Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1899-08-08
Mr.. Sweeney quoted the law reguIat-

l..
olution could be amended by authoTlz
ing the Mayor to appoint some suitable
person to the position The committee
is now gagged in st.est work.
Mr.. D,Die said be did not know so
much about the letter OF the law gov
erning the matter, but the fact remained
that majority of the City Council had
passed the resolution. The work now
being done did not require the services
of an engineer 1t was an injustice to
Mr.. Corse to imply that be could not
make gravel roads, lay curb lines, &c.
Alexandria was not New York. We
had no underground railways or extern
sive sewer work 10 do.
Mr.. Sweeney thought the city should
be just as careful in its small expendi
lures as in the larger ones with their
more extensive work.
Mr.. Clark favored the adoption OF
the resolution.
a vote was taken and the action Of
the Common Council was concurred in
ayes 6, noes 2-Messrs. J. T. Swee.
ney and Curtin.
The resolution for the completion OF
the Pitt street sewer and for extending
Prince street sewer into the alley be-
tween Fairfax and Royal streets came
in from the Common Council, that BODY
having passed the same over the May
or's veto. The action of the lower
board was concurred in, ayes Z, noes /
MIR. J. T. Sweeney.
After concurring in some other mat
ters which came in from the lower
board the Aldermen adjourned.
COMMON COUNCIL.
The board met shortly after O'Clock
A communication from the Mayor
disappearing all the resolutions, etc /.
for street Improvement made at th5
last meeting was read. The disap-
prevail included the Improvements 90
Pitt street, Gibbon street and Prince
street alley, etc.
The message was received.
MIR. Smith called up the first of the
measures disapproved by the Mayor
and moved that it be adopted notwlth-
standing the objection.
Mr.. Snowden opposed the passage
of the order urging that there was no
engineer and that in the recent railroad
cases the bubbles of the lawyers. as
Mr.. Smith himself had confessed, had
| influenced the jury to decide against
the city. He thought the street force
could be well employed now in clean
ing up the city and the new work could
wait.
Mr.. Smith said that he might have
been toe precipitate in moving to pass
the order over the Mayors objection
when another measure should have
been first proposed. He then intro
duced an ordinance authorizing the
committee on streets to EMPLOY civil
engineer and appropriating 1925 per
mouth to pay his salary. Mr.. Smith
said that work already begun, open
sewers, etc, demanded that an engi'
neer should be employed.
Mr.. Snowden said that the report Of
the committee on the examination Of
the candidates for City Engineer had
not been presented and he would like
to hear it.
Mr.. Smith suggested one thing at a
time.
Mr.. Snowden responded that Mr..
Smith was placing the cart before the
| horse. He wanted official information
on the subject of the last examination
before another was ordered.
Mr.. Smith said the committees re-
port was not ready but ne would give
it's substance.
Mir. Snowden preferred an official re-
port and asked for the report OF the ex-
aminers.
Mr.. Smith stated that the report had
been given to Mr.. Marbury, president
of the Board of Aldermen.
Mr.. Snowden said that Mr.. Marburv
had but two minutes before sent for
him and had stated that Mr.. Smith had
the report.
Mr.. Smith then took the report OF
the examiners from his pocket and had
it read, showing that Mr.. Corse, the
only candidate, had not passed the ex
animation.
In reference to the ordinance intro.
duced by Mr.. Smith authorizing the
committee to appoint city engineer,
Mr.. Suowden said that Council cannot
delegate its powers; courts had decided
so from Genesis to Revelation. The
City Council could not authorize the
committee to appoint an engineer.
Mr.. Smith supported the ordinance.
Mr.. Snowden moved to strike out the
words street commtteeQ and insert
1.-The Mayor" as the appointing power.
Mr.. Evans urged that the street
work should be done as soon as posi-
BILE. II had been delayed beyond rea'
son aud some of it, used while unfinish-
ed, was being ruined.
After further discussion,
Mr.. Harrison moved to amend the
amendment by substituting "City
Council" instead of Mayor.
Mr.. Snowden accepted the amend.
ment.
Mr.. Smith also agreed to the amend
ment. -
Finally, after further discussion, Mr..
Smith withdrew his ordinance and it
was agreed that the Mayor be directed
to appoint Mr.. w. D. Corse as acting
City Engineer at a salary Of 1925 per
month until October Is, by which time
Council would hold another meeting.
Mr.. Smith wanted under the super
vision of the committee on streets" in
serted in the resolution but finally with.
drew bis suggestion.
The question then REQUIRED upon the
passage of measures over the non-ap
proval of the Mayor.
Messrs. Evans and Smith commended
that if the Mayor did not return the or
dinance to Council within three days