New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-03-27
From Our Own Core .ponjoni-
ALuASY, Tuesday, March &c, 1851.

HAHLEM BRIDGE.
The Harlem or Coles Bridge ill, IL eXcit1ng good
deal Of attention here just now !! probably Ought 70
do II viii be rememt cred 10y those who take notice
Of legislative preceding, that in 1917 an act was
passed declaring this structure free bridge forever
and appointing permanent eommisson, e9n'iftng o.
the Mayor aud Street Commissioners OF New-lo rk,
and the County Judge and Chairman Of the Board Of
Supervisors Of Westchcster County, 10 keep, main
tain and sustain said bridge in good state ol repair
&c. forever after the Let day Of April, 1898. The
same bill also authorized ihefe Commissioners, when
ever in their Judgment il should be deemed necessary
to rebuild the said bildge by virtue OF this aet,
Mayor Wood Street Commissioner smith, Judge kot-
eftson and AltOp ii. Lockwood Chairman 81 the
Westchester SUPERVISORY became such Commissioners,
and entered into contract for the construction Of
bridge which work is now In course Of construction,
and upon which about $60OOO have already been eX-
PENDED At the tst organization of the Board Of Su-
peryisors Of Westchestcr County, Mr. lockwood failed
10 be reelected Chairman, Adm. Hatfield, esq, being
chosen in his stead, and, as Is alleged, mainly with
view Of supplanting lockwood as Bridge Comm scion
err whore awGrts OF contracts did not meet the APP
proval Of the Board In order 10 continue the valuable
services Of Mr.. lockwood as Bidge Counts
sioner, in spite Of ithe action Of the Westchesier
Supervisors, bill introduced early IN the ~ sson
to leeslate him back into the Commission The bill
provided for only this, and nothing more. IL was
Introduced by unanimous consent, and, being only "a
little local BILL was w unanimous consent referred to
the Committee Roads and Bridges with power to
report complete IL was not 10 reported, but was
nevertheless printed by private enterprise, and placed
ON the files OF members the next morning rs having
been reported. This plan for legi.ltiOg Mr.. Lock
wood into Office having failed, others devised 70
secure the Ell d. or two OF which failed in the
Senate. Finally, the present Senate bill was per-
fected and passed that body and awaits the action
of the House. IL appoints as Comm-sioners Messrs
William Miner, james Davis, ana Joseph SOuthwOrth
of New-York, aud William II. Robertson aud Alsop
II. Lockwood Of WeStchester, with authority TO
build the bridge without unnecessary delay, and pro-
vides that no plan shall be adopted which, in the
oIiuon OF u majority Of the Commissioners, shall OBJ
struct the proper navigation of the Harlem River;
that the contracts for the building Of the bridge
shall not exceed $50 000 that nothing herein
tanned shall be construed az legazng the acts Of the
Commissioners appointed under the act of 1857 and
that the Commissioners shall be paid just and proper
compensation.
1t will be seen that this bin adds one to the number
Of Commissioners for New-York, thus giving the
entire control to that county, which is perhaps, well
enough since New-York must pay nemly all the exc
pense OF the structure 1t so appears hat Of the
present Commissioners Judge RoberiBoh is retained,
while all the others suppanted. IL ia also evident
tia. il is the design OF tho Till TO set aside the
tracts already entered into and under which 600
have already been expended thus involving the city in
nobody knows how many Thousands OF dollars in the
form Of damages. Also that the present place for
draw" bridge is to be abandoned and high bridge
to he substituted else what is the significance of the
phrase about "obslructing The proper navigation" of
the riverl Ii the draw IL 10 be abandoned,
the structure to be substituted, in order not
to obstruct navigation, must be roised at least
thirty feet above high water mark, which will Of
course involve a very great change in the grade of
streets on both sides of the river. Everything seems
10 be left loose endo in this bill The Commissioners
are not as they should be- restricted 10 the knd of
bridge they shall construct. They are at liberty to
build the structure themselves, and pay what they
please for materials and labor, 10 let the work by
contract without calling for proposals. and II they
should call for bids they may, II they think u wife, or
otherwise give IL 70 the highest instead OF the owest
bidder. Without intending TO cast any reflections on
the gentlemen named in the bill an Commissioners the
thing looks all through rs though II were put up for
iobbiDg purposes And It should be remembered
that two Of the old Commissions are retained lock
wood and Roberison) who have already entered into
contracts Of very questionable character FOR materials
for the structure already commenced. as sample
without going much into detail, they have contracted
TO pay for certain cast iron tubes, which are required
for tho bridge cents per pound while any person at
all familiar with the prices of such material knows
that castings can be obtained for from = TO cents per
pound And all that is paid above the latter figure Is
clear fat" With these facts before the Legislature
and with these two men in the Commission, lie IL not
strange that they should attempt TO rush through bill
Of this kind bill more loosely drawn than the act
under which these contracts were made
IL is very evident that In any event. the city Il TO he
eeced through the construction Of this bridge. Ii no
action Ia had by the Legislature then the old Commits
sioners only one-Lockwood-re tirng) are to have |
the pluckiog OF the public goose under existing
tracts and Others perhaps yet TO be made and if this
bill passes then these contracts TO be repudated
the city to be mulct ia heavy damages and bridge TO
be built involving contracts, which may be bet
ter and may be worse than these, and an expense |
which may be guessed at BY anybody who chooses 10