Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1899-10-25
CITY COUNCIL.


All the Aldermen were present, and
after the board had been called to or
der and the minutes of the last meetir g
read and approved,
Mr.. Hill offered resolution direct.
Jog the Auditor to draw his warrant in
favor of the widow of the late DR.. ].
W. Bechtel for S62.75 for services rem
dsred by the deceased during the small
pox epidemic in this city last winter.
Mr.. Hill Eaid he hoped it would be
the pleasure OF the board 10 pass the
resolution. The amount claimed was
comparatively small.
Mr.. w. b. Sweeney esid he was IN
der the impression that q resolution
providing for the payment Of the bill
would be introduced in the lower board.
The resolution WAS unanimously
adopted.
a number of papers which had been
acted upon by the Common Council!
were subsequently received and their
action concurred in, after which Mr..
Burke, of the lower board, appeared il
the chamber bearing an invitation TO
the Aldermen 10 meet the Common
Council in joint session for the purpose
of filing vacancies in the Board OF
Health ard for the election of a City
Engineer.
The invitation precipitsted spirited
debate, Mr.. Ballenger saying he had DO
objection to going into joint session for
the purpose of elec.ing members OF the
Board OF Health, but he deemed it pre-
mature to attempt 10 elect City En-.
gineer until the salary OF that otfic al
was definitely fixed. a resolution re
ducing his pay from $500 to 81 200
had just been referred TO the 6narcs
committee, aud, speaking for himself,
he thought it better to wait until that
committee reoorted.
Mr.. ]. T. Sweeney saw no good rea-
son for declining the invitation On that
ground, especially as matters now stood,
such a.thlng as the salary should no.
be taken into consideration. "The
Mayors communication showed that
he matter of selecting Board OF
Health was urgent and
Mr.. Balienger-"I have 10 objection
TO the joint session if it is merely for
the purpose of electing members Of the
Board of Health, bit l am averle TO
electin2 City Engineer now"
Mr.. Sweeney continuing said re
could come 10 the question OF the City
Engineer liter. He reiterated that he
saw nothing in the resolution concern
ing the salary to be paid that official 10
stop Joint session. 1t would be in the
province of the two boards to decide
whether or not a City Engineer should
be elected after convening iG joint ses.
sion. In the face OF the Mayors COM
municalion the invitation of he Com
mon Council should be accepted.
Mr.. Ballenger again interrupted the
speaker by saying that the gentlemen
whom the Mayor had appointed mem
bers OF the Board of Health could act.
They were clothed with the same pow
er as though they had been elected by
Couucil.
Alr. Sweeney-"But they must i'm
mediately be invested with that power
by Council"
Mr.. Ballenger said he only spoke for
himself II majority OF the board de-
sired the joint session that would settle
The matter SO far as be vas concerned
Mr.. Sweeney said be was merely stat
ing his own views. Il was rare occur
ence in the history Of theCity Council for
one board to refuse to meet the other ia
joint session. There was no obligation
on the part OF either board to elect any
one after meeting, but it was common
courtesy TO accept invitations OF this
nature.
MIR. Ballenger-"Was it common
courtesy when the Aldermen refused to
meet the Common Council in joint ses-
sion recently to hear statement from
a committee of the Business Mems
League ?'
Mr.. Sweeney said he had never said
so before, but he said now, that he
did not believe the slightest discourtesy
was intended the gentlemen composing
that committee. That they were not
given a hearing was the fault OF some
CT the members of the City Council and
probably OF the gentlemen themselves.
As the matter had been brought up,
however, he would give resume of the
entire proceedings of the night in CUES.
ton, together with the manner in which
the meeting had been called. Mr..
Sweeney then went over most Of the
ground he covered on the night in
which it was decided the Aldermen had
not been legally called, stating that
while the Common Council had been
legally organized the Board of Alder
men had not. He said Council had ad.
journed in July until the second Tues
day in October, but the members nearly
every week were being called together
at the ipse diXit of this and that one. He
maintained that members of the boards
constituting the City Council had some
rights which should be respected, and
that their comfort should sometimes be
consulted. He had on the night in
question left pleasant company to re-
spond 10 the summons, and had found
that the meeting had been called with
out consulting the Mayor OF the Pres
ideDt OF the Board of Aldermen, and
he had protested against such
procedure. Il was, therefore, no
fault of the Aldermen if the committee
Was not heard. He insisted it was the
duty of the Aldermen to 90 into the
other board when invited, and the ques.
ton of electing this or that one could
then be settled. He closed by saying it
was amusing to him to hear that Coun-
Gil presumed suitable engineer could
be procured for 81 200 e year. Mr..
Corse had beea receiving $1,000 II
Council desired TO procure the services