The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-07-20

EtURN, WHICH hAm6 pIsRBHuV
On our return 70 Quarantine, We landed Dr. Tnomps
and fe~ friends, to whom save three che'rs an
tser" At parting, and then procssosa 70 ussss
after day Of the most pleasant social euj oymsnt-s
day which will long be remembered BY those Who we're
present, among thssnost happy rsnisceness Of tasr
The Committee on Lamps and Gas.
meeting Of the Committee Lamps and Gas, Of the
Board OF Councilman, held yesterday Thursday
afternoon at the chamber Of the Board in the City Hall
Present-Msssrs. Pinchney, Purdy, Moore and Floyd.
Mr. HoUGHToN. for the Metropolitan Gas Company,
closed the argument He had stated in the Of
hia remarks ~ the time Of the last meeting that there
contract obligation to prevent the city from
granting the privilege Of pipe laying to any person
CON pspy. His tenton had been called to the Goa
tract between the city and the Manhattan Company.
He fDew what the provisions OF hst contract The
company should light the lamps Of the public for
about fifteen dollars. He knew also, that no
elusive right given to the company to lay
down pipes in the street The Committee would rscol
lett the New York Gas Company in 1923 got this
prohibtory grant allowing them to the exclusion Of
all other persons companies, to lay their ppes He
held in his hand copy ths agreement made bstween
ths New York ard the Msnahattan Gas companies As
it wal fomewhst important that the COMMITTEE ihouh
understand it. he would from II subsanttAts
r, marks The contract was made 5th May, 1915 bs.
tween the Mayor Aldermen snd mmouaty Of the city
and the company, it grants the corporation stae
right until 1865 to lay their pipes but it made
elusive grant That agreement II it had stopped there,
could not have been interpreted to give any exclusive
right; but lest such Interpretation should be given
The Common Counc guarded tsef in this agreement by
special wording. They say: "And it Ia hereby
pIessly provided that nothing herein contained
shall be construed or deemed granting to
the said parties Of the second part any ssle
or exclusive right or privilege, or as preventing
the parties OF the FIRST part from granting like priv
leee to any other person company" SO tina. IT is
clear this quest at the time the contract was m .de
entiiely put to rest far any right the
elusive OF the street could pretended by the
Manhattan Company and con.rac. OF tbs New ork
Company bad expired by its limit tAtion, that
there ceased to be any exclusive right TO lay down
pipes; and Iow be would ark BY what right the
the granting Of an application which ths Com
mi,tee had right free air, to grant TO any
ss IN
to the privilege and the grant OF it 1s aoy interfe
renee with the rights Of the estab he'd companies that
iefs sith their rights fhe Metropolitan Compsay
siup'y asks to be allowed to lay down her pipes and
they watch your act on Is It from fear of
the srhce OF public INTEREST," They come before you
to try aDd prevent the granting OF the privilege which
they have held in monopoly for so long timsto tbs
making, IS counsel supposed, OF an unwarrantsbiy
large profit. That il question with which the Com
ittee, nought sitting say whether
II any public evil will result from such a grant.
On the tane principle az thsse companies inter,
e,tabIisbment Of newer hanXs becsuse the Old baux
could furpis enough OF 6is should bs wanted for
circulation There 10 not right to the weighs i'm
port OF Atraw that ashed TO be laid hands and ii
any such rights fndable IN opposition the clatm
he should like them to be pointed out The ony
shadow Of asgums for the opposition ia the two
contracts Ihe first was gone out BY limit alton. and
the second specially leaves the city corporation the
power to grant the ike privilege to aIy other corpora
tf0p He Ind Mt fhasa fvn nanias hnis
monopoly, such IL not another Ia existence the
United States or throughout the world. Every
lights his househis shop with gas and ha, becoms
article Of prime vet this great CITY, with
tween and eight hundred thousand people, supplied
sy Two eo%panes, ana .nea Propos,t,on H. Is m,,s to
attention to some of the objections put In BY the Ns~
York Company in writing They say in subje,t don't
trouble yourselves, We will supply the city an often
fsel IL to be to IL terett, will reduce
prices Cf course, no prophet nor one rising from ths
promise and will supply gas which they are vel
psd. He called stteson to the fact that there Ia
pretense set up OF having BY any sserase Of msans,
benefited the city of New York. that they have
got full and ample return for all the funds invested
No merit Ia pretended the part Of the opposing
paid for IT, and remarkably well ps1 at that He then
reviewed the various obsctons ,et up (already pub
nsnsd IN me h.sAS oy the COMPANY referred TO- sts
that the citizens Of New fors would oics the
stencs Of healthy composition. He could not suppose
that the qusrreis likely to arne between the two
panies would carry any weight with the Committee that
being matter for them TO arrange between them
and to the opening Of the and keep ng them
open, he remarked that tbs power remains with the
Common Council 10 mate the sams conditions with the
new company as exists with the old that Ia, that a
pavements shall be replaced by sunset Of the day
that they are opened. rhsn they redest upon the
statement OF the new company as u 'nshog better
eoirg the Metropolitan Company woui have to rsIy
for the patronage Of the ubiic He thought the po
sition that It could be furnished to b
the value OF the old stock toe surplus and
the average product Of gas from coal wnca scientific
authority him say about from 10
hundred thousand cubic feet per chaldron OF coal He
New York Company that but kind OF instrument
psed for true but could not they ef
On inquiry, he understood that the compsuy have
fAvortism for those articles Manufactured under
and lslthough not ostenSby BY the Prssidsnt OF
reasons, TO make them suits the Co npsny, or to
create another monopoly. He pointed out several Ways
nc 70 or less az needed and he aso referred 70 the dt
ference OF expenditure caused the pressure applied
He rdicuIed the idea Of placing objection grant
Of contracts With tbs city lie denied such good
faith and read from documents Of the Board of Comm
Council TO show that there had plants made
by the public In this matter
Mr.. WILLARD, IN replv considered that not one argu.
ment or position Of hsd been advanced BY
the for the application but the earne gentleman
hsd merely delivered address appealing 70 the popu
lar pref adce against monopoes and TO the complaints
OF citzeps, vhch had tendency TO dsqualfy any
mits to take the matter into cool and unbiased con
alteration He eoptended that would Be TO the disad
vantage OF The public 70 establish competing company
~ requiring twice. the capital TO DO the Of
service, and consequently entAlng doubls eIpendi-
ture
Mr. HorGroy desired to inow II the gentleman meant
say that the more capital employed the dearer the
article would be.
Mr. WILLARD meant that wh.n the original capital
was enough that would be the effect OF 1oubiag H. as
creating AN amount unnecessary for the purpose The
only poirt which he considered the nes orssuirston
bad right With decent regard to their position, 10
show was that they would do the work cheaper and
better but they wiz rot bind themselves TO do, but
being started they want be bought By the old
companies and thus good return for thsir lost
money. He referred to the statistics Of counsel be
ing erroneous taken fro on new notions
Mr. SrouGHos-You would ind good deal usefal to
you In III II Btelmsp ouJlnvsn ions y and Il Ia con
sidered generally ss reliable authority
Mr.. WILLARDThe name CT the book Ia enough TO con.
denim IT, do not want to see IT, II Isl booK OF novel
ties notions
Mr. srouonos--Mr Mscauley says that apcopIe con.
denim what they do not upderstand.n nAuahtsr)
Mr.. WuLARD-I am lost 10 the application. thonsht
Nacauley had been endor,ing the book
Mr.. WILLARD resumed his remArus The gentlsman
bad referred the metre he wanted TO know IL II vas