New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-03-27

than land for the erection of stores aud houses.
There lie, however, in all growing towns having,
Ike New. York, an extensive water lne, constap..
tendency on the part Of the riparian proPriesofs to
socreach upon The water BY filling up the shoaer
paris Of j. and it too ofen happen. That the citl
zens ard even the authorities look with favO, upon
these operations, regarding only the land thai is
gained, ard setting that down as so much added to
the general wealth. or to the particular wealth OF
those favored individuals who are allowed thus to
extend their lots; while they totally overlook or dis
regard the inevitable loss and damage inflicted on
the commerce of the city, and consequently upon the
value Of all the property in it, by the cuftailmen of
the nsvieabe wafer and Of the accommodations to
trade afforded by IT, Thus. in spite of stringent
laws upon the subjec. and the occasional appoint.
meDt of ards of Commissioners TO regulate the
water line of our hsrbor beyond which there shall
be no eDcroacbmen. by piers or otherwise, New
York has been a very great sufferer in this way;
and one of the most outrageous attempts Of this
sort ba., az might have been expected, been set
on foot Under the Ma7oralty, and with the concur.
repce Of Fernando Wood.
In the month of December, 1856, the Common
Council adopted and the Mayor approved al Ordi-
nance for the continuance of East street far north
as Thirty eighth street, and giving to the adjoining
proprietors the right to fill in space between the
then ex sting water line aud the proposed extension
Of East street. This space is no less In extent
than three millions and q half Of square
yards. Now, cons derIg that the operation
r. Gil =. 6 uroGt rakhar than nf
pepse, this nigh. be very nice job indeed for the
parties to whom this present was made, and one for
which it might reasonably be hoped that they would
feel lasting gratitude, even il they did not pay some
thing for IT in advance But then there were GER
tain objections aud those pretty serious ones, t.
this extension Of the land Of the city at the expense
of the water. Such an extension would appropriate
the whole space from Fourteenth TO rhrty-egbth
street, on which piers could be erected. Between
Thirty eighth street and Eighty sixth street, owing
to the narrow channel-way between NeW-York and
Biackwes Island, and the abrupt descent Of tn
shores into 40 and 60 feet of water piers are out
the question. Hence the consequence Of the pro-
posed filling up would be, that frem Fourteenth to
Eighty. six h street, q space of more than four
miles, there would be no safe hsrborase for vessels,
and but very Limited accommodations for the lading
and discharge Of cargoes. Thus il is plain that
large part of the space thus authorized to DO filled
IN was imperstively needed for the construction Of
piers to accommodate the growing and crowded
commerce Of the city.
But not only was this proposed extension OF the
land of the city unwse and mi adcious, the passage
Of such all ordinance by the Common Council WAS
in direct defiance Of two laws OF the State-One The
act Of 1907 which made the map of the Commis-
sioners then appointed to lay out the city fina and
conclusive the other an act passed so late ss 1855,
for the appointment of . Commiss.on for the
preservation Of the harbor of New. York and to
prevent encrOachments thereon, which act in ex
press terms forbade the grant of lands under water
TIL the further direction of the Legislature All
these objections to the ordinance both those OF
physical and those of legal character were fully
pointed out at the time in letter from the HarbOr
Commissioners appointed under the above mention
I'd ACT, addressed to Mayor Wood, subsequently to
the passage Of the ordinance by the Board of Coun.
cimep, but before it was acted on by the Alder
men. They a'so appeared before Committee of
the Board of Aldermen, with whom they remon.
straed against the measure, both as an uula .fal
invasion Of the property Of the State, and as high
" Injurious to navigation. Ba. no: xith,tandng
all this, the city authort es neglectpg the uniform
practice Of frs. applying TO the Legislature for Per.
mission to alter the plan of the city, when deemed
desirable, proceeded, to the great Loss damage aud
inconvenience Of the commerce of the city, to pass
this ordinance, thus making a present to csr-
tain favored Individuals of three AID half ml
liens Of square yards of land belonging patty 10
| The city but mostly to the STATE.
| The Commissioners have siace adopted two hass
for that paI. of the Harb,r, the one bu.k. h nd
IKE, the other pier-head line. The lins Of solid
filing authorized by the ordinance extends nine
hundred and four feet at its po mis- Of gea..ss d.
yereeIce from the Commissioners hu k head line
and FIVE hundred and sixty eight fee. from the r
per bead line. The Commissioners have allowed
between heir pier, head Inc AID The reef of 70 X,
IuhaiDe nth SON Backwel's Island space Of a
thousand feet, While The ordnance extends the solid
flpg TO within about fse hundred feet Of the reef
thus leaving no room for PIERS at all except By de-
stroyiDg tie navigation Of the main or west branch
| II TIE East River between M.nbs,tan aud Back.
wells IslaIds In the view Of the Commissioners,
the tine ia now at haad when the Gro E!ed condition
Of the Eat River and the lsTse lumber Of ferries
| viii male it dangerous fer tie Sound steamers
II - H.. = ~.