New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-02-05
vIyop WOODS SECOND ANNUAL Hes
SAGE.


Commcp Council Las. evening makes cloeeprinssd
d,cu,rsn, Of about twice the length Of Presdenk
p;.,ce. regular Message. Mr.. Wood calls attentive
70 his ,s.ay on the nature and powers Of the FederL
Government. sent 10 the Aldermen last month, and
then proposes TO show what sort of Legislation we want
20 come up to our destiny the Babylon OF the New
World During the past year he sent sundry salutay
recommendations TO the Common Council-none OF
which were adopted or even discussed-and he nov 4
axis that they sy be called up and referred TO ap
r,onr;ate Committees. The public finances, he says,
have not improved during the year, and be
cannot find a reduction OF expenditures IN any 4
Of the Departments. This extravaganza he
has seen, but he has not the power 70
nrevept II. The five and three quarter millions q
tax fer 1888 swells 10 six and half for 1885, ana su
the frightfu increase goes on. Mr. Wood shows thae
our share of State taxation has largely increased.
leaving further calculation of our financial diiiicuites
70 Controller ElGgg, Mr.. Wood invades the othcid
rrovpoe of the Secretary of War, and with The as
distance Of Maor.Gen Sanford of the First Dvia
ion New.York State Militia proceeds to examine the
nature and power Of the defenses OF this portion OF the
sea coast Eoreseeing that New-fork would DC Toe
first point attacked by and land, in case oil Tor
eign war. Mr. Wood has given the subject muca
anxious thought and held counsel with most expe'
repced military officers. The result OF his dehbere
tons as 10 what might could, would or should
he. NAV be thus summed up: The batteries at
the Narrows, and the works ON the southera
norton of Staten Island TO be put IN CON-
plete order, and well manned. strong battery too
put on Flynns Knoll TO protect Gedneys Channef
Temporary batteries to assist the natural dnoaueS
of Hell Gate channel But the important thing Is the
defense from a landing of British troops on Long
A. aluf,n nd
eped in the war of 1872 but abandoned because OF tho
defenses thrown up in Brooklyn. We must now have
defen.es further back from Gravesend Bay over the
hills between Brooklyn and Jamaica, the right resting
mon Fort Hamilton and the left upon Newtown Creek.
such line, with some permanent works on the more
commanding nights, with temporary batteries and
other appliances would enable militia TO resist the
veterans of the Crinea as their ancestors did the
! Veterans of tie Peninsula. Mr.. Wood thinks that
with such defenses our well-dscplned military corps,
and target and fire companies would present an ooa-
| Gle that even the allied armies of France and Eng
land would have good cause to hesitate before attack
inc NewYork. when united, il irresistible, and at
su,b time no human power could divide it. What
nil this has to DO with the local government of New.
York City, tie reader must guess for himself
Having thus transformed our city into an imaginary
Seyastopol Mr. Wood lands the piers, rapidly re-
views the pier and dock systems of various European
cities (where the tides three or four times as high
as here ridicules onehorse wooden bridges, and,
keeping uppermost his cardinal idea that commerceh
the only interest worth protecting, goes ON to recon.
nerd the construction of stone piers and docks. In%
the cost wonld be immense is admitted; but stock
redeemable in fifty years, is proposed, with tunnage'
tax on ships using wharves to pay the interest lie
also avors the keeping of the wharves as city proper
Il. = al
something in keeping with the magnitude and preten
sions of the Empire City.
The next topic is the introduction of Foreign Pau.
pers and Criminals, on which Mr.. Wood recaptulates
his correspondence with the President and various for
! eien powers last year. He deems the subject one
worthy of national protest and of national resentment
if need be. Still he would encourage immigration OF
the better Sort and regrets its remarkable decrease
last season.
To preserve the Public Health, he recommends
strict quarantine clean streets and careful attention
to the apartments of the INDECENT and dissolute Ia
cesspools saughter-houses, and all other nui-
sances also the sale of impure and diseased food the
prevention Of over-crowdng in tenement houses, and
dwelling in cellars. Watering the streets depre-
Gated or if wafer is used, it should be salt. The
Croton should be permitted to run free through the
cutters, to carry off decaying substances. Mr.. Wood
recommends sanitary police of medical practitioners,
to have charge of all these affairs, and then TO dis
pense with the City Inspectors Bureau altogether.
Mr.. Wood next takes view of the upper portion oil
the island and descants upon the improvements there
to be made. In his opinion large population will
be added to the northern part Of the city, and the
Harlem River will soon become the great business mart
to which river craft, baTges, towboats and canal boats
will arrive and all bulky produce be discharged. The
Harlem River could be easily made navigable, and
Dir. Wood looks at distant day to find it the great
depot of country trade while the Hudson and Eat
River fronts of the city occupied for shipping and
foreign commerce. He thinks that we have showna
want of prudent management in the proper improve
men of the upper part Of the island, and that be gen.
ral good has been overlooked in the general scran'
Bic for plumber. The City Government and private
owners have been sleeping their possessions,
while the suburbs have syaled themselves Of our
neglect and taken from large portion Of our bcx
population. Other things being equal, any man do
ing business would prefer to live upon the Bland Ihs
difficulties Of communication in great part over
come, and he thinks hat if the railroad companies
be made TO do their duty and extend their accommo'
dations as far as the avenues are prepared, mucn
benefit would result In consequence Of the proposed
opening Of the Central Park, he recommends that the
streets each side should be opened under one CON-
mission which can at moderate costs accomplish the
object within year.
An ordinance should be passed enabling private
owners to proceed at once to make sewers, at then
own expense, under the direction Of the proper Guy
4 e sraof0rf