Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-11-26

Board of Aldermen by the hands of he mes
senrer 10 accordance with the rules adopted Il
few months since,
Mr. Mckenzie said that he was opposed to
such an undi suiti1d mode OF communication be-
tween the two boards. He would like to know
where it originated.
The Presden1-The movement came FROM
the other Board.
JOINT MEETING.
The two Boards met in joint Conv, ntion to
consider the report Of the Committee 90 the
Qualification Of the Laws. but it was agreed that
first the vacancies in The School Board be filled
two in the Third Ward and ono in each OF
the other Wards.
Mr.. John S Beach nominated X. k"uper to
fiji the vacancy in the Third Ward
DIR. johnson nominated Mr.. John 5. Beach
for the Third Ward.
Mr. Eichberg nominated Mr.. Wilmer from
the First Ward.
MIR. Hopkins nominated Mr. +. Snowleu,
r. from the Second Ward aud also Mr.
Wheat from the First Ward.
Mr.. Lucas nominated y: T.. Wlrittlcser FROM
the Fourth Ward.
The ballot resulted as follows: Wheat Is,
Wilmer s, Suowieu 2l Beach l9, WGi,t!esey
l9, and Kemper H. Ali these receiving Ihlr-
teen votes and over were elected.
One OF the ballots having on it the name of
both Mes.rs. Wheat and Witmcr was laid aside
Mr.. Latham said he considered it necessary
To elect policemen TO fill the vacancies existing
and moved that au election be gouc into.
| Dr. johnson urged that the Convention vas
called for specific purpose 1t was misuse 10
use it for anything else The only legitimate
business before the Board WAS the report OF the
Committee on the Qualification Of the Laws.
Mr., Mckenzie doubted whether the other
Board would have come IN, If they had been
! invited to come here Tor an election OF officers
Mr. Latham had understood through the
papers that there was some punctlll0 between
the two Boards, and that it was given out
that the Council would never again invite the
Aldermen to 60 into an election OF ntfccrs. lie
had intented to have made al independent
| motion on the subject if the Invitation had not
been received.
| The motion Was not agreed to.
DR.. johnson from the Commlttc Oh the
Codihcation Of The Corporation Laws reported
that the Committee had contracted with NJ
". +. Carne for the cod;fcation Of the city
laws at $3.50 and the Qualification was ready
and that they had contracted with Mr.. CEas.
| H. House to print the same for $500. The
Committee had directed no changes except
such as we're needed to put the laws IN shape,
and hlr. Carnc was thclc to explain what changes
had been made.
Mr. Curne said that he had contracted Oh
the 10Th OF November last: LIST to gather up
and make preliminary notice OF the laws.
BOD to read those laws to the jolDc beard. 3ri.
to take the directions of the joint boards, as to
changes and amendments, aud 4th, to make a
Code 10 accordance with such directions. lie
had COMPLIED the first portion Of his work by
the 10Th Of December but 10 joint meeting
was held until late in January and then he az
peared TO perform the Pad portion OF his con
tract, and the joint meeting referred hllu to The
| Committee, whose direction he took from lime
to ti,re and completed the Code on the 20: OF
June last ust before the Close Of the old Coun-
| Gil. He stated the general plan OF the Code
and was proceeding to note the changes that
had been made. when,
| Mr.. Mckenzie said that the proper way to
arrange the matter would be to have ali the
laws contained in the Code, as DOW arranged,
read and agreed upon or amcndded IN J'lnt
session, and then passed by the Boards separate
IT, The whole system had been newly arranged
add it would not he safe to use them "a the law
! of the city unless each chapter, changed or ur
| changed, was passed again by the Beard.
\ long debate sprung up as 10 the proper
method Of proceeding.
Dr. johnson thought that unless the Code
! (which contained no changes whatever except
such as we're needed to make It conform TO
What had already been doue) ought TO be Print
| cd as it stood. If the boards once Went into
the business of amendment, the work would be
endless, night after light would be spent over
the code and the amendments proposed until
at last, wearied out by truitlcss debate, the
whole matter would be laid upon the table, and
the city be as far off from published laws as
ever. Besides this the gentlemen upon whom
extra work was cntailed would have to be paid
Mr.. Carne would have to be compensated, and
Mr.. Stuart, the City Attorney, would have to be
paid for his attendance on the boards and legal
opinions upon the amendments aud the like.
| If gentlemen wanted to compare these laws
with the old ones they must get a pile Of the
| old laws upon their desks, since $500, and go
over the whole step by step, an cudlcss and un-
| profitable task.
MIR. Evans was satisfied that if the code was
only read over as suggested By Mr.. Mckenzie
the members could not form just estimate of
what they would be called upon to vote for.
| The only satisfactory way would be to have the
| laws printed u chapters so that members might
have them upon their desks and take them
home to consider. If he voted upon laws upon
merely hearing them read over he would vote
blindy This he was not willing to do.
MIR. Mckenzie had every confidence in the
revisor, but that had nothing to do with the
matter. The Council should pass all the laws
as if they were new laws. and this would put
an end to all doubts and place the matter upon
frm basis. As to having pile OF old laws
since 1900 on his desk, there was 20 need of
that. The law would be read, and when Coun
Gil passed it now, that would give II validity.
70 read the laws and pass them was all that
was necessary to make the code the law of the
city.
Mr.. Latham favored the printing of the code
in divisions, and agreed with Mr.. Evans that
only in that way could the whole matter be
satisfactorily arranged. He was satisfied that
much of the old law was now imperative aud
could be left out
DIR. johnson said the commmittcc had in-
vestigated the whole subject, and the plan of
printing in part or in whole and then amend
i L, Il