Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1854-01-04

H.
Theoretically the city government is unit hut in
the deyelppe,nent &c lis prncl,jls il has heea found
convenient, an veil "a uselui 10 make distribution
OF lis powers aud aies. Ii repres entative gov
erutnen /; and each Of It's branches has lis appro.
priate functions. Those OF the common council are
strictly legislative those Of the aldermen are mix
ed. both Iegislatiye and executive and those Of
the aayor. eutirely executive with the s.nge excep
lion Of The casting vote which he isrequred 10 GIVE
in case Of a tie Ia the board of aldermen Much Of
she harmonv and efficiency of the government de-
mend uoon the adherence Of each Of the branches to
its appropriate sphere Of action neither assuming
the powers OF the other, nor claiming authority 10
perform It's duties The charter is our guide. Ii
nrescribes the duties we are under the most solemn
obligations 10 perform Tor the common benefit Of the
whole civ
RaCentlemen Of the city council in the perform.
ance oI the duties assigned yuu by The people you
have been chosen 10 represent, many subjects will
occupv YOUR attention during the year upon which
YOU now enter Among these are the care and in-
I,rovement Of the roads and bridges the protection
of private and public III operIy from loss by fire. the
sustaining of the public schools the dis rbuiion Of
the public charities 10 The poor and the guardian
shin of the public order. To these important sub
iects your earnest attention is invited durlng The
whole term OF your official existence. Censure you
may perhaps receive, do what you may; but aim 70
do right and you can always receive il with equan-
mity, let who NAV award il.
The largest draft that is made upon the city treas
urv is for highways and bridges. Our teri tory is
large, and onr goada numerous and every year in
creasng The appropriation the last year for re.
pliring and improving the streets, for paving and
setting ccrbsones, for sewers and draiils aud for
completing The bank wall in front Of the county
buildings, was S24 600. Ii has been expended .
mainly by tire commissioner of highways; and after
a constant watching oil his work, aud almost daily
consultations with him, although some may not have
understood the reasons for all his movements, am
bound in rankuess to say, that believe that officer
has tabored eary and late with single reference to
the welfare of the city-with an earnest desire to
accomplish the most work with the least expendi.
ture OF moaey-and 10 this he has been quite sue
cessful. So much has been done, and SO done as TO
command public approval, thaa ii is my conviction
that the ordinance providing for such an officer was
most ludicious enactment, and ought 10 be retained
in force, with such amendments AS experience may
determine to be necessary. Such is the demand for
expenditures upon the Streets that it is difficult SO
to arrange the expenditures as 10 conor 10 the lin
its Of the appropriation For this reason, and for
the further easun that some extraordinary work has
had 10 be performed 1.-The extent of which could not
be well ascertaiued the expenditures ia this depart
ment considerably overrun the appropriation. The
heaviest item OF this expenditure was the paving Of
the north and the south ends Of Main street and The
remaining part Of Front street, west Of the canal
bridge, with block and cobbe stones To such an
exten; have the pavements been carried that am
not now aware Of the necessity of laying any more
at present, except in some imconsiderabIe sections
ofsome Of the cross streets that are much equeal-
ed by heavy teams ana Tor which, in my Judge
m-nt, the cetbIe pavements will b. found amply
sufficient. Should you agree with me on this point,
l 'ombt mol that an appropriation for highways for
the present year, as Iatge as hat for the last, will
be as much as can be iAdfciously expended; though
such is the number OF new streets il various parts Of
the city, that the demand for expenditures, il il
were answered, would absorb a much larger
amount
the attention of the last civ government was
early drecteti To The safety of the public al several
dangerous railroad CROSSINGS Iling1 early mar, Of
Juue an arrangement was effected with the West
era railroad cnu,uaoy by which The nresi,lent If
thai road agreed ior their COMPANY and ir The Prov
Iencs ami Worcester ra,roai COMPANY. TO construct
y;aduct uuder their resuec,iye roads ~, the c,..s
ing in Somhbridge street. Fur the city il war agreed
that tts commissioner should cart away the earth.
necessary for the construction of the yiaduc,-tbe
c,tvte.a Ia want Of The gravel for ahe renair;ns Of
S,utbbr,dge street and oiher streets in .Ihe SINH
part of the civ. Some forty rods of Southb,idse
street lies across gwa,np Il was built about twen.
~ wears ago. by LAYING trees and brush across tbe
rack, and pililIs the earth upon them MANY Times
iths been found necessary. IN past years. 70 raise
the Rad bv caring graveI unon n I,t as i, was
E,an in the earIv mari of the seasn 10 need cous;d
erabe renairs II was decided 70 take advan,aae. of
the removal Of The gravel for The yisduc 10 nI The
road in good condition. Teams were SCI TO work
about the f3i Of Aug,,st. ana IN a lew DAYS con-
siderable portion AZ The road was ra;sed h
such height tha, Il was snnnosed II xould need
no further repairs for wears 10 come. But the onn
dation of the road had become n overloaded ~ he
accum, a,;ons ~ oraveI se.a, at,a, ven, ,ha ~
single night some fifteen rods Of il sunk and in The
1seTniae 4 v tound covered with water ten 10 e.
teen feet deep. There was no alternative for the
city government but 10 90 forward and FIJI mn The
. oh asIn with earth: and te,ms were kent running
from that time to nearly or quite the middle Of De.
cen,her. before The work was comoleted. II was
done mostly ,by contract, and took not less than
Is 600 wards OF earth, and cost not less than $24OO
but the road is now one Of The finest avenues into
the CITY and il is not doubted that it will be found
TO be one Of our most permanent highways. The
yiaduct is thoroua bly, built n the most substantial
manner and when fully completed will be found
great convenience and safety TO the public and 10 the
.failroad companies
Another considerable expenditure was the change
Of he grade in the south part Of Main street BY he