The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-06-26
METROPOLITAN PARKS.
y NEW YORK TO HAVE A GREEN SPOT
The Two Reports to the Legislature.
GIVE LUNGS TO THE CITY,
&C., &C., az


&C., &C., &c.
The Central Park Report.
REPORT or THE MINORITY OF THE SELECT COMMIT
TEE ON THE BILL RELATIVE TO PUBLIC PARK IN
NEW YORK.
The undersigned, minority OF the Select Com
miftee consisting of Messrs Beekman, Cooley, and
Rartett0 appointed to take into consideration the
bill entitled Gan act relative to the purchase, pos
session. and laying out OF certain lands for puohc
park in the Nineteenth ward OF the city OF New
York and the powers and duties of the Mayor, Al
Sermen, and Commonalty relative thereto, win
power to report complete, beg leave respectfully 70
make the following
REPORT.
The committee have given the subject matter re-
ferred to them that serious attention wmch is great
importance seemed to demand-havins neid nu-
merous sittngs for the purpose OF hearing the W.T.
nesses that have been presented by the friends OF
the hill and by those opposed to its becoming law
The Testimony before the committee was, to con-
siderable extent, conflicting and contradictory, and
some Of the witnesses were evidently interested pc
cuniariy, and largely 30, In the scheme contem-
plated in the bill of converting the plot Of ground
known as Jones Wood into public park.
Indeed it appears to the undersigned due, no less
to the cause of Justice than to the great interests OF
the city of New York as well as to the hundreds Of
thousands of its teeming and rapidly increasing
population and the millions who may hereafter con-
gregate in that stirring city, which Is destined, per-
haps to become the great commercial centre OF the
world as it is now pre-eminently that of this vast
continent; and it is due, moreover to the Importance
Of the measure contemplated in the bill which is TO
affect, for veal or woe the social condition, comfort
convenience, health, taste and pleasurabe ENJOY
ment of myriads OF human beings to state, that the
parties most active and urgent for the passage of the
BILL are, themselves confessedly interested pecu-
niarily and will be largely benefited in point OF pro-
perry should it become law.
While the undersigned mpugns no ones motive
in the advocacy of whatever course may be taken
with respect to this any other measure before this
honorable body, ne, nevertheless, deems ~ duty
IMAM ,harf i'm tn
Bile facts which one, it is presumed, will under
take to gainsay or deny.
Those parties who have manifested so much
anxiety to push this bill through the Legislature at
this session. are all interested in landed estates
ZONES Wood, which, should this bill contrary to
the wishes as is believed by the undersigned, OF
large majority OF the property holders OF New York,
be passed into a law will be greatly augmented IN
value.
While this circumstance would not be entitled to
the slightest consideration were the Jones Wood
site conceded to be the most eligible Tor the lmpor
tant purposes and improvements designed IN the
hill it becomes exceedingly grave and intere sting
when it is known that far better and more central
site exists and that this described in the bill Is ad-
vocated by few except those whose private interests
are likely to be so largely advanced by an improve
ment which, if made at all must be done at the pub
lie expense.
The evidence before the committee took a wide
range including the comparative advantages of the
two sites had in view by the citizens OF New York
for public park, to wit, Jones Wood" bounded
by Sxtyfourth street. from the East river to avenue
A; by avenue A, from Sixtyfourth to Sixty-sixt
Streets by Sixty-sxth street. from avenue to the
Third avenue by the Third avenue from Sixty-sixth
to Seventyfth streets, and by Seventy-hfth street.
from the Third avenue to the East river and by the
East river from Seventy-ffth street to SLxtyourth
street. containing about 100 acres, and situated
the extreme eastern verge of the city, and about six
miles from the City Hall; and also tract Of land
situated near the geographical centre of Manhattan
Island, bounded by the Fifth and Eighth avenues on
xln md hrs ytiafh and
on the north and south containing about 160 acres,
plot of ground not only well adapted for park pur
poses and landscape adornment but in size somewhat
commensurate with the inevitable requirements OF so
vast population as is doubtless destined at very
distant day to crowd that great commercial empori-
um; site, too, which is not only asked for by many
thousand petitioners, but from the following preamble
and resolutions passed by the two Boards oil Alder
men and Assistants and approved by the Mayor of
the city OF New York, on the 18th inst, appears to
have the unanimous voice OF the city government in
its favor.
Whereas, By a resolution of the Common Council
adopted January 1852, the State Legislature
q1esed to take further action in relation to the
opening of the proposed Jones' Wood park, BY which
request the subject has beer allowed TO rest until the
present session of the legislature II how
ever that certain parties attempting
renew the subject, without and independent g., Any
action of the Common Council In favor Of the same and
whereas, as far ascersined the proposed Central
park has met the general appreciation OF our citizens
and the project being feasible than that of Jones
Wood park, the ground that If carried into effect it
ted reservoirs and also be central to the island where
ifs parf wanted at all would be proper locioo for
one therefore,
Resolved That application be made the Legislature
At its present session. law authorizing the opening
of park the boundaries of which shall be southery by
Sixty third street northery by One Hundredth street
eastery by the Fifth avenue and westerly b. the Eighth
avenue: and further,
Resolved That the Clerk of the Common Council be
hereby dire cted for Sard of the foregoing
preamble and resolutions to the members of the Lgisi
Adopted by the Board Of Aldermen June 0, 1853.
ADDICTED by the Board of Assistants, June 10, 1853.
Approved by the MAJOR. June II, 1888
D. 7. VALENTINE Clerk G. c.
City OF New York.
But for the cordial support of his Honor the Mayor,
in whom the citizens of New York have the fullest
confidence, and who is connected with and advoca-
ting all the great reform contemplated ia
the administration of the government of that city,
this recommendation Of the Common Council should,
as has been suggested by the majority of the com
mitee, be received with many grains OF allowance.
But, coming up to the Legislature, sanctioned as it
is by that approval the undersigned thinks it entitled
to much weight and consideration.
To the undersigned, it appears to be no more than
justice requires to say, in answer to the implied
charge OF the majority OF the committee that part
of the signatures of the Temonstrants against the
passage Of the Jones Wood park bill, were not
Il is possible that some of those signatures en-
tered at the request Of bona de citizens who could
not or did not for some good reason, really write
their own names II is quite impossible for the un.
may be no less difficult perhaps for the majority, who
seem doubt these to ascertain with any great de-
gree of certainty whether every signature obtained
the petition for the Jones Wood" park bill, be
really genuine or not Nor does the undersigned deem
it very important inquiry; he will content himself
with merely stating to the Senate that there were
very large number of petitions before the committee
asking for the passage of the Jones Wood park but
in his opinion much larger demonstrating against
it. He has, however, not taken the trouble to count
the names either side; nor does he deem that at
all important in coming to a full understanding
as to the wants of the citizens Of New York,
with respect to the comparative merits OF
the two competing sites for conversion into a
public park for both have merits, and much may
be said on both sides Of the question without doing
any injustice to either. The evidence which
has been given before the committee, to the com
parltve eligibility of the two sites of ground for the
contemplated park, may be considered under two
heads.
First as respects their situation in reference to the
question OF public convenience and the influence of
"A Al. AL.