Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1858-08-12

Ohio, and is deservedly so
CTR CoUScIL.-The principal discussion On
Tuesday evening was upon the resolution in
troduced by Mr.. Ransom some weeks ago, and
cllIej up at the last meeting, providing that
SIXTY five per cent. of the cost Of public gas
lights be assessed upon the property abutting
upon streets where the lights are burned In
support Of his resolution. Mr.. Ransom stated
as near as he could estimate, the cost Of gas to
the city for the current year would amount to
an aggregate of about twelve thousand dollars
a great portion Of the citizens, receiving no d.
rect benefit from the lamps, and living upon
streets where there were no gas lights, were
compelled to pay taxes for other streets. He
could not regard this as just and equitable and
the proposition he had Offered would do justice
to all By such method of taxation, the cost
Of gas to the streets upon which it was burned
would be equal 10 about three and one quarter
cents per annum on the foot front of property
/ abutiing thereon. He eontended that tie value
OF real estate was enhanced precisely in the pro-
portion it was benefited by the erection of the
gas lamps, and was therefore able to pay the
proposed increased tax
DIR. WILLIAMS said he could not vote for the
resolution for a number of reasons 1t was a
special tar upon certain IproPerty-owners and
should not be levied without this eonsel.t He
cOntended that the lights were general bene-
ht-not IUoHl nacessities-and the residents upon
all the streets were benehtted t,y ,l,4 Iights I'D.
on the principal streets This methoI r as
sessment are not equitable to those who have
heretofore paid taxes for gas and have not en-
joyed its light upon their own streets. because
they had paid the tax for other streets, and were
now to be deprived Of the benefits of such a
system.
Mr. COFFINBERRY said he was also opposed
to the resolution for the reason last mentioned
by Dr. WILLIAMS. Those who had longest en-
joyed the lights upon their streets ought GER
lainly to pay larger per centAge for past ad-
vantages, which would be but in accordance
with the arguments of Mr.. RANsON. He said
further that there was much PrOperty-real es-
tate-in the city which was entirely uuprodHe-
tive, and the value of which could not be en-
hanceI by lights He instanced the hill from
the Cuyahoga Furnace to Pearl street on the
West Side, and said that nearly every man on
that side Of the river who was compelled to pass
through that valley OF the shadow of death,
would infinitely prefer, as far as his knowledge
went, 10 have the lights extinguished in the
streets where they resided rather than upon
this hill Yet the property abuIting on thai
street between the two points mentioned, wai
: almost entirely: worthless, the rents from il
: scarcely paying the taxes So that to tax it,
: owners who derived no benefit from the hghti
= Y would be rank injustice. And much Othe
s property was similarly situated throughout th'
city.
Gen. OuArT was in favor Of the resolution
: He said that the finances Of the city were in
poor condition, and the city already severa
months ahead of her iucome. He thought tn
e mode of assessment proposed by Mr. Ransom
= would be just and equitable 10 all
Col. RIDER opposed the resolution for tn
reason, among others, that if the value Of res
A estate was enhanced on streets where gas light
z were burned, such property paid increased take
= just in proportion to its enhanced value.
Mr. MUELLER was in favor Of the resolution
1t was just that the streets benefited by III
gas lights should pay for them. There were
number Of Wards in the city in which no ga
n was burned, and yet their inhabitants wei
compelled to pay proportion of taxes for light
4 in other streets. which were Of no possible ber
rs eft to them
The votes stOOd-ayes, Messrs Crawfor
Mueller Oviatt, Ransom, Rezner-5; nay
he Messrs. COfinberry, Detmer, HeFriek, JOhnsOl
IL Masters, McLane, Rider, stsPpan, Thompson
- Weber. Williams, Winslow-l2.