New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-03-24
CITY RAILROADS.
Tor Of Tie n. Y. Tribune.

| To TIE Editor Of Ine ~. L. Ifi0vnf.
| SIR: AS Chairman Of the Committee Of Citizens
opposed to tho Lerngousvenue Railroad beg place il
your column. for h. answer to your article Of ts morning
favor OF tina. project
l. You ssy 20 900 citizens petition FOR It. It's vol known
how those names obtained Boys paid for gettn
names they got anybody and everybody without
OF reference eE interest ia the project, their ability
| to be benefited by IT,
On the other hand have carefully csnyas,ed the uppe
half Of the routethat i tho miles from tho southern ter
nna,ion OF lafayette place to Sixty fourth s,reetand W.
have laid before the lie ure the reonstrsnoo OF nine
fn Of all the people living the route azais. the measure
forward you the evidence that and thus aori yor
the OF knowing that those whose interests and
venence you! to advocate, enterten very different
views from yours TO wha, is hest for them.
you the corporstor- well known and responsible
citizens We know not whom you We have the
bill with tho ooTporaor named In IT, and have not been
able find on, who theye except two Of heoue yonnr
lawyer and the other who has moved into town
from Chicago within the last year.
= You .pesk d the inability he present road. the eas
side Of the accommodate the travel for
th, project will argue this question with you for Il
woud take than you would give In your paper
But viii say that have been unnindfu OF It. We
have considered several projects much eGecua than
. TO rmedy the evil Isnd have proposed plan where
be cared for and general system be adopted whereby al
may be protected and interest sSay sacrificed
len at your Office, tie other day. copy Of memorial
this subject. send you another IN the confident be-
lief when you read you viii End in 1t much TO commend
Il to the favor Of every candid man. J. w. EDxoSDs
Ee-r. Yoyi, March % 1864.
We certainly find much to commend in the
pamphlet sent us by Judge Edmonds on the
general management Of the city railroads and
the granting these valuable franchises to q few
favored individuals. On these points We cannot
be misunderstood, as we have, from time to
time, given our opinion upon them very ex-
plicitly. But We cannot agree with the argu-
mcnts advanced in the pamphlet, which, If &C.
cedcd 10 by the Legislature, would forbid the
laying of rails anywhere in our streets. More
roads are public necessity, and new ones We
shall, without doubt, have On some plan or
other As to the particular road in question:
the Lexington Avenue--al honest objections 10
il VIC had supposed withdrawn by the concession
made not to run it through Irving Place vi
course we are not to be understood as the partisan
nj that partienIay .-h-.---- -
'iffgS ;TN opinion that the proposed route seemed
froer from objections, and better meeting some
Of the requisites ofapublc work Of this sort, than
Others that might be presented. The best way,
however, as we have insisted, and insist still, 10
dispose Of the whole subject, is TO lay ont neces
sary routes By proper authority, and put them
up at auction, 10 be disposed Of 10 the highest
bidder If the privilege to build these roads is SO
desirable as is generally supposed, there is
SO much the more reason why il should be
exposed to public competition for the public
benefit. There can certainly be no difficulty,
then, by proper legislation, to keep the roads
within proper control, and, 10 far rs they are
Objectionable, make them as little so as posi-
Bile; guard against their being monopolies to be
used exclusively for private emolument; and
secure the public in their right both to share in
the profit and to DO protected in the proposed
accommodation.