Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1886-03-31
CITY COUNCIL.

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CITY COUNCIL.
A called meeting of the City Council was
held last night for the purpose of receiving
a communication from Mayor Smoot in re-
gard to regulations for selling fish in this city.
The law passed in 1882, according to its let
ter, provides that al fish brought TO this
port, shall be landed at Fishtown, and re-
uuires the sellers to procure licenses. AS
construed by many, the law was never
intended to apply to OILERS who desired to
Ji,pose OF the products of their nets, at
retail in the city, while on the other hand
an equal number preferred enforcing the
statute according to its letter and reasoned
Io,irally for such a construction. The
meeting last night was therefore called
ia oder that the question might be etfec.
,u.llv settled. Although rain fell in torrents
uuorums appeared in both boards shortly at
FIR the appointed hour (halfpast seven) for
meeting, and quite number of persons in
t,r,sied in the matter considered appeared
as spectators.
IN THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN
The Mayors message converting Council was
read, together with the request of several
mrubers of the respective boards, Tor the
ca ling of the meeting, after which
Mr.. strauss offered an odinance to amend
paragraph 5 of section l chapter "a of the
rorpural!on code, in relation to the retailing
of !i>h, which provided that nothing in said
.cc,.on ,hould apply to OILERS who desired
10 sell tie products of their nets at retail.
Mr.. :. explained at some length the import
of lie amendment, saying the old law had
had an erroneous construction placed upon
il. and that in order to carry it out literally,
the class of persons his amendment would
relieve were debarred the privilege OF dis
posiul of the fruits of their outlay and toll
hv retail unless they took out fish dealers
license. TIE law, he said, was never In.
tended by its trainers to have any such ap-
pIication, and it was the bounden duty of
Council when law was misunderstood
and was working nnjustly against the inter-
tsts of any class of people to repeal or
amend the same. 1t was duty to the peo-
pIe which could or should not be ignored or
rejected He explained the manner in
which the Mayor construed the law, and
said that gentleman was but doing his duty
in carrying it out according to it's actual
reading and as he understood it. He urged
the board TO pass tho amendment and thus
se, the matter right.
Mr.. Burke said The Cooperation Attorney
understood the law as not applying To giilcrs
who retaied fish Of their own catching.
vi
that .ilers shonll be allowed TO retail their
fish NJ any mcmber of the board, hut before
Mr.. strauss amendment was adopted there
was another side to the subject which should
not be overlooked. 1t gillers only sold the
products os their laburs of course no rea
Sonable man should object to granting them
The permission, but there was room for fraud
in this matter. For instance, it would be
very easy feat for q perSon-nOt ~ giler-to
buy shad and pay boys TO hawk them
around the city and palm them oil for fish
caught by OILERS. There's where the trou-
Bile, it seemed to him, would come in. The
corporation desired TO rent the tishwharf TO
the best advantage and to issue as many
licenses a. possible. He hoped, however,
the vexatouS question would lie settled In
such a manner that there would he but lit
lie room for defraudng the city of any of
her legitimate revenue.
Mr.. Strauss was surprised to hear Mr.. M.
object to tho amendment, representing as
he does, the ward most interested in the
proper detiniinn Of the fish law, most Of the
OILERS comprising Il part of the latter gen.
lr,nan's constituency. The speaker again
explained the meaning of his amendment
and eudeavorcd to show the ustico he con-
templated by it, Ho sail even ladies'
charitably disposed ladies --were interested
in the matter before tho board"
Mr.. Burke said the Corporation Attorney
had told him the law was not intended to
restrict OILERS from selling their tish, and, if
such was the case, further legislation was
useless and unnecessary.
Mr.. Marbury arose and said Mr.. Smith,
member from the Fourth ward, had suggest
cd that simple resolution showing what
was intended by the law was all that was ne
cessary, which idea was approved By Mr..
Burke.
MIR. Bryant Was in favor Of allowing all
kinds OF trading 10 he carried on as freely
as practicable hut IL countryman who
slauehlers bullock and brings the carcass
to our marke, is not allowed to retail it; he Is
made to sell il by the quarter. Would the
contemplated law be just to our rural neigh
hors? The question would soon he raised,
Ia fisherman can retail his fish, why not
graZier his beef? The speaker, however,
didn't oppose tho amendment, he only
thought il might involve other issues.
Mr.. Strauss still further explained and adj
vocatea his amendment, and said he was
simply doug his duty toward the people
most interested.
The act was read the requisite number of
times and finally passed unanimously, after
which Tho board adourned.
COMMON COUNCIL.
The Council WAS opened last night in &C
.roraance with call OF the May or, made at
Me request Of John ". Burke, T.. s Lead
heater, Henry Strauss and Hubert Snowdcn.
No business was transacted until the bill
to amend tho fish law camo in from the
Board of Aldermen.
Mr.. Snowden said he would like to ex-
anime the proposed law The bill was then
examined by several members, and, with
out debate, passed unanimously.
PERSONAL---VERY.. and Mrs. Bradshaw Bev
erly, Of I.oudoun, are the guests OF Mr.. Thos.
Henderson, on Washing ton street.
Mr.Wm MICA. Green, formerly OF this city,
who has been on visit to relatives here, has
returned to his home in Kansas City, Mo.
The Richmond dispatch says: "Mr. NJ.
l.. Smith clerk of accounts in the First Au-