New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-06-08
Eighty Millions, 90 that we are plugging heels over
head in debt at the rate Of Thirty or Forty Millions
mar

Our readers i'll find in another part Of this paper
the protest of two members Of the Central Park
Commission. against the action Of the m.ority oil
that body in refusing to consider certain amend
me nts of the plan of the Park, which Mr.. k. j..
Dillon and Mr.. A. Belmont had proposed. Those
gentlemen had offered some eighteen or twenty
such amendments, but after hearing Mr. Dillons
reasons for two Of the eighteen, the Commissioners
got tired, and conveniently shufled off the trouble
Of con,ideripg the subject any further By referring
il to the decision Of their President, and Of the ar
cbitect whose plan it is proposed to amend.
Now, if the gentlemen composing this Commission
are unwilling to do their duty, the proper course
for them is to vacate their office; and We dare say
their places may be supplied with persons equally
competent with themselves. They have night to
resign bat they have no right to neglect and shlrk
their duty, as they have now undertaken to 90.
OF the Obligations they have assumed In taking
office, there is none more serious than that OF
selecting tho best possible plan for the Park end Of
weighing every suggestion which may result In an
improvement of it. They have no right, because
they have no love for such discussions, or because
they want their dinner, or because they have bust.
ress Of their own to look after, to neglect the
thorough study of everything which members of
their own body have to propose with regard to
changes which ought to be made in the plan
Above all, they have no right to treat Mr.. Dillon
with the ircivity Of which they are guilty They
will do we'll to remember that if there is any man
to whose disinterested and perseyering labors we
are indebted for the very existence of the Park,
that man is Mr.. Dillon. He has devoted himself
to il early and late, with bis political friends aud
against bis political friends; and it will not do for
gentlemen whose connection with the enterprise is
recent and accidental to treat bis ideas on the sub
jet with lazy indifference or contempt.
Besides it should not be forgotten that the main
changes which Mr.. Dillon proposes in the plan are
simply calculated to render it more agreeable to
the great mass of the people. We do not mean
that bis scheme, in all it's eighteen points, ought to
be adopted. Some Of his alterations appear to US
deficient In tast, and judgment; for instance, bis
entrance, by truncatiDg the angle at the corner of
Fifty fourth street and the Fifth avenue is, in our
Judgment, much lees tasteful and appropriate than
that proposed BY Mr.. Olmsted. So, too, with re-
gard to bis wire suspension bridges, we do not see
a preporderance of reasons in their favor. But
the great features of different and more extensive
walks and rides, and of transverse roads on level
with the surface of the Park, which he contends
for, We Think commend themselves to the public
Judgment ard will have to be adopted sooner or
later. At any rate, we can assure the gentlemen
of the Commission that they cannot squelch Them
as they seem resolved to do.