New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-02-21
TuR POsT.ORRICE sITs.


Albany in favor of retaining the Eew-York Post
Office on the present site. As our readers are
aware, the Department at Washington hasapproyed
the location, and eminent counsel passed upon
the title; the only Formally now lacking being the
surrender Of jurisdiction by the State to the
Federal Government To effect this, every
appliance calculated TO move the Legislature is
brought to bear, and 1t will indeed be surprising
if they should not succeed.
But we nevertheless hope that the Post-Ofice
will not be- placed permanently in its present
position. The lot is not large enough to accom-
modate the present business Of the office, to say
nothing Of the constant and rapid increase which
ia going on in this branch of the public service.
This is the great distributing and receiving
center of the United States, and the site should
be commensurate. We know that the bill before
tho Legislature provides for the ccssion of nd
Joining property, in case it should be required;
but we do not believe in placing the Government
at the mercy Of real.estate spectators, nor do
we see the propriety of building our new Post
Office by peccmeal What the service wants is
building large enough to meet all the require
ments Of to-day, and to afford postal facilities
for the next twenty years, ut least. This cannot
be erected upon the proposed site.
Tie title to the property is by no means clear,
in spite of the researches Of tho Government
conveyancers. 1t is well known that certain vault
owners have not yet consented to the sale of the
property, aud the Corporation in whom the
Church title is vested took the rather doubtful
authority of claudestnely emptying their vaults
of human remains between midnight and sunrise,
in order to force sae. OF course, such owners,
who have been thus wrongfaIy dispotsessed, will
not allow their claims to be so summary dis
posed of, and the Government may therefore eS-
pect on expensive and protracted litigation, in
case they take the property.
In addition to the limited extent Of the plat OF
ground and the doubfulness of title the situation
is against it. 1t il at a distance from tho great
lines OF travel, very difficult Of access to indrdu.
ole, as well as mail wagons, and wholly IN
suited to the purposes for which it is designed.
In q great Government Post-OHice we have a
right to expect IN imposing building-with ample
room within, and sossituated|as TO add to the
architectural treasures Of the city. The Nassau
street cite would admit only Of cramped-up
cdifce, which in five years would need to be
enlarged at heavy expense by additions, aud we
should soon have n group Of irregular buildings
oyerfowing the adjoining lots, after the fashion
of u New-EDgland farmhouse, In place of a
stately edGce, suited to the purpose for which it
was designed.
Instead of crowdpg the Post-Offce into the
site in Nassau street why not place it where 1t
would have plenty Of room, and be an ornament
to the city. II seems to ne that no nobler site
could be selected than the lower angle Of the
City Hall Park. Now that we have the splendid
Central this spot is not needed for park any
longer, and we doubt not the city authorities would
cbcerfully cell it, or even give it to the Govern.
uent for Pos-0iliCe site. There the wants OF
the public could be- amply provided fort there an
ediGcs sufficiently capacous TO meet the require
ments Of the service for fifty years might be
constructed; and such q building, in the great
focus Of railway, stage, steamboat, and ferry
travel, would not only be an ornament
to the city, but great public convenience. II
would be situated within reach by conveyance Of
any part Of this island or Brooklyn, aud In the
great publishing center Of the city, while the
most ample outlets and inlets for mail matter
would be abundautly altainable. Mail cars might
be loaded and run out TO the Hudson River, Iisr-
lem, New-H Haven, Camden and Amboy, Erie, and
New.JerScy Central roads, without any difficulty,
and the Post-Ofice business be placed upon q
footing commensurate with the requirements Of
the American Metropolis. For these and other
obvious reasons, wo hope that the Legislature
will not sanction the cession of the narrow
cramped Nassau. street site to the Federal Gov,
ernment