Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-04-10

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to this county in all turnpikes within its limits
and the county having accepted the same
under the act of March 9Th, 1871 we desire
to confer with the Middle Turnpike Company
as to the best means that can be adopted to
improve and maintain said pike from Aexan-
dria to Dranesville AT a recent conversation
with Mr.. Lee, the President of said company,
it was suggested as proper to consult with and
| obtain the views OF the City Council of Alcxan.
dria, which is large stakeholder aud most
deeply interested in said road As you are
| aware, under the laws OF this State, all real,
and personal property is chargeable with main
| tanning the co roads. Persons residing or
owning property on the line Of toll roads are
compelled to pay road taxes, same as others,
which cannot be applied to maintaining roads
having private franchise, consequently such
property is required to contribute to the maln-
tanning of roads remote, and IN which they
| have but little interest, and at the same tlne
pay for the use of toll roads; this is a grevious
burden, of which the people very justly COM
plain The remedy for these evils is thought
to consist 10 constellation, either ID the Turn,
pike Company or in the county interested, and
require either to maintain the road in accor'
dance with our present very stringent road laws
Should the city Of Alexandria think 1t ad
visable to transfer its stock to the county OF
Fairfax, on condition, that the county Will MAIN
tain 10 good condition, free road thereon. |
have no doubt the county will accept 1t, and
the city will enjoy the benefits OF free public
highway. as an avenue aud tributary to her
trade and interests and the property holders
will become interested in the good condition OF
road by being permitted to apply their road
taxes thereon. realizing thereby all the Dement'S
OF corporation,
You, sir, very kindly expressed your favor
able opinion of this plan. Can you rthcr aid
it bv presenting this subject to your city au-
thorities and ask them tn designate some per-
son, with full power to negotiate With the OH
GERS OF the company; or the representative OF
the county, or both, or such other action as
may be deemed best.
Should it be desired I will meet Your city
Boards at any time they may desi gnate. in be
half of this county, believing, as do, in COM
mon with many others, that this road is an In
tcrest which should be fostered and made
public benefit, both to the city and to the cnun,
ty, on our behalf that we may have 4 free and
easy access to your city: yours. that you may
enjoy the benefits and trade, which your bcr'
aliry and enlightened business views will entItle
you to expect. Very respectfully, your obeui-
ent servant, y. II. GRAY
Pres. Board Of Supervisors, Fairfax Co.
To the Honorable City CoucH:
This communication was sent to me by MIR.
GRAY, President Board Of Supervisors OF FAIR
fax county, and [ beg to lay the matter before
you for your consideration | think it import
ant that this road should be made free one,
and hope it may r ceive the favorable conside-
ration Of your honobrale body. Your ob't
servant, LEWIS MCKENZIE
ALEXANDRIA, VA, April 9, 1872.
Mr. Hughes moved that the committee be
instructed to grant to the county OF Fairfax the
stock Of the city of Alexandria in that road
provided that said road be kept forever as
tree road.
Mr. Wheat was not disposed to accept the
amendment because it would bind the commit
tee to make the transfer, even though they
should see reasons why it should not be made.
lie was willing to accept the amendment II the
gentleman would so modify it as to allow the
committee to act in the premises or report the
reasons for declining to the Council.
Mr. Hughes-I accept the amendment. but
T don't see why the road cannot be ma lie Il free
road at once.
The resolution as amended, was adopted.
The report of committee on the condition
of the tunnel to the eff ct that all the promises
which could be obtained from ;he rallruad com
pany was that the east end OF the tunnel should
be madc safe, was received.
Mr.. Shinu was prepared to accept the report
of the committee, but denounced the condition
of the east eud Of the tunnel as disgrace tie
was certain that the right to make tunnel had
never been granted except with the condition
that the street should be placed IN safe con-
dition. He repeated that it was disgrace to
the CITY, but as representative from the First
Ward he protested against the nlggardIy man
ner in which the Orange road Was acting IN
this matter He gave notice that at the next
| meeting he would bring forward plan to
remove the evil complained OF.
| Mr.. Hopkins lin calling up the bill to divide
the collection districts by King street, said that
when the line OF division between the districts
was midway between King aud Prince streets
the commissions Of the collector Of the North
ern District were much the larger. This III
equality would be still further increased when
the line was placed at Prince street. Even
with the line as proposed by the peudlng bill
the commissions Of the collector OF the North
ern District will still be 5000 more than that
able that he supposed no opposition could be
made. The bill passed, Messrs. Neae and
Pinn voting in the negative.
Mr. Shinu, after reading the remarks OF Mr.
French, in the Board OF Aldermen at the last
meeting. in reference to the coil6cation of the
laws of the corporations, said that the report OF
Mr.. French on that occasion, was, at least a
most remarkable one. The resolution referred
to the committee directed them to euquire and
report the cos, of such code. This resolution
was passed in July last. And now near ly a
year afterwards Mr.. French comes in and re-
ports that tine copying of the laws would inl,
pose too much labor on the committee, and
that the cost of the publication would be too
great Nobody expected the committee to
copy the laws and as to the cost the Couucll
wanted to do its own thinking If the com,
mttee thought the cost too much they could
never have examined the matter thoroughly;
A previous committee on the same subject had
made the inquiries and ascertained the cost ina
few hours. 1t was then found that the code
could be made aud published tor 1928; no
very great cost for work of so much Import
ance. An appropriation for that purpose had
been made by the Council and defeated 10 the
Aldermen by Mr. Freuch, who now does not