
the proceedings OF your Board Of April 10;
Resolved, That the engineer Of the Wash
ington canal be directed to inform this Board
how much of the $4,000 appropriated by
the act Of April II, 1866, for improving the
canal has been expended on the work au.
thorized by that act; how much has been
expended on the canal for other purposes,
and what amount Of revenue has been de-
rived from the canal since the fret of July,
1865; also, what repairs may be required at
| this Tina mt the nal In n gOOl sanitary
condition."
In obedience TO the foregoing resolution
have the honor to report that the entir,
amount expended OF the above-named appro
priation Is sis, $500 leaving an unex
pended balance Of sec, 67I.9l.
This appropriation was made speciacall.
for improving the canal for sanitary pur
poses on the plan named in the act; the worl
to be done under the superintendent Of al
engineer to be appointed for that purpose
under the general supervision of a cana
board; the board to have control over the ex
pendltures necessary to the execution of tn
work required by the provisions Of the act
One of the duties imposed upon the enginee
by the board was to draw certificates OF In
debtedness for all claius approved. by tn
board, and to keep full and exact accoun
of all certificates thus drawn aud passed T.
claimants, which certificates, when approves
by the Mayor, would be paid through tn
register. Such general supervision was OK
ercised until the 3lst of May, 1867, wheI
the board adjourned sine die. But before ad
Journment the board conferred full power Of
the engineer fer performing certain uniin
ished duties connected with the canal I'm
provement, all Of which have been con
Quoted in accordance with the system estat
lished by the board. Hence the book kep
by the engineer shows In detail how and 70
| what n yfnapta hnvn hmm IN az IL
The sum above named is the aggregate O
expenditures, and no part Of the balance,
is supposed, can, consistently with law, b
applied to other purposes than those name
In the act.
As regards the second enquiry, show nue.
has been expended on the canal for othe
purposes and what amount of revenue ha
been derived from the canal since the first Q
July, 1885," the engineer Is not prepared I
answer, for the reason that he has had n
control over the expenses which come undo
the supervision OF the canal commissioners
II appears certain, however, that no part o
. the said appropriation was intended to b
applied TO the ordinary repairs on the canal
over which the commissioners has had exclu
siye charge.
In answer to the question "what repair
may be required at this time to put the cana
in good sanitary condition." respectful
recommend the early execution of the exca
vations and repairs provided for In the bill
passed by the Board OF Aldermen on the lot
Of October last, as that will best answer th
present sanitary wants, viz: Repairing tn
dixie and tide-ways so as to again cause tn
tides to flow through the canal In but on
direction, and deepening portions of the par
of the canal lying between Seventh stree
and Virginia avenue, for the purpose of In
surfing larger flow through the canal; cost
ing In the aggregate three thousand dollars
These appear to be the best and only practl
cal means for nyorting danger to hcaltl
during the approaching hot weather.
Had this work been done last fall or win
ter there would have been no occasion 70
the recent indictment OF the city for main
tanning nuisance in the bad condition O
the canal. To neglect this matter longer !
manfGstly to invite a pestllence. Hence tn
work ought not to be delayed. When coo
weather shall again return the canal shoul
be Strengthened and otherwise improved, q
provided in the well-considered bill passed
by the Board OF Aldermen on the 2sth o
fayorably received and printed by the Com
mittee Of Congress on Public Buildings an,
Grounds on the 9TH of February last. Car
rying out that plan would be the means o
speedily making the canal perfect con
seTyatOr OF health, a source of large revenu
10 the city, great convenience to the peO
pie, saving annually hundreds of thousand
Of dollars on the cost Of carriage, and addln
millions TO the value Of city property.
Why the city Is not permitted to secur
and enjoy these very great and easily attain
able advantages why the general healt
of the city is so fearfully imperrilcd wher
the responsibility for the existence and stub
born maintenance Of these evils may resi-
are questions your engineer is not called upo
10 answer at this time. 1t is certain, how
ever, that the fault does not rest with tn
majority Of the Board Of Aldermen, as the
have steadily voted for the prompt and effect
ual removal of the evils complained Of
thereby promoting to the extent of thei
, power the best interests Of the city, so far a
health and prosperity can be effected by th
good or bad condition Of the canal. Yer
respectfully, BENJAMIN SEyERsOS,
Engineer Washington Canal.
Ordered to be printed.
MEMORIALS, PETITIONS, &C.
Mr.. Moore presented the petition Of job
+. Clark. Referred.
Mr.. McCathran offered petition for n
lief of Geo. W. Wright. Referred.
Mr.. Baker presented the petition Of abou
400 persons, asking the Introduction Q