The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-02-09

matter before the oomnistss but all Of vent to
the neosssy Of the appointment OF commission Of the
tuIe proper water line for the hsr of New
York snd of suspeneiny the qured der pre-
vops acts OF the ss ature 10 regard to tbs extension o.
piers, until such commit ,son examine and report
vhethsr stch extensions will will not bs dangerous to
the great commercial interests Of the State
to the city OF ookyn Of being possession OF their pier
privileges and Of the much smaller for the
modstion OF ships there than 10 the city OF New York.
even all the piers granted BY the Of 1858 should DO
built AMI completed
brooklyn is already city o, 100 600 psopls aud when
| the consolidation OF BrookIyn Williamsburg Bashw ok,
authorized by the last Legbature shall bs compsts
uDdersar II will be the 6rst Of January n-xt
there will be nearly quarter OF million OF psope
within ths corporate limits OF Brooklyn part OF the
United States receiving more certain healthy or
permanent growth Thousands o, people hourly a,x to
and the great cities almost sith the
rspic,y Of the tide vhish forces s way them
Ths interests Of Goth New York and Brooklyn are oae
Many OF the merchants traders and lsborers 10 toe one
city residents in the other; and identified hAvs
bees these great social interests from year to year that
II hsP often the st wish Of otiz eAah to
them incorporated under form Of government
in ths dirsst subject before u.s. many
citizens Of Brooklyn feel has said that they
have both gal rghts and local Necessities to
all other ipterefs This Is especially true OF tho own
ing lds and hAvirg pier grants Of which they de-
sire to avail themselves,
the hsrboT OF New York is In evidence before US that
the, have been going from year year. and tina. msA
fee Rave received tins sanction OF the Legislature OF the
State OF other ehes OF the State govern msnt
which believed to bs very p 1rous to the commsss
Of New York Colonial legislation connected with the
hsrbor Of New York dated Jar back 1897, when an
sot passed reg Atrg the building Of streets asss
whsrves docks, and alleys of New YORK; and your
mi tee AHMED upwards OF thirty
y passed by the kgssture aud relating to the hsrbor
OF New York alone while In tbs last twenty years.
than twery Sta acts have been passed for tina oeaeat Of
the cit, OF Brooklyn and Williamson Ard all grating
privileges to DOCKS piers wharves bulkh-ais and
basins in the bsrbor OF New Yoik.
In sddton TO these fty scs forty OF whish dated
sine 1900 and ths most ant OF which bear much
later date The Conn isso OF the Land 0ics have
made grants aod under water ia the nArbor OF New
York as believed In violation Of the cnsrter OF Nav
York, nd certainly mott de trenAl 10 the public int
rest The powers embodied in the charter Of New YORK;
between hi b and low water msik claimed by New
York, ard admitted by RrooslIn. far the osct
has come before your Comm ttss and annsxsi to
this report The ciizsns Of ooklyn iDtss csi thsir
water privileges In view Of what they aega T. be put
OF rights from the c OF New York and for
which they have paid, do pay valuable considerations
Of rtsin rgh to Brooklyn IL Is not to be
supposed In regard to great commercial privileges that
they could have been R.ytea WIN on the one haod or re-
that they could HAYS been received 10 violation OF the
raj gosd which the State % the common guards OF all
interests IL bound 20 superintsnd aud protect
The ants from the Lsuo Office which have under
the supervision OF your committee they bssvs to be In
entire egsra OF those general Interests and without
autho rity OF law They ooro with the rights
OF New York. which ara fully rsco nizsd in the ats con
stitutiop, and tie powers conferred tbs md OH BY
whatever except ON OF the parties for whom the
bestft ate They fct, moreover, Ia the judg
ment OF your committee with the general commercial
power CONFER Congress- inAsmucn IL perseversd
H. they would interrupt one II ns great thoroughar
OF commerce aud would obstruct the highway to and
from the United States Navy Yard established In the
East riva.
1t to be remem beree also that tie general govern
msnt the nding power over mmercs, and
OF its Brooklyn Navy Ysrd estle shmsnt for which
raj millions Of collars hkve ben expanded, demands
free iDgiess and egres 10 Its own property and that
In 6t ia Vyirr has
bssn manifested To the extsnt of gvi Instructions TO
tie United States District Attorney for the Southern dis
least that the OF The general goyernmsnt pro
tcted; and rdngly ipjunsiion has been served
against making the very encroachment which the Com
missioners OF the Land Office authorized.
Your committee, under the direction OF Commodore
herman of the Brooklyn ravy yard, Captain Hudson Of
Broeklyp and other eminent ,pd capable gentlemen Of
professional ssil aud lsrs experience enNbea to
MAKE thorough examination Of The effect Of this Land
ON 20 grt nj To sr. Henry Rugg.es
No such grant OF lspd uuuer water could have bssn
mace by ,h- State oic.ra, with knowledge of the cha
racter Of the property ana privileges csdsd aud this
ercs OF official power either eupposes great neglect o.
du'y the part Of the Land nBsioners ,Eins It,
OF went OF knorlcge as to the nature OF tn. grant
which they consented to part with In the ne OF the
State. without commenting upon the roivs o. the ao.,
your mttee OF th opinion that sush admins
ration OF public affairs ought for ever to tsrve ~ .
varorg for all public affairs to be thoroughly CONVEX.
SAINT with the Importance Of the powers entrusted 70
them by the people before conssntus to yield such great
their own private advantage.
But thes. not ai the eucro.chm cnts whi,h have
teen made in he bsroor Of New York 10 The exercise Of
legislative spd Administrative powers
In the city OF New York both branches Of the Common
Council have, from time t. time, paHed numerous acts
ordinances aud luvns which also De .ysi to De
most Oct mental to the commerce OF New York la many
Of these acts in the judgment OF your committees tbs
public food has been sacrificed to privsts advantage
10 always trua thst rothing ssort o. the utmost
vigilance on The part OF those reprsssntng the popls
4hnla WIN har hair 0uun int sta 10
Some Of tbs pier extensions In the hsrbor of NsS York.
will be made By direct State authority some
oormed in virtue Of grants to ancient corpor.,tcrs-
IS for exas PIE, to the Richmond Turnpse Company,
as fer back as the administration o. Governor Tom pkns
the shores o: Staten Island, sad the line Of the
Narrows. Here, are informed, there IA pier exten
SOD, under the grant resrred to- eavsn hundred feet
lcpg and running four bsrdred feet into the bsy This
Ia but of many changes incident 70 the o,
ard III, growing value OF property the shores
OF the New York barber 1t il important that authority
should be given TO report whether those grants
fractions OF law Eot, ard SPEEDY action has become
necessary in res to ali the grsap claimed from the
fact that uneHs they checked It will become diff
cult II not Impossible hereafter to remedy the evils
ayprehep6eo.
10 the fact OF the iniury to the commerce Of New
York, the numerous nemoIiahsts who have spoken to
the committee through their petitions declare wthA
uniform voice and feeling that the habor of New York
has seen seiio lsy hurt by the repeated enc-osshnns
upon IT. in the extending e piers and other sbtrucon,
into the snnel of the East river and they eutreat
Lesiss!ure to estAtlisna commission to FIX sod dstsr
~
York and Brooklyn
TIE New York chamber OF nm .roe at thsr January
nesting drew petition 10 the Legi lss1 which
bsn laid before The Senats In which they de.re that
the extending OF long piers ns the East river and the
narrowing Of the river, have Increased the 10
many places snt rendered navigation dif suit and trou
besome and II continued will very seriously aud very
piuricusly affect this important harhor; OF the
evils to be spprehended ia The formation Of shoals In ths
river wholly stopping the passage OF large vessels 1T
tcme places where the current may be sluggish" They
further pray, SHAT law may be immediate passed BY
the legislature restraining al and every
by ling In othervise upon the waters their hArbo
and that sster line may be xed and estab
hed by comm sion Of ccien 6c and practical men, to
be created by the legislature"
ksjor DlAreld, of the United States Engineer CORPS
who hiss resided for many years at Staten Island who
tboroushy and practically acquainted with the harbor
OF New York. wrote to the President OF the Board OF Un
dsrwres two years before the passage Of the Of the
last Legislature, granting the privileges the city OF
Brooklyn already referred TO- that the eect OF narrowing
The Rst river ~ frequent and heightened piers,
built on each iSe CT 1t, very pernicious The effect
OF eucrosohpg into the river from year to year. he a.
leges and others have asserted the thing and
animation would 10 e1ent TO nhr the truth
Of what is claimed has been change the orainal line