Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1869-03-30
CORPORATION AFFAIRS.

from the Mayor announcing his approval of
Ger. IN acts iSf @ street improvements which
1h- Mayor returned TO the Board "An act to
reimburse Henry Polkinhorn for rnxes errone.
eusly paid by him, )" S16i.5O, wi h the folio wing
endorsemeat: "In order that no question may
hereafter arise IN regard to the matter this bill
should designate the property on account
OF which the tax was erroneousiy paid. in
which case reference to the law itself will
only be necessary to a full understanding
OF this questl1n; (signedD :. J. Bowen, Mayor"
X ieIred to Finance Committee.
The Chair also laid before the Board the fol. =.
LOVING communication
"WAsHINsroN, ID c., March 90, 1870
ue Honorable Boards # Aldermen and Consaon
poin ted a special Committee Of the Board Of
Trustees of Public Schools, would respectful.
ly make the following statement of facts in
reference TO the funds necessary for the support
Of the public schools The Board of Trustees,
as required by law, made mp and tIansmi TIED
to the City Councils an estimate of the amoun,
required to support the public white schools
for the nscal year ending June Both, 1869, and
in accordance Herewith the councils by au act
approved December 22d, 1s6s, appropriated
sl6i 9t2 50 out of The school fund, and in case f
Hs tnsuDietency out Of tae general fund, 10 be ex-
pended under the direction OF the Board of
Trustees Of Public Schools. Tue number of
schools to be Kept in operation aud the salaries
mated and appropriated approximsted very
nearly 10 the actual equirements lha schools
The Treasurer Of the public schools reports TO
fl,1l ~
tmount $i3,.is:T, was applied to tns
payment OF old debts, leaving uuexpended of
tne amount appropriated for the present fiscal
Year the sum OF SlU3, ,sY9 81, ard his Honor me
Mayor informs us that here are no funds in
the city treasury, and that there is no prospect
OF there being suhicIent TO supply the demands
OF the schools. The persons employed to take
cnarge OF the school rooms have not been paid
for their services since the LIST of January last
The teachers have not been paid since the Iet
OF February, and unless the City Councils
N rnr a fhan nTa.- n
cover the deficiency referred to, the schools
Will soon lose their present efficiency, if they
are not compelled to close altogether. The
Board Of Trustees have felt il to be their duty
To make this statement to the City Councils.
and TO most earnestly reQu uest such action as
may enable the Mayor TO meet the neces sary
feaoisi.lons for school purposes. Respectfully
[signed] Hudson s. Brown, W. r. Wood.
ward, z. ID. Lawrence. James @. DuIin, Com.
Referred to Com mittee on Schools.
Mr.. Cook introduced bills 10 extend gas and
water mains on the west side of 17tn street
passed.
The Chair laid before the board a communi.
cation from the Surveyor in ans wer to resoIu.
tions OF the board, in which he states that the
estimated cost Of grading and graveling 2lst
street west was Sl,51S.6 The actual cost of
the work, according TO the Commissioners paw
roll, was S1,i9l; amount Of cost of improve.
ment less than estimate. S21.6g. The Suryeyor
says the estimated cost OF the work ON street
north was 81, ,56s6s. but he has not receiy we'd the
Commissioners rolls, and does not yet know
the actual cost Referred TO Improvements
Mr. Richards introduced bill for the relief
OF Mrs. II. Morris; referred. Also, bill enact
ing "that whenever a majority of the property
owners upon any square representing the
property bordering upon any proposed alley
In said square, shall petition to have an alley
lald out, condemned, graded, and paved, :he
Mayor shall be authorized to call upon the
City Surveyor to locate and lay out such alley
IN such q manner as to affect all bordering
property in the most equitable manner; and
furthermore, the Mayor shall be authorized 10
cause such alley to be graded and paved in ac.
cordance with existing laws, under the direc.
ton OF the Ward Commissioner and two as
sistant commissioners, appointed by the Mayor:
and to pay the cost of such Improvement a
sum equal to the mount thereof shall be as.
sessed and collected upon all lots OF parts of
lots benefited thereby bordering oa said al
ley" sharp debate took place, participated
Ia by Messrs. Richards, Moore, and Morsell
alter which the bill was referred TO the I'm
pTovements Committee.
Mr.. Fenwick presented petitions of property
owners Tor Improvement OF street north from
North Capitol 10 lst street east: referred. Mr..
ClaIk asked leave 10 introduce u Dili author
izing the Mayor to anticipate the revenue in
order TO REIN burse the school fund for monies
expended out OF laid fund IN liquidation OF in.
debtedress for school purposes, contracted uu.
der act approved May 30, Ie6s, entitled an act
10 enable him to pay the school teachers and
the proportion due the Trustees Of the Colored
Schools" The bill authorizes the Mayor ssto
borrow S62,00 to pay certain school expenses
for which the Corporation Is liable, in anticipa.
tlon OF the collection of the revenue of this
Corporation to be raised for school purposes,
said money 10 be deposited in the First National
Bank to the credit Of the school fund to enable
the Mayor 10 pay the teachers OF the Public
schools aud the proportion due 10 the Trustees
Of Colored Schools" Mr.. Moore objected to
the reception of the bill at that time, and a long
debate on points of order ensued after whichEhe
Board decided not to receive the bill at that
time.
Mr.. Crocker, from Finance Committee re.
ported bill appropriating S6i2 Us from the scnool
house fnpd to enable the Mayor to pay the
same to Messrs Wise & Callahan for work
done on Franklin School House, the said
amount TO be in addition TO the amount of ac-
count rendered and approved by AudiungCom-
mitee OF the Councils, under the act Of Novem-
ber %, 1866. He said the Committee did not
make any recommendation in reference to the
bill. A long discussion ensued, il being ex.
planned that the above amount (s6t2 Os) was to
psy the interest on the claim of Messrs Wise
d Callahan, they having received bonds for the
principal. They base to cir claim for interest
on the fact that Mayor Wallach was authorized
to borrow money to pay them by The act above
quoted, but failed TO raise the money, and they
had to borrow it themselves TO pay the inter.
est MT. Moore opposed the passage OF the
pay interest; the May or had no right TO delegate
his executive authority 10 any outside parties
and II this was allowed others would make
similar claims. Mr.. McCathran ad yocatad the
such claim had been paid, (that of Ellis A
Brother) and admitted that other parties had
similar claims. Mr.. Crocker conceded with
Mr.. Moore in his views OF the legal aspect of
the case, and although the parties had to lake
bonds for their principal, which strengthened
their claim In eQ uity, yet IL was settiug dan
gerous precedent to pass this bill. MIR. MorseIl
was opposed to establishing such a precedent,
and opposed the measure because, in his
opinion, 1t was illegal. Messrs. Fenwick and
Grinder advocated the passage of the bill, and
after protracted debate the bill was rejected
on the third reading-Yeas, Messrs. Clark
Fenwtck, Lloyd, McCathran, Talbert, and the
President (9rinder)-S; nays, Messrs. Baker,
COOK, Croeker, knight, Moore, Morsell, and
Mr.. Orocker, from the Finance Committee.
reported the follow ing Joint resolution:
Be IL resolved, dc, Thai fully appreeiating the
necessity for greater railroad Mcilities than
now exist to connect the Capital of the Repub-
lie with the various sections Of the country
and believing that great benefits would flow
to our citizens BY being placed In connection
with the rich and productive rogtOus of Vir.
ginia and the West and Of Southern MARYLAND
and desiring to reflect the expressed sentiment
OF large and respectable portion OF the tax.
payers and business men of this city, we do
hereby most respectfully but earnestly request
the Congress Of the United States TO pass an act,
at an early day, TO authorize the Corporation TO
subscribe to the capital stock Of the Alexandria
Loudon and Hanpshire Railroad Company 70
an amount not exceeding one million OF dol.
Maryland Railroad Company to an amount of
not exceeding three hundred Thousand doliare
on such terms as may be deemed lust. Also, TO
authorize thls COrpOratiOn To raise thu am on