The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-07-15
THE COMMON COUNCIL AND THE
FIRE DEPARTMENT.
Terrible uproAr among the City Fathers
RessgnauO OF Alderman Wesley Saiith,
and Withdrawal or the Resignation.
IRON oun SPECIAL REPORTER.

and Withdrawal OF the Resignation.
IRON ouR SPECIAL REPORTER.
BOARD OF ALDERMEN,
Tuesday, July IL, 1852.
Alderman DENMAN, of the Sixteenth ward, pre-
sented the following preamble and resolution which
he said be presented at the request of several MEM
bers Of the department, and desired that they
might be read which was accordingly done by the
Clerk, amid profound silence
whereas The foremen of the engine, hose, hook and
ladder, and ny companies assembed IN rremens
Hall the 22d Of September 1851, recommended an
immediate divorce between the Fire Department ana
the Common Council; and whereas the forcmen cons-
deriDg Themselves greatly sighted by the burial OF tner
respt petitions divorce in the special and stand
ing committees of the Common Council the enemies OF
the asserting. within and without the depart
ment that the vote by which such divorce
mended by the forcmen was not a majority vote and
grossly illegal throughout and nasmuch as several poll
date influence Of the leaders of the wing and democra
tic parties demonstrated against such divorce, they
the foremen reassembled in Frcmens Hail. the 18th
Of February 1852 ut OF the largest meetings ever
known in Fremen's Hall and passed the following by
the overwhelming majority Of 05 ayes to "a nays.
Whereas This body has been informed that certain
based upon the report in favor Of reorgani
saon the Fire Department adopted ut aMecng held
Oct H. 1861 were voraby reported to the late Board
of at it's session in November last by special
committee to whom the subject Of reorganization &C..
had been rcfered and whereas this body ~ further in
osn,s hsys heen rsf.rea to specia committees Of the
present Board of Aldermen no action having been taken
thereon by the late Common Councils therefore
Resolved That this BODY hereby reailrms its adhe-
to The man OF reorganization contained in the
port adopted in October last and being hrin in the
belief that the passage the ordinances alluded so would
reay promote the interest and prosperity the Fire
Department it respectfully and earnestly requests the
saSor therenf with M little delay MS possible
Resolved That n copy of the foregoing preamble and
res olutions with an extract from the minutes bs signed
nfffa.ps nf his ling
Syce;as Committee ard that Thew be also respectfully
sod ~ tyacs,nit h Ia the BOARD when thew make
tha;- yanort
Tho following is the classification Of the various fire
comnanies in adopting the above =
sYrs Enp;nes-1o q A. & g. o. 10 H. 10 IL lG.
"a 81 %, o. % ~ 20 AZ 40 'Iou-l q 4. T. g o.
IL II Ia IL To- 90 81 IS % o. 30, 81 3d. 81 So
40 Al 40 Aa a. AZ AZ AZ 40 80 81 Hook and Ind
~ ~, Il a q a = o 10 JIud,an,s--l 23-65 votes
N.xs = Eupip,S-6 Ia H. 81 "a 25 2s 81 S. IS
"a Hoe s. 6, I6, II, Is, Il ~ p! IS, 50, 81 CD
o. 1o,aS = - = - - - - = IT. - -
Ana .boreos The Beport of the Commissioner of Re-
na,rs and supplies now printed and on our desks in
forms No hat there has been expeuaed and ordered to be
xrandea from the first of January OF tha present year
H. Nav following nerod of four months chiefly on the
Observation-Disclosures NJ the wire ncnartmept COMMITTEES If
the Common Connol composea OF Messrs Smith, Bard
and ward The enormous sum Of one hundred aad four
thop.and dollars for the Fire Department expendture
which the annual appropriation in four months
nnditnre some thirty four tbousand dollars LEAVING
eight months to ran which may bring the annual expen-
d;ure IN between Two and three hundred thousand dol
aytrayarap.e Of annropriniion which startled
NOT orl tho Fre Denartent itself lnt the ray npyers
Of the whole ci and ELECTS very naturally the inquiry
for what could 10 m ao mt
~ money have beeen appropriated when IL Is known
thYouchont tho that there "a lsrre number
~ e,o ~. ho n, i; vain IN tbe Commnn Tonn
thnb Tho tre Danartm COMMITTEE NJ .he Roard NJ
aide,men for Inc most necessary approprations and
acme of them for proper shelter for their
Ard uheY cas- the present mode Of trial of the nsubnr
d;nate members az the denar mept bv tho Fire Derer
ment Committee is in effect no trial at all and is CON-
sidercd by intelligent and worthy members OF the de-
partment as mere sham trial, ana as one OF the
Committee screen and let loose the insubordinae MEM
bers OF the TO enable te 10 re engage In
their ATTACKS on worthy hreneh OF wmch the depart
ment is generally composed. Ana whereas tue FIRE
the unparalleled and unexpected delay OF the special
commttee ana especially OF tne tle department Com
Hhltee ~hcn nave nau me consueIaton % tneir Two
fesPeeIul pelItions N.hc nc liiene oonui.'ee
mas them no" iocke" up ,or oi'orce SINCE UcIooer'
1901, w,thout manies.pg tna snghtetI disposition 10
report thereononc 81 the present members OF the FIRE
pepartment .onmIee, IN Tue board o. Aaermen,
naNips peen inen'oel u na. eo,ul,tee ior Two or
three successive years, ana ls presen. chafan having
pcen memuF u 'Ho riie pepat.iept .oAsuiIsee'
IN tne Board O. ASSISTANTS curing Inc iast year,
which enabled them TO know ali that has transpred
IN the department, ana the strongly expressed de-
siies OF the department IN reference TO rs imme-
date divorce from the Common Connci and where
as the ulsntereseu services, pers sacriAce courage,
ana Indispensable usefulness OF the rcrnen OF our city,
are 100 wei known ana appreciated ny our mertorious
citizens 10 any formal euiogu'n ron any source
ara cohccivhe .na' he Hrcbieh themselves are tne bost
Judges OF the evis mat nave 20 opg existed anu st ex-
Isl 70 an alarming atgeo aud he necessity Tor an imme-
diatc reorgamLauoh OF the department, me common
.ounCu as ntncr'o' 70 eta'n s veto on al heir acts
therefore,
hesolved, ina. tne iohowing oroihance pe ADOPTED,
WHICH "as IecoInmeoeo ,or auopton III 1871, py spe
ciai commntee OF Whicn alderman drin was chairman,
ana when mas peen Twice Ior our ADOPTION
py tne orsmen twice assem- peg IN tiremens Ha and
Whch the recommendation Oh tne ioreman as printed
by Inc board, comma ior comma anu word LOT word
AN ORDINANCE RELATING TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
The MAJOR aldermen and Connonaly of The cifu Of Nw
York in ell susd do rdy Mn foI-
lors:-
Sec l. There sha be- in lien of the present Board Of
Engineers and Forcmen Of the Fire Department two
and distinct to consist Of the
engineers to be styled the Board Of Engineers of
the New Fire Department. other TO consist of
the foremen of the engine hose hook and ladder aud
hydrant companies and styled the Board Of Fore
men Of the New York Fire Department. the Chief En-
gineer member Of and the presiding officer of each
board the said Board OF Foremcp to exercise all the
regards the election Of engineers Of the depart
heretofore granted to the Board of Engineers