Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-04-14
CITY COUNCIL.
A regular semi monthly meeting of the Cit!
Council was held last night.
BOARD OF ALDERMEN.

A regular semi monthly meeting OF the Clty
Council was held last night.
BOARD OF ALDERMEN
10 this B ,ard all the members were present
except Dr.. johnson, and there was larger
number of spectators than usual.
At eight o'clock the Board was called to
order, and after the reading of the minues,
and the transaction of some busioess without
1 debate,
\ MIR. Moore from the Com uittee 90 Poor,
presented the bill Of las Eotwsle, jr., for
medicines furpished the poor, $40 81, and
| said be desired TO correct a statement made ID
the newspapers, that it cost the city $40 Tor
medicines furnished the Aims House !; Instead
of SO II was souethlDg less thai 81 The bill
| for $40 was for the city poor with the Ams
House Included. as is the present bill.
Mr.. Seatou asked if the bill for medicines
was for one month ouly, and was informed by
the President that it was.
The bill was ordered to be paid.
| Mr. Moore presented petition If suDdry
citizens, asking that the pump 10 front oil MIR.
Charles W. Nowands store, northwest cor
ner Fairfax and Wilkes streets, be repaired,
and said that the pump needed the repairs
asked for, and that Mr.. Nuwaud desired to
make some improvements 10 his property.
Inc petltiOu Wds IclciIeu W tHe Couuittee
on Streets.
Mr.. Moore said that if there was no objection
he would like to occupy the attention o.! the
Board for a short time to make statement 10
regard to the city debt There was much mls
apprehension existing in regard to this subject,
aud various statements c0ucerDlng It =; GU all
the street coruers, aud in the newspapers he
heard the cry of retreUchnent, aud sOme 90
so far az to say that the city Was past redemp-
ton TO newspaper articles on the subject, he
did not Object, Tor from them he gathered IN
formation, but ia order to get at the SUBJ ct
properly be would have 10 make compara,
tive statcmeut-tO compare the expenses OF
the city before the war with those since the
war, for there was 20 light 10 guild him 10 the
past but the light OF experience. Previous TO
1880 the CITY had debt Of $50 900, and at
this time the improvements commenced; the
first subscription, by the city, to the Alexandria
Caual, WAS $5D, 900, the next 500 900, and so
on until S4UO,UOO Was subscribed to this lm-
provement, aud siukiag fund created TO pay
the debt and interest III 90 years f.; 10 1919 the
railroad schemes we're inaugurated and aplro-
priations of $500 900 to the Orange aud Alex
aodria, aud $30U,UUO to the Manassas Gap
Railroads. and sinking fund created, aud a
special tax levied, to pay these subscriptions in
lWeutJ auu tuElly JCoIS az IhS SiO'S W Wv
war the Corporation debt was nearly twelve
hundred thousand dollars, with large amount
of Corporation notes 10 circulation, and when
the military turued the city over 10 the munl-
cipal authorities there Was existing flallng
debt of $50, 900 to $40, 600. aud since the re-
organization of the city government, under he
management of the Conservative party, $780,
600 back interest had been paid 90 bonds
about $50 900 Of Corporation notes had ben
cancelled, $40 90 of bonds redeemed, aud paid
about $4,000 floating debt the city owes
about 500, 500, aud it owes Il sinking tuDd OF
about $45, 900, leaving S9GO,0OO bunded debt
of the city the f)atiog debt Is about $50, 900,
with nearly SIS, UD0 good tax bills in the hauds
of the collectors. There was DOW also special
Corporation Court tax of about $1,000, and a
school tax of about $1,000. He asked where
was the sinking fuud created before the war ?
the city had DO sirklug fund at that time ; the
truth was that the sinking fund, created to
pay the subscriptions by the city TO improve
neDs had been used in paying the current ex-
pcDses Of the city instead of applying 1t to the
purposes for which II was created !; ne did not
make this statement to censure, hut to show
that the expenses Of the city now we're no
greater than they We're before the war. He
said he did not wish to dictate to the Finance
Committee, but he would vote TO reduce the
taxes, and be believed it could be duuc he
was opposed TO spending the money OF the
CORPORATION for unnecessary street improve
munts, pulling up little here and putting
down there he voted 10 grade Wythe street
because building was TO be put up there that
would more than pay the expenses; there was
nothing, that he could see, to fear III the Cor
poraliou, all that Was oeedcd Was close manage
ment. In regard to the city door, lie said
every Church, aud every organization 10 the
city supported their owu poor, aud yet 1t costs
the Corporation as much Tor the city poor as 1t
did for the Aims House it Was necessary 10
provide some system that would do u,llce to
the poor and save the city.
All the business before the B,ard having
been transacted, motion was made to adjourn,
but the President suggested that they had
better o.ify the Commoo Council OF their
readiness 10 adjourn, as that Board mI9 ut have
some business Tor this Board to pass upon.
The President said while they were waiting
he would state that the bill passed by the
Board reducing the police force, owing to the
sickness of the Mayor, had uever beeo signed
by that officer. but the lime allowed by the
Code for the signature of the Mayor having
elapsed. the bill had become law without his
| signature.
MIR. Moore said he understood that blil was
to BE- Introduced 10 the lower Board reducing
the police force to fifteen men, az the CAPTAIN
said he had no Use for sixteen; he wanted
either fifteen or seventeen.
| DR.. FGench-We will reduce the force to
| fifteen.
The President said the reason the Mayor had
not as yet sigued the bill was that be had Sc
riously thought of returning it with this Oh
! iec1inu hui now thar tha bill had become a law
new bill, reducing the force to fifteen, would
have to be passed.
A COMMUNICATION from Thos. n. Carter,
City Surveyor. in regard to the survey, ualc
by him, of Mr.. Geo. A. BosSart's property,
10 consequence of which that gentleman con-.
plains OF Ioosiog certain ground aud the de
structioo OF his trees, with al accompanying
resolution, adopted by the Common Council,
to appoip, a committee. consisting Of two from