Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-12-09
dkTY COUNCEE..
A regular semi-m onthly meeting of the City
Council was held last night.
BOARD OF ALDERMEN.


BOARD OF ALDERMEN.
After the reading Of the minutes and the
transaction Of good deal OF unfinished bust
ness, and concurrng in the action OF The Com
mon Council in the payment Of some bills, &C.,
without debate,
Dr. johnson thought it was very important
that something should be done 10 regard to. the
Grade OF St. Asaph street. and said that if the
grade was fixed as it was originally at the cor
ner Of Queen and st. Asaph streets, the prop
erty holders on the last named street would
be perfectly satisfied, aud offered bill, pre-.
pared by the City Surveyor at the instance OF
the Board of Public Works, establishing the
original grade a, Queen street
MIR. Moore said the bill offered BY DR.. John
son came very near what the Committee Cd
Streets was aiming at, and offered an amend
| mcut fixing he grade at six inches above the
original a, Queet street
DR.. Johuson said that if it was 10 the First
| Ward where the improvements were to be
made he would not think OF Directing to any
thing lie members from that Ward presented,
aud if there could be auy possible Improvement
! Of the grade on s.. Asaph street by the adoption
OF the amuudment hc would not object, but as
representative from the Third Ward he
would protest against any grade that would IN.
lure the property holders of that Ward, and
would repeat that il it was & matter OF the First
Ward he would Just as soon thiuk Of putting
his hand in the fire as he would Of Directing. 1t
would be none OF his business, and he would
have DO right to raise captious objection to
ANYTHING that would benefit the property hold
ers of the First Ward. He did not think the
members from the First Ward had any interest
| 10 the matter.
Mr.. Moore did not think the six inches
would make much difference, aud said it was
true he had had no interest 10 the improve
ments he wished he had taken more interest
in the work, for if he had the railroad track
would never have been raised.
The vote being taken on the amendment
offered by Mr.. Moore, it was lost
DR.. johnson said it was not matter of Pc
cuniary interest to him; it was the property
holders that were interested, and if the Com.
mon Council did not passthe bill let that Board
take the odum Of it; they had DO right to re-
iect the BILL holding, as they did, temporary
position.
The vote being taken the bill offered by DR..
johnson was lost-ayes 4, DOCS 3-not having
received the requisite majority.
A bill prepared by the Committee on Streets
| fixing the grade Of ST. Asaph street, rejected
| by tue Board at its last meeting, coming 10
| from the Common Council, was again rejected
by vote Of ayes 5, noes MesSrs. johnson and
Lylos-not requisite majority.
The Board, upon invitation, repaired to the
chamber of the Common Council to elect three
Overscers OF the Poor.
Upon returning to their chamber, the Clerk
read petition from the Sun Fire Company
praying for 500 feet OF nose, signed by the
officers and members Of the company, re-
ceived from the Common Council and refer
red by that Board to special committee OF
| two,
Mr.. Moore moved to concur in the action
of the Common Council.
Dr. johnson said there seemed to be round
about way OF doing every thing. Why would the
City Council hesitate to buy 500 teet of hose
Wheu they gave their agents (the Fire Ward
eus) penary power to do as they please The
| rand engues we're exceedingly useful at fires
they could get to work sooner and throw bel
ter stream than any Others, but notwthstand
| ing this there had heeu steady effort on the
part of the Fire Wardcns to crowd out the
| hand engines, that had protected the property
for ninety-fve years. it had bcen proved that
it was the hand engines that saved the black
smith shop Of the Virginia Midland railroad
| He was not, he said, a native, to the manner
born, but had pride in the old institutions;
| he always had, aud always would. oppose the
breaking up of old land Marks Messrs. Wheat
and Smoor seeing the betry OF the old Relief
Engine House about to be removed, to have
it replaced, one gave five and the other ten
dollars. The hand companies could not be
dissolved, for they were as much body polite
as the City Council itself; the insurance agents
did not regard the fire department; he did not
say that the Fire Department did no good, but
he did say, to give those seventy-fve young,
active men hose would render it more efficient
and yet there had been steady and malignant
effort 10 break them down.
The action of the Common Council was con-
Cured 10, and Messrs. Moore and Lawson ap-
pointed the committee on the part of the
| Board.
A bill of Smoot & Perry, amounting to
1926 90, signed by the Superintendent of
Police, being received from the Common
| Council
DR.. Johnson said the Superintendent of
| Police had no right to contract bill for over
| twenty dollars; there was a law to that effect
and the Superintendent knew it, and why he
would persist 10 this course he could not tell;
il did not increase his salary. He was in favor,
he said, Of making an example OF this case, and
moved that the bill be referred to the Commit.
tee on Claims.
Mr. Moore said it was not one bill contracted
at one time, but that it was several bills con-
tracted at different periods, which the Super
intcndcDt had perfect right to do. and moved,
as 40 amendment, that the Board concur 10
the action of the Common Council
DR.. johnson said that he did not care when
the bills were contracted, they were all put
together and signed by the Superintendent of
Police as a whole be was satisfied that the
articles had been furnished and that the Cor
poraton had received them, but that they had
law, and by that law they ought to be govern
ed The lumber merchants, be said, could
get what they pleased, but the poor, who we
would always have with US, were fed by con-
tract, and this was hypocriticay called charity
DR.. j. gave notice that he would, at the mex
meeting, offer a bill TO abolish the office of
Superintendent of Police, and put the i'm
provement of the streets out at contract He !
said $4,000 was speut annually on street i'm
md othipp dono vo , l;t tIo M ,b