Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1896-03-11
CITY COUNCIL.
BOARD OF ALDERMEN.

last nigut. and only business received
from tbo Common Council was acted on
! no being new business introduced.
There was very little debate on an,
subject except that of the commuuica
tiou of E. f. Price, City Auditor, call
ing Councils attention to the fact tina
the city was without any regularly
elected or selected Market Master, ant
the recommendation it carried from tn,
Finance Committee that the Sinking
Fund Committee he empowed to APP
point such person 10 collect rents, etc
Mr.. Havener said that the Finance
4 Committee thought the Sinking Funt
Committee should be empowed to ap
point an officer to collect rents, anC
account TO them for the receipts anG
act generally under their direction.
Mr.. Sweeney said that he thought the
/ Sinking Fund Commissioners should pay
the Office g they employ. He did not see
what Tie financial committee had
to do with it. 1t was 8 chartered
office, and an act of the city Council
was the only thing that could
create an Office. The city is au.
thorized to employ officers and also
pays them for their services, and those
employed by the sinking fund commits.
sioners should be paid for their services
by that committee.
Mr.. Ballenger said that if the sinking
fund commissioners were opposed to
paying the officer, there would have to
be an ordinance passed creating the
Office.
The board then concurred in the &C.
ton of the lower board in endorsing the
report OF the finance committee.
The board was then notified by Mr..
Joseph Beach, from the Common Coun-
Gil, that that body was ready to meet
them in Joint convention to listen to
the address of Mr.. NJ. B Harlow, presi-
dent of the Hydraulion Fire Company,
on the needs of a new engine house.
After rcconvening the board concur.
req in the action of the lower board in
several minor matters, and adjourned.
COMMON COUNCIL.
The board was called to order at
about o'clock.
After the reading of the minutes of
the last meeting a communication was
received from the Mayor requesting
Council to adopt some measures by
which proper punishment can be melted
out to members of the chain gang who
refuse TO work or run away. The
Mayor calls attention to an act of the
General Assembly which empowers the
council of any city in the common
wealth to prescribe such corporal pun
ment as it may deem proper in cases
where members of chain gangs refuse
to work. He also suggested to Council
the propriety of passing a law compel
ling physicians to report to the Health
Officer all cases of contagious disease in
the city and providing for the placard-
ing of houses in which such maladies
exist. The communication was refer
red to the committee on general laws.
Mr.. Uhler, from the finance commit
tee, reported that the committee had in
their hands bills amounting to SIP
which had been returned by A. +. Cox,
formerly Collector of Taxes for the
Southern District, with the statement
that he could not collect them. Mr..
Uhler said Mr.. German, the present
collector, had attempted to collect
these bills, but had found that the par
ties to whom the bills had been present
ed held duplicate receipts. The com.
mttee had grown tired of carrying the
bills, and if Council desired it they
would throw them in the stove.
After some debate it was decided
that the notes of Mr.. Cox be taken for
the amount due, aud Mr.. Beach offered
resolution TO that effect which was
adopted.
Mr.. Ubler also presented bill of S.
G. Brent, Commonwealth's Attorney,
$500, balance due him as counsel in the
case of Violetts administrator VS.. the
Cisy Council which was recently taken
to the Court of Appeals. Mr.. Uhler
said when the appeal was taken it
was estimated that the law expenses
would amount to about 5000, and the
sum had been appropriated, but that
the amount had fallen short; that
they had psid Mr.. A. w. Armstrong $3.50
and Mr.. Brent 5000, besides the print
ing bill, court charges, etc, and had
found they had not the necessary
wherewithal to pay Mr.. Brent $500 still
owing him. The committee had calcu-
lated to pay Mr.. Brent $3.50 and Mr..
Armstrong like amount, leaving 500
for printing, court charges, etc. They
would have to have $500 additional,
however, with which to pay the bal
ance due Mr.. Brent.
Mr.. Mushbach didn't understand
how Mr.. Armstrong could represent
the city and the administrator of tho
Violet estate before the Court of APP
peals, or why the city was compelled to
pay the Tee of the lawyer VINO was an
tagonizing it.
Mr.. Uhler explained the matter in
substance that the city had really car
ried the appeal to the higher court.
The administrator Of the Violet estate
would doubtless have submitted to the
decision of the lower court. The city,
however, desired to have the question
OF the validity of the SD section tested
aud decided once for all; hence it had
agreed to bear the expense of the ap-
peal. There were about Sc, 900 owing
the city for improvements which had
been made, and it was deemed advis.
able 70 speud 5000 in order to collect
the first amount.
Mr.. Cation said he didn't understand
the position of the committee at the
time he voted for the appropriation.
From the explanation given, however,
he did nov. Mr. Armstrong would
not have taken the case to the Court of