The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1853-06-09
Borough of StroudSburg.

We give below the Decree of the Court, al
last Term, subjecting our Borough to the pro.
visions of the Act of Assembly passed at ses.
zion of 1851. entitled an act Regulating
Boruughs. The Court struck out the section
empowering the Town Council to furnish a
supply of water, to establish nightly watch,
and to light the streets with gas, &c. which
seemed to be the obnoxious features in said
act, and originated some opposition thereto.
Those who will carefully examine the Act OF
1914, Incorporating the Borough of Mercer
(to the provisions of which Act we were SUBJ
iected by virtue of the Act of lSl5,) and the
provisions of the Act of 1851, will discover
that the Borough possesses but little more
power now than it did under the old Act. 1t
Is true that the Common Council may more
speedily effect certain necessary improve
ments, but they will in fact only accomplish
directly what they had the ability to accom-
plish indirectly under the old Act. As the
matter of paving has been deemed an impor.
tant deslderatCm, in canvassing the merits OF
'he new Act, we will for the purpose of illus
7rauon, advert briefly to that subject The
old Act authorised the Common Council TO
levy and collects tax not exceeding one cent
10 the dollar upon the taxable property in said
Borough, for the purpose of keeping the streets.
&c. in repair. If the Council had exercised,
In its amplitude, the power thus delegated, in
assessing and collecting a tax at the maxi
mum rate, fund approximating to the sum
of Sll00 per annum could have been raised
a Judicious expenditure of said fund would in
a very limited time have graded and paved,
substantially, every street within the limits
of the Borough. We are informed that it is
the intention of the present Board of Corpor-
ate officers, TO require only, the owners Of
property on Main street. to pave-at least for
the present; and the paving to be done
under the supervision of committee appoint
ed for the specific purpose, which will effect
more uniformity, we hope, than has charac-
terlzed some similar zig-zag operations in the
Borough. There are some other provisions
TO which we will advert at some future time
We would say in conclusion, that upon due
reflection, we do not esteem the acquisitions
of the new Act as onerous exactions upon the
"itzen,-as we hold that every judicious sys-
TEN OF public improvement, nurtured by con-
tributlons from private property, correspondly
enhances the value of the same.
We are pleased to know that the mOlern
regime meets the appreciation of major
ity Of the citizens of Stroudsburg. It
cannot be otherwise. Improvement is
the order Of the day; it is the watchword
heard throughout the varied ramifcations
Of human society; it is the stupendous
lever that moves the moral world, and he |
acts unwisely y, who essays to resist the
mighty, the overwhelming impetus.
May 2S, 1853 The Court of Quarter Ses-
sions Of Monroe county, upon the petition of
the inhabitants ofthe Borough of Stroudsburg,
in said County, decree that the said Borough |
shall hereafter be deemed subject to the re-
sirlctions and possess the powers and privi-
leges conferred on Boroughs by the Act of As
selnby passed the Sd day of April, 1851, en-
titled an Act regulating 3oruughs," except
the both article of section I'd of said act :
the powers and privileges of which are no,
extended to said Borough. The Court fur
tber decree that all the provisions of the orr
ginal act of incorporation of SAID Borough or
any supplements thereto, which shall conflict
with the act of Sd of April, 1851, are hereby
annulled and rendered void