Daily Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1854-1855, 1855-05-10
For the Garstts.
PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS.

PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS.
Friend SANDERS:
Awaiting myself of the
privilege you have granted to others, OF
using the colum us of"The Daily Gazette
for the expression Of opinions relative to
matters connected with the welfare OF our
beautiful and striving city, would respecs-
fully ask of you or of our city authorities,
Il the law enacted last year, torbidding the
ere elton of frame or wooden buildings
within certain limits, has been repealed!
Ii, not, has the Mayor disobeyed that law,
and the city council sanctioned that diso-
bedience in the erection Of the frame build
ing on the ievee! Would it not be well
for the "City fathers" to reconsider and
cause to be removed the unsightly shanty,
which has caused so much confusion to the
spirit of "Sir Christopher Wren,' and in
duced him to display his ignorance OF the
present STYLES of architecture, inasmuch as
he honestly acknowledges his inability to
classify the style, or surmis the purpose
of it, supposing it to be calaboose or a pig
sty, when it is very evident (now that we
are told thatitis lime house! The simple
fact that it has been erected contrary to a
law of this city, made by the people thro'
their agents, the Mayor and Council for
the government Of the people, either col
lec,ively or individually, win justify its inn
mediate removal. However premature
some OF US my consider the prohibition "to
cree, wooden buildings" may be, now that
i, is our law, let US all obey it, the city as
we'll as the citizens, untilit has been repeal
ed or modified for the benefit of all.s
Much has been said recently in connec-
ton with the Improvement Of our river
front, and properly 50, as it is subject
which should claim our consideration, as it
must be evident to any one who has watch
ed the changes in this place for a few
months past, that we are destined to be.
with proper exertion on our part, large
city, and require much more space for our
trade and commerce by the river than we
now have. Hence. we, the people, should
object decidedly to the granting Of rights
and privileges to any individual or corpora
ton either for candy shops, lime houses, or
large buildings or the river front OF our
city south of the lover side ofFront street.
1t is much easier to retain the levee clear
with view to future Improvements, than
TO get possession after having once granted
privileges for time, however short.
II has teen a continual source OF regret
to me, that our city councils could not feel
themselves authorized to purchase the mill,
&c. of Burrows &. Prettyman last year,
even if they had to incur debt in SO doing.
The city could readily have made the in
terest Of the cost in using the buildings and
power for water works, or leased them for
tha. or other milling purposes, unit! we felt
able to remove them altogether. Perhaps
it is not vet too late fer the city to acquire
the right to the above property, and by SO
doing have within our control the improve
mept Q! ear steamboat landing when re-
quisite.
/ have no other interest in this matter,
Mr.. Editor, than the fact, that feel my
self citizen Of Davenport. am engaged in
mercantile business here, and wish to see,
for the benefit Of oil residing within her
II,
most healthy, moral AMI enterprisjng city
on the Upper Mississippi, and to enable US
to become SO, consider it absolutely neces-
sary that we hold oui the following induce (
ments to settlers and capitalists OF the East
ern States
/, Laws not too hastily enacted by the
people through their agents, promoting the
most good for the greatest number. ., ODE
dience to the laws (even when We do not
approve of them; if they conflict with the
dictates Of conscience or the "higher law"
then suGsr passiyely the penalty for dis
obedience, and use all peaceabla and proper
efforts to obtain relief. 3, Protection az
forded us on account Of Hsalh and Fire
this is realized in wide streets, paving and
keeping them clean, open river from, wa
ter works and good paid FIRE and police
department. 4, Free and convenient ac-
cess to and from the city by means Of
good landing for steamers and facilities for
Railroads, plank and gravel, or turnpike
roads, enabling us to be supplied with no:
only merchandise from abroad, but fresh
vegetables, wholesome meat and produce
generally, from the Interior of cur State
>, Full liberty Of conscience, and the right
ofexprsssing either vocally at proper times
and places our views, or through the col
umns Of ain independent press; such as was
formerly approved by the man who preferred
to live on "saw-dust pudding" rather than
fear to express his honest opinons-histo-
ry Informs us that that man was
FRAsRLIY.
May s, 1855.
Mr. Fillmore, and N. K Hall recently
visited Mayor Wood ofNew York, and con-
graduated him upon the success Of his Ad.
mi slNh a.bnr ba 81 ~ =,