Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1885-01-30
COMMON COUNCIL.

COMMON COUNCIL.
An adjourned meeting of the Common
Council convened last night, President
James S. Douglas in the chair.
letter from Mr.. George ". Rock call
lag the attention of Council to the non COM
pliance of the Alexandria & Washington
Railroad with al agreement made four
years ago to repair portion Of ST. Asaph
street, was read and referred to the Com
mittee on Streets.
The Committee or Streets having report.
ed to Council the bill allowing the W., ..
". R. r. to come on Lee street as far as
Fayette alley with single track for pas
scDger trains,
Mr.. Goodrich did not think that in the
bill, as reported, many Of the objections 10
The bill offered at the last meeting were
met. He, therefore, offered carefully
drawn substitute.
The substitute repeats the act of 1866
authorizing the Alexandria, Loudouu &
Hampshire Railroad Company 10 lay tracks
on Water (Leel street to Cameron street,
and then grant the Washington. Ohio Is
| Western Railroad the right to 60 to Fayette
alley, upon condition that 500 per annum
lie paid to the city until $1,000 in depo,
property is acquired by the company, and
that the company shall compensate all fac
| tory owners, and others, who suffer and
| claim damages, before said tracks shall
| he laid down, the Council reserviug the
| right to repeal or alter at any time.
Mr.. Snowden suggested that recess be
take for ten minutes to enable the members
| " examine the substitute.
When the recess had concluded the board
refused to adopt Mr. Goodrich's substitute
in place of the original bill, but that deci.
sion was reconsdered aud the substitute bill
was read by sections.
Mr. Snowden moved to strike out The
| first section, which repealed the law flS66
allowing the road to come 10 Cameron
street He said he saw no reason in u bill
| to authorize the road 10 come south Of Came
ron street, to begin by repeating the law
which authorized the road to reach the
north side OF Cameron street.
! Mr.. Eichberg saw in the present action,
| nothing but chld's play. 1t was a bill
| which would prevent the road from laying
au additional track at all He moved to
| lay the substitute on the table, but there
| was no second.
The Board refused to to strike out the
section.
When the provision came up declaring
| that before the work of extension is begun
1.-The Railroad Company should pay to the
owners and occupiers of real estate, and to
all persons doing business or engaged in
manufactures Of any kind in said street." SC
who may claim damage, all such damages
as they or any Of them may sustain"
Mr.. Lambert urged that such provision
was unprecedented. He saw no reason for
requiring the company TO pay damages be-
fore any occurred, or when in fact none
could be estimated.
Mr.. Nails inquired whether if when
railway crossed farm the damages were
not fixed before the track was laid.
Mr.. Lambert said that was where the
land was taken by the railroad company.
Mr.. Corbett urged that under the method
Of this bill railroad that passed through a
mans farm would have to pay before
hand not only the land damages of the farm
it crossed, but, also, any damage which the
owner of the adjoining farm may expect he
is going TO have.
Council refused by the casting vote Of the
chair, to strike out the provision requiring
damages TO be paid before the work is be
gun.
Mr.. Lambert was surprised at the change
of front on The subject. While on Lee
street great injury and damage is claimed,
in the upper part of the town the great hue
and cry is that we shall lose the railway in
the western section of The city. 1t was
claimed that the railway which on Fayetle
street so benefits the property that they do
not want to lose it, was so bad for Lee
street that it ought not TO have it, Any ex
cuse will do SO as to keep Us talking and
prevent action.
Mr.. Nails said be had not changed. He
voted in committee to bring the bill before
Council because he wanted Council 10 act
and decide the matter.
Mr.. Suowden said he would vote against
the bill, because it was in fact bill to re
fuse the right Of way and take back what
had already been given. Gentlemen who had
bought Lee street property after this prve-
lege had been granted to the Railroad Com.
pany, now asked to have the right taken
away, for their benefit. He believed this
unjust.
Mr.. Nails thought the old act ought to be
repealed.
Mr. Lambert held that the question of
damages was one outside the City Council
to be settled by arbitration or the courts.
Mr.. Lawson thought the City Council
should know exactly what the railroad CON-
pany was going to do, should have maps
and plans before any grant of right Of way
should be made.
The bill as substituted by Mr. Goodrich
was then lost by the vote published in the
official report, and the Boa I'd adjourned.
INDICTMENTS AGAINST w. r. SMIrH.-
The criminal investigation by the grand |
jury of the Hastings Court of Richmond
into the charges of embezzlement of State