Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1899-03-10
CITY COUNCIL.


BOARD OF ALDERMEN.
Seven Aldermen were present when
the board was called to order.
The Mayors message was read, after
which an ordinance making additional
appropriations for various purpose in
connection with the conduct OF the
city government was received from the
Common Council and adopted unani-
mously.
After recess, Mr.. Sweeney called
up the ordinance, laid over at the last
meeting, which provides for certain
regulations concerning cases Of small
poX and the fumieation of houses where
such cases have existed, and submitted
an amendment requiring the Health
Officer to fumigate premises at the cost
of the city.
Mr.. Havener suggested an amend
ment providing that the fines imposed
under the ordinance shall be collected
by the Mayor.
Mr.. Smoot agreed with Mr.. Havener.
Seine further debate followed, after
which the motion prevailed and the
ordinance was passed.
The report of the finance committee
on the bills OF the Health Officer aud
the corps OF physicians employed in at
! tending smallpox cases and in VAGINA
! ting ia this city was received from the
Common Council. The committee had
cut The bills down one-hslf, declaring
them to be illegal.
Mr. Ballenger asked if the bills con-
| tanned all the charges made by physi
clans VINO had been employed during
the smallpox excitement, and being an
swared III the negative, he said he saw
no good reason why that sent in by the
Health Officer and his corps of assist
ants should be scaled when the others
had been paid without protest. He
asked also what had become of other
! bills against the city contracted during
| the prevalence of the disease-meaning
for groceries, &C., furnished people who
had been quarantined.
Mr.. Curtin said they had been before
the committee on poor aud, having
been endorsed by Sergeant Smith, had
been paid.
Mr.. Ballengar-"Then Serg't. Smith
| mas power to attest bills presented
against the city?p The speaker said
when the resolution was passed by
Council directing the Mayor and Health
Officer to proceed to eliminate small
ppx from the city it had occurred to
him that il was rather loose way to
do business as the purse strings OF the
CITY had been loosed in rather delib
crate way. All bills contracted should
have been presented to Council for
payment-this would have been the
proper procedure. He saw no reason
co cut down some bills and pay all de-
maaded in others. The argument
made by the committee on finance for
cutting down the bills was untenable.
They took the ground that the HBEi;h
F! Officer and the Board Of Health had no
power to contract the bills, and the
suggestion had also been made That
ca5 Health Officer had not qualified
and given bond, That was an affair
the Mayor should have attended 10.
Mr.. Havener said the bills had been
contracted by the Board OF Health.
Mr. Smoot raised point OF order
that the report of the committee had
not been heard. 1t would be better to
defer argument until that was done.
Mr.. Ballenger retorted by saying that
Mr.. Havener, a member Of the commit
tee, had stated that the bills had been
cut down one half Mr. Ballenger said
be would not have spoken anything
about the bills except DIR. Miller's.
chat gentleman, be thought, should
not have charged so cents if the other
physicians demanded but % cents for
| vaccineting. He argued at length in
expressing his conviction that the
other bills should not be cut down.
Mr.. Sweeney said the way the mat
ter had been presented to Council was
rather may. The report of the COM
mittee was couched in but few words
declaring the bills illegal and recon-
mending that one-half only OF the
sums demanded be paid. More inform
ation was necessary. II the committee
believed the bills illegal they should
show why they believe them so. Mem
bers Of the committee were pres
ent and they should show on
what their conclusion was based.
There were many bills to pay in con-
nection with the smallpox matter, and
majority of them had been paid in
other ways without having them
brought to Council. The question to
be determined was whether or not DR..
Miller is an officer of the city vested
with power to contract bills which the
corporation should pay. The speaker,
when the resolution of January 81 was
passed, had supposed all bills contracted
| under it would be sent to Council in Or
der that the two boards might know
what they are paying for. The resolu-
ton passed at that time which placed
the responsibility Of Kidding the city of
smallpox on the Mayor and Health Of
fcer, carrying as it did the power Of
expenditure, would not have been pass.
ed so easily save during an emergency,
when no one desired TO put price or
purging the city OF loathsome disease.
He was, however, in favor Of giving
every one what b .onged to him. The
doctors, probably: did their work un-
der contract, and he would hate to
think that any of them would take ad-
vantage of the city's necessities by pre-
senting exorbitant bills. They had the
interests of the community at heart as
much as others. They must have been
employed by somebody having power.
Mr.. Sweeney argued in length, during
which he reviewed the entire issue, and
asserted that the finance committee had
no right to make such cut in the bills
without giving some logical reason for
such action. II the committee could or