Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-04-24
LOCAL NEWS.

CITY CoUNcIL-Last night was the night
for the regular meeting of the City Council.
There was no meeting, however, of the Board
of Aldermen, as only four members, Messrs.
Simpson, Markell, French and Worthington-
not ouorum-were present For official pro-
ceedinps of the Common Council see another
column.
Common Council. Six or seven visitors
flied the benches upon which spectators rest
their weary limbs and listen to the debates.
Within the bar, at the appointed hour, a
Quorum was present. At later hour, the
Aldermen being without quorum. number
of auditors came in from the Aldermen S room.
MIR. Risheill ION the petition of r. Portner
for fire. plug on the corner OF Washington aud
Wythe streets beng ready said that Mr.. Port
ner was now about to build fine ice house,
and, at the opening of the season, to erect a
fine residence on Washington street. The re-
cent fire had demonstrated the necessity Of a
6re-plug at that point. The subject was re-
terred to the Committee on Streets with power
to act.
The Chair called the attention of Council to
the fact that many Of the hucksters had paid a
license-tax last year before Judge Lowe issued
his Injunction restraining its collection. They
to settle At his suggestion resolution was
agreed to authorizing the Auditor to refund
the license-taxes paid by them last year.
A communica ton from the Mayor stating
that but two of the ready-m men elected by
Council were now on duty. viz: VIM NOEL
and VIM. barley, j. c. Watkins and +.
Trayers having resigned. and the other two be-
ing on the regular force was received.
Mr. Clagett introduced a resolution, and called
for the yeas and nays thereon, for the appoint
ment of a committee to revise the city charter,
and that the charter SO revised be submitted TO
the people.
Mr.. Hopkins said that though in favor of the
present charter, he had not been in favor OF the
means by which it was adopted, yet he was now
in favor, as it was adopted, of giving 1t fair
trial in order to see whether it would not work
tene6cially. :,
Go vote all the white members of Council
voted no, the two colored members voting aye
The bill abolishing the laws for preventing
forestalling the market was then taken up.
Mr.. Hughes moved that the bill be put upon
its pa passage ys,.-no Won want to mass a law for
the benefit Of land sharks do you? Better
pass law to compel the clerk of the market to
be more rigid: as to fresh vegetables They
will be like the fish. The hucksters buy the
triyera,ors, until they sell the stale ones they We
got on hand So twoud be with the vegeta-
bles. They give you old stale fish with their
eye balls all sunk You will get them all the
time stale if YOU adopt this resolution, when
YOU come to market Sometimes now you can
meet a couutrynlau and get some fresh, but
YOU will never do it, if you pass this.
Talk about Que or two countrymen that can
sell whole load Of cabbage at once-lt they
can't do it they better go to Washington than
put the people to the mercy OF the hucksters;
don't care what you give them they re bound
to rob you. What's the use OF passing law
like this. They are all in cahoot together, aud
all ask the same price. You give it all in the
hands of hucksters you II have pretty market.
They now 90 to the country people and tell
you have left. They want the country PEG
ole to 90 in cahoot with them, and it is bad
enough as it is, without making it worse than
it Is.
Mr.. Hopkins thought that the bill proposed
was proper one, and advocated its adoption.
Mr.. Neale again urged his objections. lie
had been going to market for forty years. Some
of these gentlemen did not 60 to market at all
When they had gone as long as he had they
would know something about 1t.
Mr.. Hughes said there were some men who
had marketed much less time, but had learn
ed much more about it. Laughter. we had
now to deal through three or four sets OF buck
sters. We are at the mercy not only OF our own
hucksters, but of those of W ashington and Baltl-
more, and further North. With this law the
huckster could sell fresh provisions the mo-
ment he bought then, land would not be obliged,
as now, to keep them until next morning and
sell them stale. This would encourage the
country people to come here and sell In bulk.
Mr. Neale-We give three or four more cents
for wheat here, and yet they carry 1t to Baltl-
more. :,
MIR. Pinn said that at the last meeting the
gentlemen, (Mr. Neale) had arraigned the
negroes, now he arraigped the hucksters aud
saws thew are robbers. He was glad that there
was somebody else to blame besides the negroes.
He was in favor of the bill. He thought the
bill good one. He noticed this mornlng that
the hucksters were selling eggs tor % cents,
while the countrymen sold at rs cents.
Mr.. Clagett was In favor of the bill, and OPP
posed to those Anticipated locotoco restraints on
trade.
Mr. Neale-Last time my friend from the
4th Ward went dead against it. 1t Is sudden
conversion. AS to the interest the hucksters
had 10 the town it was all tor themselves. He
knew them like book.
Mr.. Hughes explained the operation OF a
new market established IN his nelgnoornoOo at
Philadelphia, by which country people we're
induced under the tree-t trade system to bring
an ample supply of provisions.
Mr. Moore moved that the future consldera-
ton of the bill be postponed until the next
meeting, but his motion was lost
Mr. Neale said if you pass this you will never
have chance TO get anything 6rst-hand. You
would have to pay tariff to the hucksters.
Mr.. Sbinn thought that these forestallipg
laws were the most stupendous humbugs. He
believed that for the amount of money invest
ed, the risk, &C., the hucksters received less
profit than any other class of business men,
His old friend, whose head was generally level,
seemed to have gotten wrong on this subject
His old friend complained that the hucksters
had ruled the market for forty years, and yet
opposed repeating this law. ;.
Mr.. Neale-If We had market master 1t