Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-10-14

would defend him against the tales that had
been told to iuiure him; it was unworthy to
impuane his pure motives; the Beard OF Pub
lie Works eated the opinions OF the Surveyor,
vino was forty times their intellectual superior
with contempt He did not think this refusal
of the Surveyor TO sigu the check w,nId be
construed to irjure his reputation, and repeated
that he thought it was unworthy these gentle
men of influence, who had Inherited their
wealth, or gotten it by marriage, to attempt TO
iujure Mr.. Carter, who was a poor man, but
who was mau of honor aDd integrity.
Mr. Moore said il was not question OF OF
fraud, but whether the Board OF Public Works
should be fustaiucd or not.
The motion TO concur in the action OF the
Common Council was then adopted
The Board then, after the transaction OF
some other business, without further debate,
at 1918, adjourned.
COMMON COUNCIL.
There was good attendance both within
and without the bar at the regular seDl-mouth-
" meeting of the Common CouOcll last night.
After the transaction Of a considerable amount
of routine business,
A memorial asking to have the pump at the
corner of Columbus and King streets replaced
by IA new pump, was read.
MIR. Hughes thought that all the houses 10
that neighborhocd had hydrants, and that a
pump would be useless. 1t would cost $S5, and
it would be better to use that amount IN put
ting pump iu some nelghborhood where there
were 20 hydrants
A communication from the Board of Public
Works asking the decision of the Council upou
the powers of the City Surveyor, was received
The CITY Surveyor is required by law to sign
L b,,h no n
three members OF the Board, yet the Board
complains that the Surveyor refused to sign q
check for S24 to pay George Davis tor super,
intending Columbus street work sixteen days,
and that the Surveyor claims power to refuse
to sign checks when he thinks proper, because
he is the only responsible officer OF the Board.
MIR. Shinn introduced a resolution (see official
| proceeGings) defining the duties of the Sur
veyor, which was adopted.
The bill for lcvying u tax OF twelve cents Tor
the improvement fund, was then taken up, and
was laid on the table after the following re-
marks had been made by Mr. Shlnn Mr.
FowIe 10 the chair 1t is most useful intorma
ton to the people:
Mr.. President. The Bill under considcra
ton imposes tax of twelve (l2) cents on the
hundred dollars worth Of rea estate, for The
nurpose of Carrying into effect IAN act to torm
a Board OF Public Works aud to fix special
tax for the Improvement Of the streets of the
city, &C., &c"
The Act referred to was passed by the
City Council in June 1873, and approved BY
the Mayor June 18th, 1873, and by reicrrlog
to the original act, not the act published ID
the revised Code of 1874, it will be observed
that section 10 provides, that after the act shall
have been In practical operation SIX months,
the Board of Public Works may submit to tn.
City Council, such amendments as in their
Judgment may be necessary 10 remedy any dc
fleets they might 6ud 10 the act.
To accordance with this section the Board of
Public Works. finding the act Was defective
and being satisfied it was impraclcablc to exc
cute its several provisions submitted to the
CITY Council, March l4th, 1874, several amend
mcnts, and 10 an explanatory letter urged their
adoptiop in order to make the act effective;
and SO great was the desire OF the Common
Council to foster nd further the spirit oil I'M
provcment which the proceeding Council nae
manifested, that with singular uuanimlty the
amendments were adopted aud sent to the
Board of Aldermen, where alter some debate
they were laid Oh the table.
On April l4th, 1874, the Board OF Aldermen
after having summarlly disposed, as before
stated, CT the Recommendations OF the Board
of Public Works, passed series OF amend
ments 10 the original act and they, u due
course, being submitted to the Board Of Com-
mon Council, were, by that Board, referred TO
the Corporation Attorney, May II, 1874, 10 or
der to obtain his opinion as TO the constitution.
atty of the act and proposed amendments; aud
on MAY Goth, 1874, the Corporation Attorney
submitted his report, 10 which be clearly point
ed out Objectionable and unconstitutional pro.
visions, aud on motion the papers were referred
to the Board of Public Works with Instructions
to report to the City Council such amendments
to the original act as would conform to the
opinions Of the law officer of the Corporation.
The papers were there transmitted to the Board
of Aldermen and we're then laid on the table
Such is the history of the Act to form Board
If Public Works and the bill now before US
10 drawn 10 accordance with the PROVISIONS OF
the first section OF that "act. :,
On referring to section 9 of the published
COPY of the act, page 44-Code OF 1874, 1t
will be observed that it Is incumbent upon the
Board of Public Works to spend the amount col
lected from each ward, within the ward from
which such collections were made. Has thls Sec
ton been enforced? Take Columbus ST., where
the Board has been at work Tor sOne tune ana
which is in fact, the only street Oh when any
improvements have been made and We tlud the
cost to the city for that improvement, when
COMPLETED will amount to S2,O96 d. L ms lnl
movement lies wholly 10 the Third Ward aud
the amount collected from that ward, Tor lm,
proving streets, is only 81 ,2S5.O0. Inc board
of Public Works are in no wise to blame TOR
this increase of expenditure over recelpts--as
the work is being done 10 accordance with q
specia act of the City Couoei, ADD while 1t Is
not my purpose at this time to argue as to the
propriety of retaining III the act the section
which provides for expanding the amount COL
lected 10 the ward from which 1t is drawn, yet
t is plainly evident tina, uudcr that section Col
umbus street could not have been improved at
a cost exceeding 81, 2S5. 00-whereas > o96. %
will have been expended whco that street Is
completed. And | will here remark tor the ~
formation of members Of Council that the
amounts collected from the several wards $, aud
passed to the credit of the improvement Fund
we're from the lst Ward, $780, Dad Ward,
81 $50; 3rd Ward. sl,2S5; An Ward $1,000
This information | obtained from the lax Col,