Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1894-02-14
CITY COUNCIL.

ouloiueiS l luo pIOCSculuS anu SpSCId-
tors were scarce.
BOARD OF ALDERMEN.
On motion of Mr.. Hinken Mr.. Lead
beaten was called to the chair in the alb
sence of President Marbury.
Mr.. ~Leadbeater, from the committee
on public property, presented a COM
m%unication from that committee rec
%ommending that the sum of 1925. or as
much thereof as may be necessary, be
appropriated for the completion of the
annex to the station house, which was
adopted.
An adverse report from the finance
committee on the proposition for the
city to aid Fairfax county in the re-
building of Hunting creek bridge was
received from the Common Council.
Mr.. Burke moved a concurrence,
which was seconded by Mr.. Hinken.
and the motion prevailed.
An adverse report from the SAINT
committee on the proposition from the
Fire Wardens hat the city purchase
from the Columbia Fire Company the
steam fire engine civilian A. Smoot'
was also received from the Common
Council, and on motion of Mr.. Good
rich their action was c%oncurred in.
4 resolution was received from the
lower board requesting the Senator
from this district in the Legislature to
use his influence to defeat any measure
that may be introduced in that body
looking to any amendment to the city
| charter unless its intro luction has been
requested by the City Council.
Mr.. Burke moved that the Aldermen
concur.
Mr.. Carlin said he did not clearly I'M
dcrstand the purpose of such a resolu.
ton. Il looked as though Council was
about to assume a guardianship owe
the city's representative in the Legisla
ture. In fact it rather questioned his
competency to deal with matters for the
city's interest. He was not responsible
to The City Council for his actions, but
to the people who elected him. 1t was
perfectly clear to the speakers mind
that Mr.. Mushbach would allow moth.
ing to go through the Legislature.
without protest, which would be
detrimental to the city's inter.
ests. But this was no business o
! Council and the resolution looked
to him like child's play. Mr.. Carlir
said if he were the city's representative
he would not hesitate to assert his indie.
pendence of Council and plainly TEL
them so. The city's representative il
the Legislature represented the people,
and this resolution was a reflection OIL
the wisdom of the people a we'll as tho
person whom they had chosen to look
after their interests in the General As.
sembly. He hoped it would be defeat
ed by the Aldermen.
Mr.. Burke said he supposed the reso.
luton referred to a paragraph he saw
in the newspaper to the effect that an
amendment had been offered to the city
charter in the Legislature-an amend
ment which Senator Mushbach knew
nothing about, nor did the Mayor nor
any city official. The amendment had
been asked by a person who was not a
| citizen of Alexandria, but a voter in
Fairfax county. If n man were al
lowed to suggest amendments to the
charter and have them presented to the
Legislature, any body else could avail
himself of the same privilege. The
majority of the people should certainly
be consulted or their representatives in
a matter so important as amending the
city's charter. He urged the adoption
| of the resolution.
Mr.. Carlin said he had discovered the
| milk ia the cocoanut. Mr.. Bendheim,
as the city's representative in the House
of Delegates, had introduced an amend
ment to the city's charter in the shape
of a letter 49," which would enable the
City Council to have more than one
public printer. At present the city is
restricted to the employment of but
one. By the adoption of the amend.
ment an opposition newspaper would
have Ian o%pportunitg to bid on public
| printing. Mr.. Carlin said he had ever
been friendly to the GAZETTE which
now has the contract for the work, and
| if his vote had to decide which paper
! should be p~atronized by the city he
| would cast it for that paper. But that
was not the issue. The resolution was
one of censure, and, in his opinion, I'M
wise. He was prepared to 60 into any
explanation of the matter, but would
say that the movement was premature,
as the amendment had not passed the
House of Delegates. In regard to the
proprietor of the paper who had an-
piled for the change in the wording of
the section he would say he had Q per
feet right to do 80. He had
bound himself by the present law
frozen out of the public printing entire
Iy and had adopted this method in or
der that he could have an opportunity
of competing for it. 1t should be pre-
sumed the Delegate ia the Legislature
had sense enough to attend to such an
insignificant matter without instruc-
tons from the City Council. If people
thought differently, the polls was The
place to demonstrate with him at the
next election. The speaker wanted it
understood he was friendly to both the
CITY papers, and ifJhe publisher of n
of them did live in Fairfax he saw no
good reason why he should be deprived
of the right to compete for the public
printing.
Mr.. Burke couldn't understand how
the existing law gave any n paper a
monopoly in this public favor. Last
fall a committee had been appointed
for the purpose of ascertaining the
practicability of consolidating certain
CITY offices in order that some %retrench-
ment in expenses might be inaugu-
rated. This latest movement by which
Council can have two public printers
looked az though our Delegate vas
about to increase the expenses of the
city. He, however, stated that he,
Too vpoc friendly IN hOth CITY pa