Evening star., 1870-02-08
present in this hall on Tuesday evening last had


This resolution is offered as a substitute for
the proposition before the Boards: L.,
tsry Of this Board, is hereby commended "a compe
tent able and faithful officer, and as an honorable
The debate was quite an exciting one, and also
involved poin. of order, Mr.. Moore contending
The The Chair M decided that It was not, but 'i could
only be introduced under a suspension of the
rules. Finally a vote was taken on the question
of suspending the rules to enable Mr.. Moore to
introduce the resolution, and the Board refused
to suspend the rules. Yeas-Messrs Champion
Emery, knight, Moore and Morsell-5. Nays
Messrs. Baker. Chase, Clark, Connolly, Davis,
This ended the contest.
THE WASHINGTON CANAL QUESTION GALVANIZED
INTO TEMPORARY LIrE.
The next special Order--being the bill for i'm
provement Of the Washington canal, reported
by Dir. Emery, Chairman Of the Special Com
mittee, on the subject two weeks ago, (and an
abstract Of which was published in THE STAR of
Tuesday, 10Th ult. twas taken up, when Mr.
Davis offered a substitute bill, constituting
Board to consist of the Commissioner of Public
Buildings, the Surgeon General of the U. 5.
and an officer Of the Engineer Corps of the u. s.
Army to be deslgnatedby the Secretary of War,
the Mayor Of Washington, one member of the
Board of Aldermen, and one member Of the
Board OF Common Council, and two citizens to
he appointed by the Mayor; to take charge of
and invite plans and proposals for the improve
ment of the Washington canal, and take such
acton as may be necessary to carry out such
plan as may be agreed upon by said Board for
lis Improvement. The second section appro-
Irates Slo0 0CO0 to carry out the provisions of the
act; provided, however, that the Congress of the
United States shall appropriate such additional
sum as will ensure the thorough improvement of
the canal from Seventeenth street west to its
eastern terminus.
MIR. Davis supported his substitute bill in a
speech of some length, reviewing previous legs
lation on the subject, and setting forth the ne
eessity for immediate action. He objected TO
the bill reported by the special committee, be-
cause majority of the board proposed are to
be officers OF the General Government and yet
the Corporation is to pay the entire cost of the
work. He said: "While the gentleman seems
to have recognized the relation the canal bears
to the General Government, in the selection of
the members Of his canal board, he has been
over generous toward the Government in pro-
vIding the Corporation should foot the entire
cost OF the work. For years the canal has been
gradually filling, and mainly from the deposits
emptiCd into it from the sewers of the city; and
while that is known to all, and the citizens OF
Washington are denounced for allowing it to re-
main in its present filthy condition, people loose
sight of the fact that fully one-half of the mat
ter in that canal is from buildings, depar tments
and public grounds occupied and controlled bv
the General Government, and as a matter of
equity the cost of the dredging and improve
Government"
After recapitulating the provisions of his bill.
Mr.. Davis said that should IL become law and
expense, then the disgrace of this enormous
nuisance will not rest alone upon the people of
Washington. And outside Of the question of the
justice OF the Governments assuming a portion
OF the expense of the improvement OF the canal,
ii is matter Of pecuniary impOssibility with the
Corporation to do the work at this time, for the
present fiscal year is fast drawing to a close,
and the demands now standing against the Cor
pOration, and those that will necessarily arise
before June, will probably absorb the revenue
yet due; and any expenditure of money on the
on nj ltx-bt oh 10 TO-,
thoroughly cleaned out, Strengthened, and mar
rowed to a regular width-thereby doing away
with the abutments and projections which OBJ
struct the current and prevent the mud from
washing Out-wOuld be "a useless waste of
money, adding thousands Of dollars to the SIS. .0po
already spent in attempting to rid the city of an
evil, by trying to do away the effect without re-
Mr.. Davis closed as follows:-"But, sir without
wishing to enter into any argument as to the
best mode of improving the canal, leave the
matter TO be decided by the board created by
this bill, should 1t become a law; believing that
they will be equal to the emergency, and that
they will cause it to be improved in manner sat
isfactory to all persons concerned. And am
satisfied that should this bill, any other bill
making similar proposition to the General
Government, be passed, they will heartily Join
us in wiping out OF existence a nuisance dis
cTeditable both to the city of Washington aud
the Congress Of the United States.'
the special order for next Monday evening.
MIR. Slater, from Canal Committee, reported
favoraby on Council bill granting permission
10 John j. Sullivan to occupy the ground now
leased by him from the Corporation. the
canal west OF 9Th street west, for the period OF
three months from date, at "a yearly rental OF
$50. payable quarterly. ami TO Thomas Fahey
the ground on the canal east of 10th street, Tor
six months from date. at yearly rental OF : lOo
payable quarterly; passed.
PRIVATE CLAIMS.
Mr.. Emery, from the Committee on Claims.
reported favOraDy on bilis; for the relief OF Sc
IaE flar Rah aAr,f,, ,,fcfrn to- +l,.
Catherine Bauman; Julia A. TarltOn, T.. NJ
Tuell, w. G. johnson, Charles Thomas. the
Universal Franchise Association, (remitting
amount paid for license to hold public exhibi.
tiOns,) W. 5. Mitchell. George Kehler, John
Speais, and John B. Evans; all Of which were
passed. Also, reported back bill for the relief
of Michael Dufy-amonnting to sl,1s5-35-for
losses sustained in grading Fourth street west
between - and X streets north; postponed, and
made the special order for next Monday night.
SYMPATHY FOR DISCHARGED NAvY-YARD
WoRKMEy.
Mr.. Connolly offered a concurrent resolution.
which was unanimously adopted, 'that the SYM
pathy OF these Councils is hereby rendered to
the hundreds of mechanics and wOrkmen who
have recently been dismissed from tie Wash
ington Navy-Yard; that 1t is the earnest hope of
these Councils that it may be found compatible
with the views of the Administration and of
Congress, and with the putlic interests, to i'm
mediately remove all existing obstacles to the
unemployment Of all the furlOughed men; that
the Mayor be respectfully requested to present
ceTtbed copies OF these resO to the Presi-
dent Of the United States, the Secretary of the
Navy, to the Senate ard to the House of Repre-
sentatives."
NoEE CANAL BUSINESS.
Mr.. Stuart introduced the following, and it
was adopted:
Whereas the lave of this Cor poraion provide for
the Office Of Commissioner Of the Canal whose duty
IL 10 to collect all and wha rfage and to enforce
The laws respecting the said canal. and his honor
ssa sss nSs in for
Rt$o.rta, That the Mayor be requested to inform
this Board, at its next meeting, by whom the reuts
and wharfage Of the canal collected and what
amount I money has been received from the same;
and what number Of persOns now rent lots fronting
rent what is known Brown 4 Galt's wharf, Mt the
foot OF 18th street west, and what is the annual rent
received from the said wharf"
MIsCELLANEOUs.
Mr.. Moore introduced bill refunding certain
taxes assessed Oh the Third Baptist Church,
corner Fourth and L streets; passed.
Mr.. Moore presented the following:
ReSored That the Secretary be reQues ted to state
in wiring the circumstances under which he as
induced to place before the Board Of Common Coun-
Gil, at sp ial session called by the Mayor Tues
dsy evening last, the bill Of this Board titled An
act 70 postpone the advertisement of tax sales and
iGr other purposes"
Laid on the table; and at 1890 o'clock the
Board adjourned.
Board Of Common Council.
President Williams in tho chair, and all the
members present.
message was received from the Mayor in
answer TO resolution stating "that the contract
for numbering the houses in the city requires
that the contractor shall furnish the snumber'
fnra N hnr fort fC