New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-03-30

that nice working corps of officers had already
been appointed, at the following handsome sAla-
ries:
.....-.-.... Per Annqm.
Engineer No. 1..""...................S6 5000
Engineer TO. Z...................s''''''' oOrI
Engireer No. 3........................ LEO ,,ooo
ELgneeT no i..........''''''''.''''' ISND-i"SVSS
Two superinte Ddonts each,..."........ 1000 1000
Clerk and Recciyer..'. LOW i'V
In addition to these there were fOremen, sub.
fOremen, aud o cloud of other supernumeraries.
The work had been contracted for, without
competition, by favored parties, of prices fully
twice as great az it ought honestly to cost and
the specifications were 80 drawn as to enable
the contractors to increase their emOuments to
almost any extent. The Supervisors refused,
therefore, to insert the amount asked for IN the
tax levy, and forwarded to the Legislature their
report to show the reason why. In consequence
of this the Mayor no longer signs any bills or
ordinances from the Supervisors, but detains
them for ten days, TO the great detriment Of
public and private interests till by lapse Of time
they become legalized.
Fooled in his purpose by the Supervisors, the
Mayor has had bis agents industriOusly at work
in Albany throughout the session, endeavoring to
lobby through bill recognizing the Commission
and making the neediul appropriation. These
efforts have succeeded in putting through the
Senate a bill which appoints as Commissioners
Messrs. William Miner, James Davis and Joseph
SOuthworth of New-York, and William II. Rob
ertson and Alsep II. Lockwood of Westchester,
with authority to rebuild the bridge without June
cessary delay. II provides that no plan shall be
adopted which, in the opinion of a majority Of
the Commissioners, shall obstruct the proper ia.
yigation OF the Harlem River; that the contracts
for the building of the bridge shall not exceed
$2J0,OO0; that nothing herein contained shall be
construed as legalizng the acts of the Commits
sioners appointed under the act of 1857, and that
Che Commissioners shall be paid ga just and
proper compensation
Nobody ever supposed that these new Commis-
silncrs KNOW anything about bridge building. No
doubt however, they could draw their pay, which
would be the most arduous duty they would be
called upon to perform. Their names are proba.
bly, inserted merely to be wiped out if the bill
is to pas,, or else they will be the catspaws of
those who intend to grab the spOils. The bill is
very loosely drawn, and admirably adapted TO the
purposes Of the spectators in whose interest it
hos been cOncocted. 1t retains two of the old
Commissioners, who contracted for work and
material at twice its market value, yet provides
that the contracts Of that Commission shall not
be construed as legulized BY this act. The pro-
vision against the obstruction of Harlem River is
designed to authorize the construction Of a high
kril oh
can pass, instead Of q draw-bridgc AZ
already contracted Tor; to effect this the grade of
Third avenue is to be changed from One. hundred-
and-twenty- fourth street, rising gradually to the
bridge, so that the residents along the avenue
will have steep bank Of earth as high as their
houses in front of their doors. The result would
be complete obstruction of oil the cross streets.
and the destruction of much valuable property
along the avenue As to the cost Of the struc-
ture, when this Commission s once saddled upon
the county, DO man can conjecture what it will
be. The Commissioners are empowered BY
the bill to protract the work as long as they
please, while the value of their services is to be
fixed at what they themselves may, in their
moderation, deem "a just and proper compon-
"sati0n."
Iu view of all the circumstances, We think
that it will do no harm if the Harlem Bridge is
not rebuilt this year. There is as yet no clearly
demonstrated necessity for it. As the bill now
before the Legislature stands the City is bound
to be leeccd pretty roundIy in this business. Ii
it should pass, the damaged to be claimed by and
awarded to Mayor Woods contractors would be
something enormous; the cost of property ruined
by raising the grade of Third avenue would
pay for two draw-bridges and tho total ex.
penses would probably come nearer $1,000 600
than ihe sum named in the bill. The present
Commission, bad as it is, is better than the one
proposed to be created. But as that is at pres
2nt without funds, it cannot do much harm.
Meanwhile, let a Committee be appointed to
overhaul this vast projected swindle during the
recess, aud report tho facts and propose the
legislation really required, at the next session of
the Legislature. There is no occasion for hur-
rying the thing through; by little delay the
City will BIO u great gamer, and only jObbing
politicians will lose anything.
.z<@11---<-11..<.--
There were some nice little jobs under the