Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-12-05
CITY COUNCIL.
The CITY Council held al adjourned meeting
BOARD OF ALDERMEN.

The CITY Council held au adjourned meeting
last night.
BOARD OF ALDERMEN.
Owing to the misunderstanding on the part
Of The messenger the Chamber OF TINS BOARD
was 20, open, aud the Board met iu the auui
tors otice at 7. 80 o clock. with seven members
presen.
% motion of Mr. Snoot, the b'aro 1o'k
rec,ss. - 49,,
The 30 .rd rsasse mbled at IS "'c'nck AID
a. ter 4 short de ay. the ao :r Iuudihk t.
q 70 debt was received frou thc Cun: mon I ~
e,I aud read
Mr.. Armstrong moved TO strike out The sc
ton giving power to the courts To make aIeVy
for tsxm. a. thought il uousually rigorous,
and shmlI NOS he lamauded 10y the CREDITORS.
He d..uucd the ability OF the CITY To pay eVtu
the tfiy c.u,s compromise. He had ben
member of the oommissi o AID had opposed
| the whole thing, which he ih ugh mvat mls
cradle off riGg on the pari OF the people. Many
| Of those who aow owned the bonds had BOUGHT
| them as desperate sp cuIa'loa and I'D oG
| more AN paid With lew years Interest. he
| thought other creditors we're eutiied to 90 uuch
protection as the boodholdrrs
Col. Reid agreed somewhat With Mr.. Arm
strooe, 10 regard to the section, on the
ground that it cast q suspicion on the good faith
| Of Tho city. H thought there was no question
! Of The fact that Council would levy suthclan
| tax and heucc the sectioo va, unnecessary. tie
| seconded the motion to strike out.
| Mr.. Strauss said that the city was asking
| favor of it's creditors aud must make some COZ
SESSIONS, and give them some guarantee for the
| naymept of their Interest and bonds This pro
vision would compel the payment OF taxes
equally by all. He favored tho bill, which be
thought would save 1925 600 to the people.
Col. Reid reiterated his objections and Was 10
| wiling to cast seeming lmpulatun on The
good faith of the city.
MIR. Downham said that the circular inviting
| the creditors TO the cJmproUise cootatned this
| clause and he thought it would b. bad flith to
strike it out DOW.
| MIR. Armstrong argued that the bill was 10
constitutional and could not be passed By the
General Assembly. The talk about saving bat
milIioo for the people Was all humbug. The
city bad never paid three per cent. on their new
bonds and they we're saving nothing. Hs op
posed the power given to the courts 10 dlstralD;
be had seen the underclothng Of ladies aud
children sold for es,and sick men taken from
their beds, and the beds sold, for the same pur
pose. He thought that there was 20 danger
! that the CruociI would not levy the necessary
taxes. He also rposed allowing Coubc to
levy tax higher than one dollar and half
MIR. Armstrong; motion was lost-ayes 2;
! noes5.
| MIR. Armstrong then moved to strike out the
clause allowing the levyiug OF tax Of not more
| than two dollars.
MIR. Snoot moved as substitute, that, after
| the year 1878, the tax should DOT be mere than
| 81 60. This he believed ", I'D be sufficient to
| meet the expenses of the city aud the interest
| under the compromise.
Col. Reid preferred that the natter should
| 20 over. He bad been Informed, by member
OF the Finance Committee, that the Delinquent
list was about twenty FIVE per cent. OF the
whole tax levy. He confessed that be was not
so we'll Informed % this matter as he wished to
be, and wanted more time. He moved to I'D.
journ until the next regular meeting.
Mr.. Downham explained that he Was the
| member of the Finance Committee alluded to
| by Col. Reid, and that be bad only meant to
| say that twenty FIVE per cent. Of the taxes we're
not promptly paid aud not that that much was
delinquent
| 90 division. tho vote o.ood ayeo 81 3.
The President voted aye and the Board at $50
| adjourned.
COMMON COUNCIL.
| The Board met in adjourned session, last
evening, to consider the act of the General AS
semby 10 relation to the compromise Of the
city debt. There was tolersble attendance
within the bar, while without sat solitary
spectator.
The act was rad as reported back by the
Finance Committee, who had left the amount
to be raised annually for the Sinking Fuod die.
cretionary With the Council and had filled the
blank limiting city taxation with $500"
Mr.. B.ckham Mr.. Hill 10 the chair was op,
posed to a tax Of $500. His information had
been that the intention Of this compromise was
| to lower the taxes, but it seemed We We're to
pay the same tax as ever. He read oaoula-
ton of the revenue which could be derived
| from tax of $50 cents, as follows:
Real estate, So 777,000
Personal property, l,250, 600
S. .O27,00O
A tax Of ST. so on the above brings