Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1909-02-02
City Council.


Council last night. called By Mayor
PAT, who returned to the Board Of
Aldermen, where it originated, the fol-
lowing resolution:
Resolved, That the Chief OF the Fire De
plrtment. or the Fire Wardeus, shall have
the power to order the fire department h 20
beg Ond the city limits whenever ia the judg
me1t Of the Chief Of the Fire Department the
services Of the fire department become neaes-
sarg beyond the city limits. And this reTo-
luton shall he in force until the general laws
committee report law in the premises in the
near future.
Accompanying the resolution was a
message from his honor (Which will be
found in the official proceediugs) giving
his reasons for not signirg the same.
Tue Alderman by 8 vote of 6 to ! de-
cideu that the resolution should remain
operative nOtwitbs adding the Mayors
objscliors, and the Common Council by
unanimous vote concurred IN their
action.
BOARD OF ALDERMEN.
After the rea ling of the resolution
aud the mayors message, Mr.. Field,
from the committee on general ls~s,
said he sss not present when the reso-
lolion was passed, but he desired to
state that there had been no attempt
nor purpose to curb the power of the
mayor 10 any particular. The resolu-
ton was passed as an emergency meas
ure solely, and WAS the outcome OF tue
recent friction between the fire wardeus
and the chief engineer of the Fire
Department.
Mr.. Ballenger said he had been told
tbs! the corporation attorneys opinion
was substantially ID the effect that the
mayor had no prerogAtive in the mat
ter; that the power TO act in reference
to The Are department was vested 10
Council. The latter, therefore, had
usurped nothing in its action.
Mr.. MarburY suggested that the reso-
luton was merely intended as temper
ary measure until an ordinance could
be framed emtodying the law on the
subject.
Mr.. Bill referred TO what Mr.. Bal
longer rad said. The power Of the
mayor had, i. seemed to the speaker,
been given to The wsrdebs aud the
chief engineer of the Fire Department
The speaker said il that was the case,
he would vote to sus ain the mayor.
Several members expressed the opin-
ion that the resolution did not curb the
Msyor in any way. He is the execu-
tive of the city, armed with the same
power Ss ever. Other mayors bad al
! loved the fire department to go beyond
the city's limits. They also said that
7if it was the intention of the resolution
| TO abridgs the mayors prerOgatives, they
gould vote to sustain his honor. They,
however. did not regard the resolution
in that light.
4 vote was finally taken when Ella
mem6era-Messrs Mlrbury, Ballenger,
Field, Sweeney, Summers and President
Ourtin-vo!ed to allow the resolution to
remain operative Notwithstanding the
mayors objection Mr. Brill, however,
4 YOifQ 10 suSlhll MS y Ols
Tne board then adjourned.
COMMON COUNCIL.
When the Common Council WAS called
II order st eight o'clock there were
eleven n members present.
The mayors messages stating his
reason for calling Council aud for Veto
log the resolution relating to the fire de-
partment passed at the last meeting Of
Council, were read by the clerk. They
will be found in the official proceedings.
The resolution then came in from the
Aldermen, that board having sustained
by a vote OF 6 to the action of Council
at its last meeting,
The chair then stated the question
before Council was, "Shall the ,resolu-
ton stand Notwithstanding the mayors
objections
Mr.. 5pinks asked If this resolution
curtailed the mayors power 10 any
way.
The chair replied tat it had no effect
on the mayors power; he thought the
mayor had made more of this matter
than there was any necessity for and be
hoped there would be no discussion.
On an aye and no vote the previous
action Of Council was unanimously
sustained
Council then adjourned.