Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-05-13

Treasury, transmitting the draught ola bill to
increase the compensation of the collector of
customs for the district of Alexandria: is now
before the Committee on Commerce of the
House of Representatives.
TREASURY DEPARTMENT. May |, 1872 SIR:
| have the honor to transmit herewith the
draught Of bill ito increase the compensation
Of the collector OF customs for the district OF
Alexandria,
1t appears that the total emoluments of the
collector fer said district during the three hscal
years ending June 80, 1871, have been as fol-
lows:
From July /. 1868. to June Is, 1869 $3.50 &c
FROM June l6, 1860, to june 80, 1870 935 GO
From June 80, 1870, to June 50, 1871 III 20
The emoluments of said officer for the cur
rent fiscal year will not, it is believed. exceed,
and may not equal, those ofthe preceding year
1t further appears that the responsibilities
and duties of the collector at Alexandra are,
in every respect, equal to those OF the collectors
for the districts of Cherry>tone and Georgetown
respectively. Hence it would seem but Just
that the compensation each should rest upon
the same basis. aud that there should be 90
discrimination in favor of or against either.
The present incumbent has been IN office
nearly three years, viz, since May Is. 1863
So far as the Department Is Informed, he has
discharged his duties faithfully, aud his request
for Retrospective compensation Ia cover por-
ton of that period is regarded as not uurcison-
able.
The bill in question has been prepared in ac-
cordance with these views. and its passage Is
therefore resptful recommended.
am, very respectfully,
WI. 4 RICHARDSON.
.4cting Secretary Of the TREASURY
Hon. JAMES g. BLAINE,
tSpenkcr Of tie House Of Representatives.
The following Is the bill referred to, TO increase
the compensation Of the collector OF customs
for the district of Alexandria,
Br enactpa dc. That the collector OF GUS
toms for the district of Alexandria, in the
State of Virginia, shall hereafter receive the
same salary nauely, FIVE hundred dollars per
anuum in adj ition to the fees OF office, now
provided by law for like officers in the districts
Of Chcrrystone in said State. and Georgetown
in the District Of Columbia Porhic,I That
the total compensation of said collector siraIl, IN
no case exceed the sun OF one Thousand live
hunered dollars per annuin.
Sec = That the proper accounting officers
Of tie Treasury be, and they are hereby, au-
thurized aud directed, upon final adjustment
of tie accounts of said collector for the fiscal
years ending respectively June thirty one
thouscd eight hundred and Sevenly-oue, and
June thirty one thousand eight hundred and
seventy two, to credit him with the amount of
compensation to which he would have been en-
titled under the preceding section had the
same been in force on or before June thirty
one thousand eight hundred aud seventy.
FIRE ALARM TELEGRApu.-J. r. DowcIl,
est, of Richmond, General Superintendent Of
the Southern division Western Uuion Tce
graph Company, while in the city, Oh Satur-
day last, on business connected with lis lines,
submitted to Chief Engineer Lcadbcater il
proposition looking to the establishment OF
fire alarm telegraph in our city, with the re-
quest that he would lay the matter before the
proper authorities. Mr. Dowell has lately
completed such an arrangement for the city OF
Richmond and is about putting one in opera,
ton iu Norfolk The advantages of this syS-
TEN are many principally in preventing false
alarms, it being impossible for any Que to give
an alarm except the policeman who has the key
to the box 1t is to be hoped our authorities
will look carefully into the matter and not al
low Alexandria to be too for behind our enter
prising ncighbors. The whole cost will proba-
bly, not exceed twenty-five hundred dollars
which seems sluall wien We consider the adj
vantagcS gaiud The saving alone In fuel,
wear and tear of engines, &c, consequent upon
turning out at false alarms would suon repay
the cost of such an enterprise.
A ScENE-About half past five o clock
Saturday evening there might have been seen
white man, evidently stranger, rather port
" and we'll dressed. apparently about thirty-hve