Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1899-05-10
CITY COUNCIL.

tee on streets to continue certain street
work were not sustained by either
board, and the revenue bills for the
coming year were introduced and re-
| ferred to the committee on finance.
There are no changes in them from
last year. An ordinance was passed
allowing the Washington, Alexandria
and Mount Vernon Railway Company
to furnish electric power in this city.
The session lasted two hours.
BOARD OF ALDERMEN.
1t was quarter past s o'clock when
the Aldermen were called to order.
Shortly after the minutes of the last
meeting had been read and approved,
a message from the Mayor was read
Yetoing the ordinance empowering the
committee on streets to continue Ger
tain street work until an election OF a
City Engineer shall have been held.
Mr.. Sweeney asked who was doing
the work now.
Mr.. Smoot said the Mayor had it I'M
der his supervision.
Mr.. Sweeney said the Mayor had no
such power vested in him.
| Mr.. Smoot said there was vacancy
in the office of City Engineer. In
the case of vacancy in the Office OF
Clerk of Gas the Mayor had taken
charge.
MIR. Sweeney said the committee on
streets were capable of performing the
work, and had been doing it for many
years.
Mr.. Ballenger did not like to object
to anything the Mayor sent to Council.
But il Councilmen were not capable
of transaoting the business referred to,
it was time for them TO resign, especial
ly if one man is to undertake to assume
charge of everything. He moved that
the Mayors objection be not sus-
| tanned.
Mr.. Curtin said the committee on
streets had never considered the ordi-
nance, and he hoped they would pc
given an opportunity to do 30.
Mr.. Ballenger said there was no need
of referring it to them. He did not
understand how Mr.. Curtin could in
troduce an ordinance and vote for it
one night and then vote against 1t at
the next meeting. 1t looked like ne. a
member of the committee on streets,
could not trust himself.
Mr.. Curtin said he introduced the Or
dnance without closely examining it.
He now saw it was impracticable in its
present shape and would rather have
the matter placed in proper shape.
MIR. Hinken said he objected to the
| ordinance when it was first introduced
Originally it gave power to the chair
man of the committee. 1t had, how
ever, been changed, and its present
/ shape vested the power in the commit
tee collectively.
Mr.. Smoot said there seemed to DE
some misunderstanding about the mat
ter. He had never consulted with Mr..
| Curtin about the ordinance. The speak
err would not have voted for it had he
been present, and would now vote to
sustain the Mayors objections.
Mr.. Curtin made some further re,
marks in explanation of the part he had
| played in the matter, and said when he
found himself wrong he was man
| enough to confess it.
Mr.. Sweeney said Council occupied a
very peculiar position in the matter.
He gave q history Of the ordinance and
how he had suggested to MIR. Curtin
the ACCESSIBILITY OF striking out the word
| chairman" and substituting commit
tee" therefor. For many years the
| committee on streets had been empoW-
cred to have all street work done
under their supervision. 1t was
an important committee and was
composed of practical men, including q
civil engineer. If in this emergency
this work could not be entrusted to
them for short time strange picture
would be presented. The ordinance
merely empowered the committee TO
finish up certain work, appropriations
| for which had already been made. The
| committee had no power to make new
appropriations. The speaker said he
| was a member of the committee on
light, which welded powers which
had never been questioned. He
argued that the committee on streets
were the proper persons with whom to
entrust the work named in the ordi-
nance, and gave numerous reasons to
substantiate his views. MIR. Sweeney
said he had ever been careful in voting
for ordinances which carried extraordi-
nary powers. He read from the Item
lied expenses of smallpox patients to
show that $500 had been spent in alco-
hol and $3.50 in fumigations. It was
unnecessary, he said, to read any other
items.
MIR. Smoot again spoke against the
ordinance, and Mr.. Sweeney subse-
quently resumed his remarks in favor
of it, and in opposition to the Mayors
objections. He showed that the commit
tee on streets were virtually doing now
| what the ordinance provides for
certifying to accounts and exercis-
ing supervision of the street work
men. The action of the mayor
and those councilmen who sus-
tanned him cast reflection on the
committee which had been vested with
certain powers heretofore and which
had never been questioned.
Mr.. Smoot again took the floor and
explained what the committee desired.
He thought the ordinance should be
drawn up by the Corporation Attorney
and the wording made so explicit that
it would be acceptable to all parties.
A vote was finally taken which
resulted as follows: To sustain the Ma
yor-Messrs. Havener, Smoot and Cur
tins, Not to sustain him-Messrs.
Dobie, Hinken, Ballenger, Sweeney
and Mr.. Presidents.
An ordinance granting permission to
H. Wo,h;prton Alayop1rio & Mr.