Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-09-06

The President stated that as one OF the Com
MISSIONS he would not hesitate In say that the
plan spoken of by Mr.. Evans was the one
which he had tean in favor ol.
Mr. Hughes asked Of what material the sheds
were to be constructed
The President responded, of either brick OF
iron with metallic roof
Mr.. Hughes said the interior OF the Market
House was not too light now, and if sheds
were erected all around the court walls, 1t
| would probably be too dark. lie thought
long shed connecting the TWO wings OF the
building, with fish house somewhere III the
middle of the square, would be the better pl an.
Mr.. Eichbcrg moved that the resolution be
adopted, and his motion vas carried.
After the transaction Of some business With
out debate, -,
Mr.. Mckcuzic introduced 4 resolution au-
thorizing tie Mayor to remove and sell the iron
| rails on, Henry street, stating that nobody
claimed them; that the street ought to be put
in repair that VIC had been waiting IOng enough;
| and that he thought we might az we'll taxi. the
| bull by the horus at oGce.
Mr.. HOPKINS said he did not think the Mayor
was the proper person To whom the execution
of the object uf the resolution should be en-
trusted such business Was not in his province
the Committee on Public Property. he
thought, was the body to whom should be
given the execution Of the purpose in view.
Mr.. Evans said he thought il would be the
better plan to ettrust the whole matter TO the
I Board of Public Works That Board had moth
ing to do now, and this was Il good place Tor
them to begin.
Mr.. Mckenzie said he you'd agree 10 any
thing, so the object Of his resolution was &c
coplpiished He had not in his resolution placed
he business 10 the hands Of the Board OF Pub
lie Works, because he thought some OF the
members of that Board nj ght not like to take
the responsibility Of tearing up tie rails. Lets
get them up AMI sell them, and lave ihc money
they brpg IN the treasury, and then we can en-
trust the spending OF il 10 whomevcr we please.
MIR. Hughes described the direction of the
drainage of the street, and said that the rail-
road track certainly belonged to some one, and
as soon as it was touched that some one would
be found out Two or three committees Of
| Council had been appointed 10 investigate the
ownership OF this track but they had made no
report. 1t would be much better to take.tlnc
and enquire about what We arc doing than to
be put IN Jail for doing wrong. THIS thing of
tearing up railroad tracks don do. How would
Mr. Mckenzie like to have a portion OF his
track torn up? Let another committee be APP
pointed to inquire iuto this matter.
Mr.. Mckenzie said the track vas laid by
the u. s. during the war without the consent
of the City Council. He had been to the War
Department to see about it, and no enc there
knew any thing at all about 1t. The .. a
II. Il. did not claim il, aud 50 far as he knew
nobody claims it. 1t is not our bllslncS to be
going about hunting for au owner. = In his
opinion the best course was to tear it up aud
sell it, ard with the proceeds put the street III
good order.
Mr.. llughs asked if Council had Lot given
some company authority to lay the track?
! The President left the chair and said he was
SURPRISED to hear Mr.. Hughes say that tie
committees appointed to investigate into the
| ownership Of the track had not reported They
had reported and repur,cd that the property
in question belonged to the city, aud it was but
| short time since that the Clerk OF this Board
had, under authority OF Council, written to the
| President Of the Alexandria aud Frederick Shurg
Railroad, asking him if his road claimed any
ownership, and he had answered that he knew
| nothing about it, No one now asserts Any own
ership over it. There was once a corporation
| that did claim 1.-THE w ashlngtun, Alexandria
and Georgetown Railroad Company, but the
Courts had decided that DO such corporation
ever had Legal existence. :.
Mr.. Evans said Council had spread itself
several times about this Henry street railroad
track and every time the cry was 1t belongs to
somebody, and we must not touch it for fear
Of that somebody. We'll pull it up and hnd
out who that somebody is. The a. l. +. Il. Il.
| &c. asked permission to lay track along that
! street once, perhaps for the purpose OF obtain
ing claim TO the oge already laid, for when
| asked If they wanted to have Two tracks, they
said no. The A. & W. road has, aud: makes,
| no claim to it-no road claims 1t, nor, III his
opinion, would the 4. 4 f. road ever pretend
| that they have any ownership in it. One thing,
| however, was certain, aud that was that the
street was in terrible condition SO bad that
| the people living on it could. not have coal
| hauled to their DOORS
Mr.. Portuer moved that the proceeds Of the
sale be turned over to the Board Ut Public
Works.
Mr., HOPKINS said old iron always had a
ready sae-woud realize more rapidly than tax
bills, and if It's sale was left to the Board OF
| Public Works he had no doubt they would
come into possession Of money at once and go
| to work Immediately.
The resolution was then amended intruSting
the matter to the Board OF Public Works.
MIR. Hughes moved that the removal of the
track be made at the cost OF the purchaser as
the Board of Public Works had no money to
pay Tor The removal. - 49,,
MIR. Evans favored this motion as the cost
of tearing up q railroad track was no small
| matter. .
Mr.. Downham opposed it upon the ground
that while tie officers of the City Council would
have no hcsitancy in pulling it up, purchaser
would not like to assume that authority, aLd
the value of the property would be that much
deprecated.
Mr.. Hughes repeated that no matter who
attempted to tear it. up he believed when the
attempt was made al owner would be found
Mr. Hopkins was opposed to the motion
upon the same grounds as those urged by Mr..
Downhanl. The value of the property would
be greatly deprecated by such a course. Re
move the iron from the ties aud pile II up and
it will make difference of 50 ton in the sale,
and besides the laudable object of Obtaining as
much money as possible for it, We want to
achieve that more laudable object, viz: to as
sert and maintain our right and authority.
The resolution was then adopted
NJ TX intro1unu1 rho filoIui