Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-06-27
CITY COUNCIL.
A regular meeting of the City Council WAS
bnlJ last night
RnARD OF ALDERMEN.


granting the petition. ,
Mr. Armstrong favored the adoption OF the
renort and the payment OF the suretlcS; nc
was satisfied that the surctlcs had legal right
against the city, for the proof before the com,
mittee was abundant that the plans were altered
without the consent Of the sureies, nut even
+ thcv were not they had the promise OF reim
hur,emert from the commission, and completed
the building under that promise.
MIR. Smoot thought that contract was o
contract and these gentlemen entered anto TINS
contract with their eyes open, and expected 10
make money on it. lie was wiling to allow
the suretcs something, but not the whole OF
their claim
Mr. Armstrong replied, and sa'd whcr a
contract Is entered into there Is III power on
one side to change the contract. ct tins haliu,
ing had been changed lrom io'lndat'"n to ROOF.
The report was adopted.
The Revenue bill imposing So tax % the
500, with deduction oil j. per CT. Tor prompt
navmeot, ~ passed by the lower Board, then
came up.
MIR. Armstrong favored a lax OF So -, with
a deduction OF GGs per cent, which, he sa''i,
would allow the people to pay SID 10 money
but compel those who paid IN coupons 10 Fay
lhe fn}l amount OF the tax. lie went Al some
length into the subject to show that The bonds
| were illegal, and that the people Were. unaDie
| TO nav The heavy burden OF taxation imposed
| upon them.
MIR, Strauss moved to make the discount -
Der cent; that would make the tax $l.5O. tie
would vote for that, hut would not vote tor one
cent more. g.,
MIR. Armstrong said that the bill vas like a
| Chinese wall. 1t could orly be Improved by
putting everybody 10 cell aud keeping them
there. He had 90 cnemity against auy gentle
men holding bonds; 90 the contrary be symra'
thized with them. He had predicted forty
years ago lhat the bonds were lion and would
bite their holders. lie said that the Constltu-
lion of the United States made this debt Illegal.
The clause referred to is found in tho lOih
clause of the prohibition act and PROVIDES
that no State shall issue . bill OF credit. 1t
| the State could issue no such bill 1t eon!d not
authorize 8 corporation to do SO.
Mr. ONeal moved to strike out paid 10
specie or United States Moneys so as 10 allow
coupons to he received for taxes without dis.
count Mr.. O.Ncal supported his amendment,
and favored the payment Of the interest as set
forth in the bond There had, he said, bccn
| talk Of tho distresa occasioned by excessive
taxation, but they had not looked st the other
| side at the widows and orphans whose all Was
| invested 10 these bonds. lie knew the lee6g
abroad against these "miSeTable bonds, aud
he felt that to do his duty here would be TO IN
7olve his popularity to The last inch, hui Tor
one he would never consent 10 have the honor
Of Alexandria stained by rapudiation. The
business reputation of the town was low enough
now. 1t was said that men were leaving the
| town daily. These men left because Of want
of business, not because OF high taxes, and if
this policy was persisted 10 there would he
| still less business here Nothing could be worse
than to have it published abroad that AleSan
dria was bankrupt town. Tor himself he
would like TO have his taxes reduced, but he
would rather pay double taxes than consent 10
repudate au honest debt.
! Mr.. Armstrong was glad b. had br0nGhI the
gentleman ont, but there was nothing IL what
! he had said that could alter The Judgment Of the
people on the subject. This people had pad
over, out Of their earnings, this debt. Princ,'a
| and interest, many times lii The last !1TlS siT
| yeats.
The Chair reminded the Bard that i vas
now very ae hour.
Mr.. Moore deprecated the impression thai
| the city vas worse off COW than formerly. Ii
was better off to-day by SIT 900 than this time
| last Year, and the debt had been year hy year
much reduced. There was nothing hanging
above us now that had not hung there ioryrArs
! past. IT. Is true that NEE had gone away from
| the city, but men were always making changes
| 10 the hone Of beterlng their business. lie
| knew that great mauy Of these who had lett
| the CITY had done worse elsewhere and would
be clad to come back Let gentlemen consider
| that seven years ago the funded debt was one
| million two hundred and seventy thousand dol
| lars and now it was not Ole million, Tor the
! statement Of the Auditor which made it over y
| a million Included the July interest," uot yet
| due. lie thought that the bill AZ reported 10y
| the committee imposed the least tax compatible
with the public interest, but would vote tor
| the Council amendments. lie was not willing,
| however to go step further in that direction.
Mr.. Strauss said that he was no orator, and
had intended not 10 speak Gu thus subject, but
| he felt it his duty 10 say that he was not III
| favor Of reputation. but be was in favor OF
compromise, lie VAS satisfied that 81 81 was
all that the people could pay, and he believed
| that there would be more money gotten on that
sum than on higher rate, for people would be
content. and would pay their taxes promptly.
MIR. U0wnham moved TO amend by making
the discount $50 per ct.
All the amendments were lost except Mr.
Strauss, fixing the tax ai 81 Oh the $500, with
25 per cent. discount if paid by August l5t,
which was adopted.
The income tax was stricken out.
On commission merchants specific tax 81
$35 alone was imposed.
Oyster packers were taxed SIS, and pack
ing 100 packages vas made 10 consulate a
packer.
These were all the amendments, and the votc
on tho bill as amended was then taxen and the
bill lost for want OF the requisite vote.
The Board then adjourned until to night.
COMMON COUNCIL.
Iu the Chamber Of the Common Council, but
nine members,a bare quorum were present and
but few spectators without the bar.
A bill for printing the Mayors annual mes
sage was presented, but was opposed by Mr..
Hughes, upon the ground that it Was private
bill which had been already paid by the Mayor,
who had contracted for it upon his OWL account;
he therefore moved to lay it on the table,
Mr. Marbury moved to rc!cr it to the Finance
Committee.
Mr.. L1mbdio moved that it be paid and his