Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-12-11
Meeting OF the Board Of Aldermen.

| Meeting Of the Board Of Aldermen.
An adjourned meeliuy of the Board Of Al
dermen was held last night.
The report of the Conference Committee on
| the repairs to the Stone Bridge having beeu
read,
Dr. johnson rose to personal explanation,
and requested the clerk tu read from the ga
zetts report of the proceedings Of the Com-
mon Council, the night before, the iolowlDg
Mr. Hughes said the Committee on Streets
had been blamed without reason, when they
| were going right on doing their duty: 1t had
been said they spent Is cts. to carry Il plank that
only cost ST % Now the fact Was unless The
plank had been sent for in thai way, the labor
of u d. zen men would have stopped, and the
loss been many tires 70 cts. ne thought theIs
was good deal OF nons.ncein this matter of I'D
yertising for the lowest bidder. Tnere seemed to
be an Alderman from the Third Ward, who had
nothing to do but to look after the Committee
on Streets. If he would attend t. his own buSi-
ness he would be better employed.
He presumed he was the member referred
TO, and he would simply pronounce the whole
statement lie, and that the sandercr had BEEN
nut on the Committee on Streets, a! his, the
Sneakers. instance We have had cuough Of
referring such matter to lrreSouslblc commit
tees who spend the peoples mOuey unwarrant
ably, injudiciuusy aud .extravagantly. IL
would not recite the actions vi the Committee
on Streets. What he had said about the cx-
penditurcs of that committee Was the EXPIRES
sion of the Committee on Caiuls, not simply
his own unsupported assertions; but what Was
the business Of one member Oi the ClEy Conn.
Gil was the business of all. What was waited
in this case was plan. aud that plau To DC put
out TO contract.
MIR. Moore would ask The member if he had
used the word 'trauduenty, when speaking
| Ia If rho mn - Strppfs,
of which he was member
The Prcsdeut-No, he did not. The word
was extravagantIy.
MIR. Moore-B cause If you did, aud alIude
DR.. Jvhnson-No, ~ more than if You We're
not In existence.
|. Mr.. Latham-It is certainly to the inter
est of the city that the required work be
done promptly II it be necessary that the
method proposed by Dir. johnson Of having
plans aud specifications aud advertising Tor pro-
posas. lie, such method apply to future work,
but let that now under Consideration be zone
at once aud 50 save the Corporation expense.
DR.. johnson SAID the work should have been
done long ago and would have been had the
Committee on Streets suggested ii plan. We
did not know whether the bridge was 10 be Of
stone or wood, how it was to BE- built or any
thing abuu, H. aud the work lad better not
be done at all than be badly dJnc. IL
plan were proposed there would be no dill
Guilty 10 having it executed, but the I'M
propriety of allowing the Committee on
Streets to go on as bindy as they had been
doing Was plainly shown BY north Pit street
for which there was now bill Of 5000, the re-
suit Of the bluudering management or the
former Committee on Streets, and he had de-
Tended that Committee from the charges OF in
Il Ia
thcm.
The President called Mr. Moore to the chair
aud said that both DR.. Gregory, the President
Of the Little River Turnpike Company ADD
Mr.. Miller the President Of the Alexandria
Water Company had explained to him the ur-
gent necessity for the immediate repair OF the
bridge as regards both the saving OF expense
and the evidence of dagger trom probable III
terrurtioD 10 the supply Of water, aud with
such reasons before Us there certainly was nc
time Tor sticking. We should at once coucur.
You sir, addressing Mr.. Moro as member
of the Committee on Streets, said you would
have the work done by contract. That's enough,
enough for me. a0d ought to be enough Tor the
member from the 3rd Ward. Impressed as
am with the Danger to the city in the event OF
food or frcezc with the bridge 10 It's pre-
sent condition, think we should Wal! ~ Ioug-
CT duu uUFC lIldl aStioii VI Wv S'Ai'a'"o
Council be concurred in.
DR.. Johnson said he was not aware that even
one of the Committee had said the work should
be doue by contract.
Mr. Moore said there was only Que way to
do the proposed work aud this Was to
build stone abutmcnt and construct wooden
trunk He presumed such work could be con-
tracted for, but he constituted only one fourth
of the Committee on Streets and was unable
to say whether the other three mcmbers would
have it put out to contract Or not.
DIR. johnson then withdrew hi Objection
and the report Of the conference committee re.
commencing that the work be douc at ouce, un-
der the supervision of the Committee on Streets,
was, as had been done by the Common Coun-
Gil, adopted
Mr. Latham offered resolution, which was
adopted ordering an election on the 22nd III the
4th Ward for Alderman vice j. g. Underwood,
deceased, and appointing /. ~ Reed, L. Mex.
Bell, and j. w. Nails judges to hold the same.
Mr. W. f. Carne, the codi6cr Of the corpora
ton laws was then requested to present his
work.
Mr.. Carue wanted to know how his work
was to be considered aud stated the plan pur-
sued by the Common Council.
MIR. Latham said he was elected by consti-
tuents TO attend to their interest and they could
have 10 dearcr Interests than the laws that
were to govern them He should therefore
like to know what changes had been made 10
the laws aud would not be too tired to stay
and. hear them--hc wanted that distinctly 10
derstood.
DIR. johnson said none Of the amendments
that had been made could be adopted that
night for there were only five members present.,
whereas six were required to pass law.
| DIR Erapch said # that were so he would
move to adjourn for there was no use IN remain
ing-the same work would have to be gone
over again the succeeding night.
Dr. johnson said that though the amend
ments could not be adopted they might be
agreed to informally and so expedite their adop-
ton when full Board was present..
Mr.. Carne said that though 1t required SIX
members to adopt law i, merely required ma
| iority of a quorum TO agree to an amendment.