Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1889-10-17
CITY COUNCIL.
COMMON COUNCIL.

tors. Last night proposal 10 pay S771 so
to Mr.. VIM. Gibson for the new electric
house, led to general discussion of the
operations Of the Committee 90 Light for
the past three or four months.
Mr. Snowden opened by inquiring By
what authority the. house was built. The
of $500 by committee without
an order by Council would justify the expend
ing of 81 900 without reference to Council,
and needless committee might. under this
precedent, bankrupt the city. This should
be stopped.
MIR. Fisher said that the Council had di
rected the contract to be made and that or.
der carried with it authority to do all that
was necessary. Ii was INTENDED nfse 10 USE
one of the rooms at the Gas House but 1t
was found that TWO large pipes ran under
that room and 30 it could not be used.
DR.. Jones thought it was wanted for coal.
Under those circumstances shelter for
the pIaat was needed and it was put up az
cheaply as possible.
Mr. Aitcheson said he had been consulted
ia the matter, es one familiar with it, and
he found that it would cost less to build the
new house than to alter the old one.
Mr.. Suowden Why was not the matter
brought to the attention Of Council ?
Mr.. Sweeney moved to refer the bill to
the committee on general laws liz order that
they might report whether the committee
had authority to contract the debt. He
thought their action was without warrant of
law.
Mr. Fisher said the expenditure was re.
cessary under the order given by Council.
Mr.. Sweeney denied that any order at
ell had been given the Committee on Light.
The only order was given to the joint COM
mittee on finance and light. The committee
had 20 right to spend one dollar without the
consent of Council.
DR.. Joues-"Did not Council give the
committee power to get an electric light
plaut?"
Mr. Sweeney held that if the house was
part OF the plant the S14 500 of the contract
must pay for all the plant.
MIR. Fisher said the Finance Com mittee
had spent money without reference to
Council
Mr.. Snowden-"The member must not
state here that which he cannot verify"
Dr.. Jones-"Where we're the committee
to put the pant-out in the open air? The
old houae could not be used as all the gas
was supplied to the city by pipe uuder
the building which nigh require to be taken
up st any time.
Mr. Sweeney continuing. urged that the
committee had no right TO make contract
for the house, but il they had had such right
it could onlS be exercised after advertising
for bidders and that was not done.
Mr.. Marbury said it appeared 10 him thnt
the chairman of the Finance Committee
strained at gDat and swallowed camel.
me Finance Committee had taken like
responsibility on several occasions without
calling on Council.
Mr. Snowden-''Name them.n
Mr.. Marbury did not wish TO be led away
from his argument.
Mr.. Soowden-'The gentleman shall not
make that charge and then pass it by"
Mr.. Marbury needed 60 back DO further
than last night. MIR. Snowden had then
said that il no action was taken on the
S. 900 note of the city the Finance Committee
would protect the citys interest" What
was this but for a committee to act iude-
pendently of Council?
Mr.. Snowdeu-"Tbat was for few days
only till Council could be notified. This IL
very different"
Mr.. Cation urged that the committee bad
no power to put the plant anywhere. Their
power was limited to making the contract.
They had no right to put the plant at the
gas house or at the market house.
They should have reported to Coun
Gil. he had been informed to-day by
Mr.. Kerby of the electric works that the
incandescent lights could not be worked on
the came circuit with the arc lights without
great difficulty, and that when the iucandes-
cent lights on a circuit were lighted, the arc
lights must be lighted ALSO
Mr.. Snowden was amazed 10 hear tbls.
1t was contrary to what MIR. Cox promised,
and in violation of the contract. Mr.. Cox
had said: I'VE can work both incandescent
and arc lights on the same circuit, that s
the beauty of our patent"
Mr.. Fisher said that was true, as Mr. Cox
stated 1t. The city is not bound to take the
plant unless it comes up to tha contract. but
arc lights and incandescent lights can andwiIl
be both worked on the same circuit. There
ia no coz fjct in the statements. The ques
ton now before Council was whether Mr..
Gibson should be paid for the work.
Mr.. Suowden had no doubt that Mr.. Glib
son should be paid, but in the method Of
paving him something should be done to
show that Council tht ;bt the Committee
on Light had exceeded It's pcwar. Suppose
when the Committee on Poor had been d.
rected to buy Corporation bull, they had
bought also lot to put him In. Would that
have been part of the order?
Mr.. Fisher said that the Finance Commit
tee had given $50 extra to en- officer without
consulting Council, and thera was no differ
euce 10 the principle of the two cases. He
voted in Committee On Finance for the ex
ira pay, and thought the Committee on
Light had only done as the Finance Com
mittee did. Ooe committee hes the same
rights as another. 10 the Finance Commit
tee Mr. Burke had doubted the right Of the
committee to pay this money, but he MIR.
Fisher had voted with the Chairman to
pass it.
Mr.. Snowden thought it was small thiog
in Mr.. Fisher to bring this matter up after
voting for it. The precedent had been es
tablished when Mr.. John B. Snoot was
chairman of the Finance Committee, end all
knew be would not sanction anything i'm
proper. The extra pay had been allowed
for extra work that had to be done.
Mr.. Sweeney urged that no committee