Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-05-10
CITY COUNCIL.
A regular semi. monthly meeting oil the City
Council was held last night.

johnson and Beach.
Immediately after the reading OF The minutes,
the Chair said that at the last meeting he Lad
| given an erroneous decision 10 regard to the
passage of the resolution to pay the bill OF DR..
j. b. johnson for repairs TO the Friendship
ruyiuo-house. He now decided that the res
olulon had not received the necessary ma
jurity aud was lost.
DR.. Juhusuu called up the bill giving the
| right OF way on St. Asaph street to the Alex,
| andria and Washing on railroad.
| MIR. Mckenzie SAID he had Intended to offer
| resolution to submit the gu, stl1u OF the track
remaining on that street 10 he voters at tue
regular election, and read tue resolution he
| had prepared. lie waited the matter settled,
aud thought it better that provision should be
made for a passenger depot only, as mat
seemed to be the sentiment OF the people, lie
would offer the resolution as substitute Tor
| the bill
Mr.. Moore said he was not opposed to the
a,oal, but wanted it 10 come IN on con
ditons. Commissioners should be appointed
aud damages assessed He recited the action
of the city in subscribing towards the building
of the y. 4 a. K. r., and charged that road
with discriminating against the city IN lis rates
of reights. He wanted some arrangements
made and some compensation agreed on be-
fore he voted 10 allow this road TO CONE III.
! lie said the road was Of no benefit to the CITY
and spent no money here that it could help.
He wanted some compensation Tor the use 81
the streets, and he wanted some guards thrown
around the matter He understood that Mr..
/ o. A. Stevens refused TO accept the charter
under any circumstances.
MIR. Mckenzie deprecated the illusions OF
Mr. Moore to the Orange road. lie SAID tha'
gentleman was evidently prejudlced. What
objection was there to submitting the matter to
the people? Let the property-holders look
out for themselves they would no doubt do
so. He proceeded at length in support OF his
resolution.
MIR. Moore said he alluded to the old matter
of the Orange road to show that the city gem
orally got The chaf aud the reads the wheat.
Whenever the Council gave permission Tor the
occupation Of the street the city became liable
to Gains for damages.
DR.. johnson said that the people were very
ANXIOUS to have the matter settlei. tie merely
proposed to give the road the right to the
street under the State law. If something was
not done tonight the depot would be moved &c
Fayette street, to the great iDconvenlence OIL
many people. He accepted the substitute Of
Mr.. Mckenzie.
MIR. Moore said ii the railroad wanted more
time be was wiling 10 give 1t to them, but OPP
posed the passage of the present resolution.
Mr.. Beach said that the only practical effect
of the resolution would be TO extend the time,
exactly what Mr. Moore agreed to.
The question was then taken 90 the rcsolu-
ton, which was lost. ayes 4, noes 2.
The original act was then amended so as to
forbid the unloading of freight.
| Dr. Johnson in supporting the act, said the
Council had nothing to do with the question
of damages that Was a matter between the
property holders and :he Court. The coadl.
tious of the bill were the DULY ones that could
be imposed. He believed that three-tourtls
of the people would vote for the track renaln-
ing where 1t was.
Mr.. Moore re asserted his former statement
that the city would become liable for the dam
ayes. He wanted the company to accept the
charter. The bill was then laid over by cou-
sent.
Mr.. Nealc then offered resolution to ex
teud the tune for removing the road lor sixty
days.
An animated discussion then sprung up be-
tween Messrs. Mckenzie and Moore, iu which
the former attacked he action of the latter on
| this question, 10 quite severe terms, and
| Mr. Moore replied that he only acted Tor the
good of the city
Mr. Mckenzie. | am as good friend Of the
city as YOU are sir, and have been fbr forty
wears; before you were heard Of in the town !!
DR.. Johnson reiterated his previous asser-
tious. lie also believed that the road Was an
advantage and not al injury to s.. Asaph
street. There was nothing to be gained and
everything to be lost by driving out the rail-
road. lie did not understand Why there was
all this cumity to this small piece of track. He
attacked the course of those property holders
who were agtating this matter, whom he de-
nominated as >quaters. The whole communi.
whims Of Col. Sutlle and Mr.. Windsor He
claimed that the railroad brought more money
to the city than these gentlemen ever did, by
what they put 10 circulation.
Mr.. Moore agreed TO the sixty days time,
and the resolution was carried.
/ Dr. johnson called attention TO communi-
cation, published III city paper, 10 rcgarl
TO the city finances, and offered resolution
appointing a commission Of two accountants,
at a salary of sixty dollars per mouth, to eX
anime the books of the Corporation offices,
which he asked to have laid over.
Mr.. Mckenzie said that there had been
great difficulty in finding out the amount Of
the debt until the funding bill passed. 1t was
i now aOOulSl ,ptb,oho L HCiC WAS w uhit uSc W
Investigating the books than there would be IN
investigating the moon. He tervcrtly hoped
that the writer, 10 the paper, would be elected
t. Couuc and be allowed to try his hand on
the finances. 10 S47 our population was s 200
and our Corporation bonded aud floating dcit
was 1914, 900, which was $40 per head no our
| population, and an annual interest un cacn Gi
S4.2O In lS4S-'49 after retroccSSion, having
received ST. 900 trom the State ofVlrglnIa Tor
our canal stock, in Va securities, the principal
part of it was exchanged for Corporation stock,
aud our debt brought down to about S3OO,0OO.
Subsequently by The subscription of $l5O,OOo
to the Orange and Alexandria Railroad, and
$50, 900 to the Manassas road. and that III
fortunate last subscription Of 5000, 900 to the
same road, which was carried by the DRUM and
fife, aud before the payment OF which last sub
scrlptiou the heavy interest we had to pay
IL and Is per cent-to advance the money be
lore the bonds were sold, aud by the building
of the Gas Works. SlO5, 900, our debt ran up
to very near million ut dollars As regards
the statements made by the writer in news
paper about an examination into the city 5 &C