The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1856-07-12
The Levee Improvement.

The Levee Improvement. II
The following action was had in the City
Council on Tuesday evening, upon the Levee
Improvement:
The Committee on Levee Improvements
submitted the following Report, which was
accepted and ordered printed.
To the Hon. the Mayor and Common Council Of
the City Of s.. Paa.
The Committee to whom was referred the
petition of Mr.. p Nash, would most respect
fully submit the following Report. The
Committee have carefully examined the bids
of Messrs. Smith and Nash, and find that
Mr.. Smiths bid to be the lowest. The diff
ference in the bids whcrin Mr.. Nash claims
to be the lowest is in that portion OF the
Levee Improvement between Minnesota and
Market street, which in the opinion of your
Committee is uncalled for at present, and
would be useless expenditure of money,
which could be used in city buildings suita-
BILE for the Council, and offices for officers
connected with the city government; the ne
cessity of which no one will doubt.
Below we give an estimate Of the Levee
Improvement from Chestnut to Market
streets, as estimated by the city Engineer,
at Smiths price is $7973,G5
For Levee Improvement from
Roadway to Minnesota street, es-
tislrated by the city Engineer, at
Smiths prices, is $l69ol, so
Making $24365,25
thus leaving balance in favor of the city of
$5O34,75, to be expended for such improv
ments as the city Council may deem adyisa-
BILE, and at the same time giving the city as
much levee as my be needed for several
years. When the finances of our city war
rant an expenditure sufficient to meet the
commercial interests of our prosperous city,
| it will then be time to complete the Levee
Improvement. Your committe would there
fore respectfully submit the following Re-
lutions.
Resolved, That the city enter into contracts
with A. @. Smith for the Levee Improve
ment, under two contracts, to wit: from
Market to Chestnut and from Broadway to
Minnesota street, according to survey and
profile Of the same en- file at the office of the
city Engineer at the prices set forth in his
bid of May 24th, 1856
Resolved, That the improvement be under
the control of the City Engineer and Street
Commissioners of the different wards where
| in said improvement is being made.
| Resolved, That Mr.. A. G. Smith be re-
quired to commence the work within five
days after signing contracts.
Respectfully submitted,
A. Il. CHAMBLIN,
G. S. CAVE.
On motion - adopt the report,
Alderman McGrorty moved to lay on the
table, and called for yeas and nays, where
upon there was yeas, Alderman McGrorty
and Ryan, 2. Nays Aid. Branch, Cave,
Chamblin, Emerson, Rauch and Schurmeir,
g. Amendment lost.
The motion to adopt the report was then
put.
The yeas and nays being called, there was
yeas, Aid. Branch, Cave. Chamblin, Nc
Grorty, Ryan, Rauch and Sclurmier, T.
Nays, Aid. Emerson, l.
Report was adopted.
Alderman Emerson, leave being granted,
was allowed to place upon the record the
following reasons for his vote On the above
resolutions
LIST. That the cOntrac as recommended by
the Committee, is not in accordance with
| An Act to authorize the Common Council
of the city of St. Paul to issue bonds for
certain purposes" which reads in section
one Cd of said act as follows &C to raise
money to be expended in opening and grad
ing Water street from Chestnut street to
Broadway"
End. That great injustice is done to the
Third Ward which pays larger proportion
of the tax than either the First or Second
Wards, by allowing an expenditure on the
Lower Levee of SIG. 901 GO, and only ST.
973 IS on the Upper Levee, and in not ex-
tending the Levce from Market street to the
bluff.
The action Of the Council will, we think,
give general satisfaction to the majority of
our citizens in all parts of the city. 1t was
the excavation of the bluff, between Mime
sofa and Market street, that was the objec-
tionable feature in the Smith contract, and
the point where the city would have b en-
swamped," in revenue and credit, had she
undertaken it at this time. We would have
preferred an entire re-letting but it appears
there were legal objections in the way, and
we are certainly not disposed to find fault
with Mr.. Smith for taking the contract, un-
der the new arrangement, at 10 cts. per
yard.
Mr.. Emcrson's protest, which we pub
lish above, is simply the rawlings of cha
grinned and disappointed Gone horse" poll
tician-a man who is trying hard to make
himself conspicuous, by taking part in i'm
portapt public affairs, which he has not the
mind or capacity to understand. He is left
in glorious minorty-all by himself as we
had occasion to remark the other day, he
would be. His disappointment is no doubt
very great, but it is too late now to sympa-
thize with him. The legal @ point he
raises against the action of the Council, would
be laughed at by any fifth-rate country
lawyer.
We are now prepared to take the sugges-
ton of our neighbor of the Times, given yes
terday-to oppose no further objection to
the speedy prosecution of the work. Mr..
Emerson may as well, also, keep quiet, as
l. n ~