New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-06-08

On Saturday, upon thelnyitatiOn OF Clty inspect
OF Morton, a number of gentlemen met at bi' Of
fee 10 exchange opinions upon tue sanitary con-
ditjon of this City, and what should be done to
cleanse the streets. Among those present were
Charles II. Marshall, George W. Blunt, John NJ
Genip, Cyrus w. Field, Richard French, ex-In-
spector White, two or three Aldermen and COun-
cimeu and few others. Dir. Morton made an ex.
paDation of The position in which he was placed
and brief conversation ensued, but no definite
plan of operations was entertained. IT seems that
the Mayor, the Controller, the City Inspector and
the Common Council hold diverse opinions as to
the extent to which the contractors and the city
nre bOuudby the agreement signed by the Mayor,
Controller and the late Commissioner Of Streets
and Lamps; that while the Controller will pay ior
temporary work he asks that new contracts shall
be at once advertised for, while the Mayor is in
clined to withhold his signature altogether, unless
the work is done under contract. the right to
issue proposals for contracts before tie pres
ent agreement is set aside, is a matter of doubt;
and the agreement Itself is held by
some to be a valid contract while others
think it is Of no account because the contracts
were never confirmed by the Common Council. 1t
is verS certain, however, that not one Of the con-
tractors has fulfilled his specifications and for sew
eral days nothing whatever has been done beyond
the removal of ashes and garbage. |. view of all
these conflicting agreements and opinions, with the
clasbing Of charters and ordinances, there 10
be but one way to get out of the scrape or rather
to get into the scrape of street ceansg-and that
is for the Board of Health under the summary
power conferred upon them by State laws, to over
ride all agreements, contracts and differences of
opinion, and order the City Inspector at once to
employ all the force he can get, aud thoroughly
cleanse the city. That done, let new contracts be
made to run from five to ten years, with security
that cannot be questioned, aud specifications that
will give fair chance to the contractors, and per-
haps we may settle the business for the benefit of
all parties That the Board Of Health must do the
first work seems certain. The City Inspector
cannot % on until the contractors appeased and
the money bags opened. If he is to move here
step and there block as he can get permission,
the streets will not be cleaned in three months. The
disease is deep set and dangerous, aud nothing but
immediate and sweeping remedies will save US from
pestlence. AT this time, in lSl9 the cholera was
fairly under way, having begun about the 18th OF
May. And if we ever do get started, let the City
Inspector devote his earliest attention to the most
Snsely peOpled sections the tenement houses aud
the lowest sinks of contagon. As we have said
nothing was determined upon by the meeting of
Saturday, it being thought best to wait until the
Aldermen should have time to decide upon the res
outon Of the Councilman authorizing the City In
spcctor to 60 to work al once Yet If they do pass
the resolution, the contracts and other legal AMI
Illegal obstacles still in the way, and the Inspect
or will have no more power than he has nov. The
only resource is the Board of Health, and that
Isard can only be convened by Mayor Wood, who
is the President As his friends have got us into
this snarl by failing to confirm or reject the con-
tracts which now stand in the path of public duty,
will he not convene the Board, cat the Gord'an
knot by the application of the sanitary laws and at
ali hazards and immediately redeem Ncw-iork from
the di,grace and danger in which she is waowlng
If this dan ger is longer incurred, let the blame rest
upon tie Mayor, the only man who can avert IT,