New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-01-23
THE PROPOSED REMOVAL OF STEAMBOAT
LANDINGS

Councilmen BICKFORD and BRADY OF the Sonnmt.
tee on Wharyes, Piers and Slips OF tne p1atu OF
Councilmen Yesterday attended IN the Sl'y h'oI"y
for the purpose of hearing arguments IN favor o. ana
remousranCes against the removal OF thc sVcanoodV
landings. ~, la. p,,.a %, A.
iermen. Dee. To- in favor of the rem9Val, wa res1
h No cle,k. after which COuncilmen BIcKFoRp said
,6are wore two petitions before the Committee rom
owners of property and persons doing business 10 the
lower part of the city asking for the removal me
Committee were prepared To hear remarks on the
subject. ,.,
after considerable pause Councilmen BRADY OBJ
served that he had been called upon by number OF
nersons who were DESTROYS to have the landings re-
moved but that none appeared to come forward ana
give their reasons for important an acton on the
part os the Common Councils he Tor one wished I"
have cogent reasons for the proposed step, somthny
more forcible than expressed IN the petition III. dd
not wish to attend there a member OF che Commit
tee spending time without accomplishing something
He felt no particular interest in the subject way
or the other his only desire therefore, was to rats
fy the wishes of the community in the matter.
A gentleman by the name of NILES remarked that
in the course of conversation had with Mr.. Kings
land the latter had stated that it would BE- impossible
for merchants to continue the transaction of their
business in the lower part of the city unless the steam
boat landings were removed.
Mr.. GEORGE Armstrong said he wanted the persons
who had asked for the removal of the landings 10
give some reason for the proposed change, and when
they had done So he would reply to them.
Mr.. NILES set forth as reason for the desired
change, that il cost much for persons who lett the
city in the steamers to get TO them, the hackmen
charging 81 30 for single person, whereas, II they
left from piers higher up, they could be readily
reached
Mr.. ARMSTRONG begged here to correct Mr.. Niles
that point; for stages ran from almost every sec
ton of the city to the various steamboat landings for
the low fare of six cents while if the steamers were 10
start from the piers proposed we should be entirely
at the mercy of the hacknen. And as for the
carriage of freight, almost every house that
in the habit of employing carman had
arrangement with him. by which il would cost no
for the carriage of freight than shorter distance.
He considered the whole movement got up by parties
who wanted to occupy the slips for trading in raise
he value of their lots up He could not the
prOpriety of putting the travelling community 20 40
much Inconvenience, in order to let country dealers
and commission agents occupy the slips with their
boats for the sale of their -four instead of paying
for stores 10 transact their business ill., The Erie
Railroad Company occupied number of piers, but
there was nothing said about removing them away.
Mr. BAXTER said that for about thirty years he had.
occupied premises on the line of the North River be-
tween Spring and Charlton streets, but he owned no
property there, and therefore thought he might be
considered an impartial witness lie urged the i'm
portance of removing the steamboat landings higher
up He thought if the vicinity of Courtland and Rob-
inson streets the right place TO locate steamboats,
twenty years ago, he cOntended that was the very
reason why it was the wrong now.
Capt. Hancock, of the steamboat Hero, rose and
argued that the business done by the North River
steamers was by no means exclusively a passage
business. Full three-iOurths OF the business the
transportation Of freight not few barrels Of potatoes
or other produce as had been inmated but the great
Western trade. lie cOntended that there were various
interests at work in opposition to the steamboats, and
II they were driven uptown they could stand fair
chance to compete with the Hudson River and Erie
Railroads as for the pretended inconvenience to up
town residents in leaving by the steamers, he
had tired the experiment and where he got
only from eight to twelve passengers from
the Amos street pier, he would receive from 2O0
to OO at Robinson street Nor is public travel by the
steamer confined to residents Of New-York; but
business people from other places as well az our own
merchants. Besides he wanted to know what Justice
there was In driving them up town and letting the
propelers land az usual at their old piers. Nothing
was said about removing the boats of the Camden ana
Amboy line. The movement was a dodge to build up
the upper part OF the city, without regard to the
injury which would be done to the downtown mer-
chants.
After some further remarks Of like import, the
COMMITTEE adjourned until Friday next, and recon-
mended both advocates and opponents OF the measure
to bring in their petitions and remonstrances.