Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-11-14

act to repeal an act granting the consent OF the
City Council OF Alexandria, upon terms 10 The
occupation of certain streets by railroad crmpa
Mes passed February -. 1866
On introducing the act, Dr. j. said
| Mr. PRESIDENT: Private and public acts often
have the origin, and there is Il lofty principle
which when properly evoked calls forth all the bet
ter motives oil mans nature, and eliminates that
fine feeling which disdains the groveling considera
lions of sinister designs, and seeks the high ann of
| yielding part OF those advantages which ale the
| sum OF its welfare to minister TO the comfort OF
those external influences hat impOrtune it for assls
| tance. This manifestation lis that attribute which
| is known among men as kindness, and is willing
10 display itself no less in public transactions than
in the private affairs oil life and as men now and then
yield submission to its sway TO degree that
sometimes makes Inconvenience in their personal
business relations, so the agents OF the people now
and then, in obedience to its mandates, vote away
/ the vested rights and franchises of those whom
they present to extent that after developments
prove To have been, II not mprudent and unwise,
ut least tboughtless and impovident; aud desire
to call attention to the fact that, IN all likelihood,
there never was, on the part of liaed corpora.
tlon such a unsolicited display of muniticencc as
was evnced by the City Council Of 1866 in The cx-
trao dnary liberal consent which it gave TO certain
railroad companies to use almost four miles OF tho
streets of The city without the slightest proposition
! for q return OF some good for SO much favor be-
! slowed. Such kind consent was never moro readl-
ly given aud such generosity was never more gra-
| ciousy yielded. The representatives of the people
are sonLtiInes tempted TO vote special fagOrs to
| corporations under the promise of great good IN
return; but in this instance there was tempting
| petition Of accrucmcDt of advantages to the
people if their representatives would grant given
prayer. There was neither petition, prayer, nor
promise of return OF good 10 cali forth The act OF
February 18th, 1866 which gave the right, the con-
venicnce and the easement which the people held
in almost four miles Of their streets, to the cXclu.
siyc aud selfish of certain railroad companies;
and il the fact that such streets, parts of streets
have no. been given over oy the act 10 the almost
/! entire OF railroads, let him number Of cti-
z:ns attempt TO such streets for their business
necessities, and he or they will soon how much
public Easement has been sacrificed TO the private
interest of corporations which have no law beyond
their pleasure TO force them to observe any regula
| ton that the people may deem requisite To their
! comfort and health.
/ Vapid promises and empty con lectures are always
apt To usurp the place Of sober thought and active
| care in the passage OF laws by dcberatire bodes
and the latitude of the of February 18th, 500,
will be readily appreciated by a reference TO the
ample which it gives for BY its first section
! consent is granted To ''the Alexandria, Loudoun
aud Hampshire Railroad Company, of Water
street, from the present terminus OF their road III
saiG street, to Cameron street, and of peldleton,
UIOnUcO and Princess streets, to connect with the
Orange and Alexandria railroad III Union street; TO
| the Orange and Alexandria Railroad Company, of
Union street, south of j. ca street, of Franklin
street cast Of Union street, To the Potomac river,
and of Wilkes street TO connect with their said
track in Union street; To the Alexandria Washing
ton and Georgetown Railroad Company. of Henry
street, from its northern terminus south to connect
with the Orange and Alexandria railroad at or near
the intersection of Duke and Henry streets, and
| of st. Asaph street from King street To Madison
street, and thence ny the most eligible route To an
| intersection with the main line to Washington; 10
| the Alexandria and Fredericksburg Railroad COM
| pany OF Henry street south from the terminus OF
| the Washington, Alexandria and Georgetown rail
road at or near the intersection Of Duke and Henry
streets TO the southern boundary"
Such is the remarkable consent which the City
| Council of 1866 CAV, TO railroad companies To use
the streets named in the act. And did majority
| ot sixteen councmcn ever before manifest such
lloerality The people gave TO the sixteen tempo
rary councimen the guardianship of their case
neut in the streets, and they scarcely imagined
that by thougltcsS vote OF their representatives
in Council their convenience in the streets
would DC SO bootleaSly given away without
their power those streets unless at the grudg
ing sutlrrance CT the railroad companies
This occupancy of the streets by railroads is not
only OF exceedingly great Inconvenience and dis
comfort TO the people in their acts OF locOlnOOn,
but is absolutely OF great injury To their real estate
property; for it is now universally conceded that
| the property along street through which rail-
ROAD passes is deprecated TO least Que half It's
value, and that thereby residence ON such streets
| is not rendered desirable Us Il pleasant place OF
abode. but often dangerous TO life and limb. There
fore, in view Of these facts is it than he
reasonably expected that the people should. with
almost unanimous SENTIMENT question not only The
fitness hut the legality of the right of Council TO
vote away for railroad uses much OF their streets
without proper thought Or Care for their future well
1arc aud convenience 1t is true that certain con
ditous and restrictions were embodied in Of |
! the sections Of the Of February Is, 1866 but |
these conditions and restrictions were Of SO trail
character that officer Of the corporation has
attempted: and probably never will attempt 10 tn
force them, in consequence OF the absence OF penal
ties requisite to make his effort either successful
legal and again, the names of the railroad coEIpa
MES mentioned in the act mol now in existence |
and the companies designated by il, have either be
come entirely extinct or changed their names with
out petition TO Council for transfer OF consent TO
the streets; and in further corrobornton of this
important point it must be remembered, that, when
those rrrUad COMPANIES now IN cXitence, are |
brought TO the lest of the corporation laws, they
manage or obstnately endeavor To resist the app |
cation of those laws under the plea that they are
applicable not TO their companies but TO the names
or companies which preceded them in their bust.
ness operations. Therefore, it mprese6 me that |
true wisdom Indicates that the best ouIsc for the
City Council TO pursue, is TO recall The consent
granted in the act of 1868; and let each railroad
coming into the city do under new conditions
and restrictions; for, the use OF The streets by
railroad companies is now conducted at great III
convenience 10 the citizens, IL bcluoVes, think,
the member of the Council TO adopt such measures
as will be likely to ensure greater degree OF re-
spect for the government of the city than railroad
companies have heretofore cnviuced, and teach such
companies to REMINDER, that their interest is but
one of the many that the City Council is bound by
sacred oath 10 foster or protect
take part in opposition to railroads, railroad
men, or rrilroad nouopoes, and join not in the
clamor against them individuals Or as individual
companies, but desire it to be understand that
claim that the railroads using near four miles Of
Streets almost exclusively for their special bust
ness aud respective profits, should be required TO
come under the laws aud regulations that
govern the draymeu, cartmen, and cxprecsnen OF
city; and | sure no reasonable man can
object To the introduction and institution Of such
laws will insure just respect on the part of the
raIlraad companies gratuitously using our street..
for Interests of the city other than their own, and
in view of this opinion and feeling, ask respect
full consideration Of the bill which have the honor
to present, proposing to repeal the act of February