The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-06-11

There are great complications and great results
in the rot distant future.
The CENTRAL PARK CoMAIssIONERs.--It is a
great misfortune for the people of this city that
the management Of the great Park, which may
be truly said to be one Of the most important
public works ever undertaken in New York,
should be entrusted to a set Of men who are en-
tircly ignorant Of everything connected with
laying out public parks. With the exception of
Mr. Belmont and Mr.. Dillen, not one of the Gen.
trail Park Commissioners knows anything about
what a park should be. That is evident from
the way they are acting. And, to make mat
tiers worse, they are adding wilful mismanage
ment to ignorance. The above named gentle
men have not emily visited and observed all the
leading public Parks in Europe, but they have
given all the plans for our own Park careful at
tention and study, and picked out all the good
points from each, which they recommended to
the Board for adoption, as notifications of Mr..
Olmstead's design. And with what result
Their amendments were contemptuously ignor-
ed, and resolution passed by the majority &C
tually depriving the Board Of its principal
rights, privileges and duties namely, the selec-
tion of the design for the Park. Henceforth all
amendments to Mr.. Olmstead's plan are to be
submitted to that gentleman and the President,
and to them alone, for decision. We can easily
see what the result Of that will lie, and what
the object of the majority is. They will haze
the design which they selected carried out
at all risks. in spite Of the better taste and
Judgment of the gentlemen who have shown
themselves competent by the excellence Of the
notifications they have suggested. The Presi-
dent knows little or nothing about laying out
Park; Mr.. Olmstead knows as little; so that, be-
tween the two, il is not difficult to divine that the
thing will be failure, and q very expensive
one, unless by some spirited move on the part
Of the public the majority of the Board are
brought to a sense of their duty.
The majority of 'he commissioners have
come out with . card In reply to Messrs. Dillon
and Belmont; but while their statement gives
us some idea Of what they are doing, II does
not deny the allegation OF the latter gentle
mems protest, namely-thal their good and i'm
portant amendments TO the plan we're rejected,
and the obnoxious resolution above referred to
adopted. The public ought to be grateful for
this card Of the majority, because II throws
little light on the proceedings Of the Board,
which was very much wanted, although, ac-
cording to another card from Messrs. Dillon
and Belmont, published elsewhere, they
selves to facts. Heretofore the majority
have constituted themselves a secret coun-
Gil, excluded the public from their SEES
sions, and transacted everything in the dark,
preserving an unnecessary secresy as to all their
actions, which was in itself suspicious. What
ever of their doings we have been able to make
public have been rcprehensiblc In a high de-
gree, and prove TINT the majority Of the com.
missioners arc wholly incompetent. So outrage
GUS was their last proceeding In reference to the
amendments Of Messrs. Dillon and Belmont,
that some Of their own organs, which have
been abusing us for exposing their con-
duct, are obliged to censure them. II Il no
longer doubtful that there is sufficient
cause existing already to ask the Cover
nor to make some changes in the Board As at
present constituted II Is unfit for its duty, and
the people have no confidence whatever Ia lis
action. The committee of the Board of Coun-
cilmen, to whom the application for 100000
was referred, express the sentiments of the pub
Lie in their report Of Wednesday last when they
censure the course Of the commissioners with
reference TO the amendments Of Mcssrs. Dillon
and Belmont, and condemn the secret system
they have adopted. The committee very pro-
perly recommend that tie Common Council
ihall act with great caution in granting the mo-
ney Of the public until they knox how II is to be
expended. The public will be taxed some twenty
millions, in all probability, for this Park; and
hey have, therefore, deep interest pecuuarily,
as well as otherwise, in It's proper construction
They have right to demand that compctchP
Board Of Commissioners and no other, be en-.
trusted with the task. Its OF vital importance
10 them that they should have good Park,
which will not be disgrace to the oity-a Park
equal as far as possible, to the other great pub
lie Parks Of the world, where they, their chill |
1ren and their cbildren's children may enjoy |
themselves a. do the denizens OF other large |
cities, without half the advantages which we |
possess in the locality selected for the Central I
Park.