The New York herald., 1864-03-16

mate OF Chief Engineer McApine, inquired Of him wbeth
wood the offer OF N. Nven and Of A. H. Van Ceye, Of
the Trenton locomotive works, ana T. H. kven and tho
offer Of Roach Edwards the work would cost TO exceed
he replied ~ followsThat he Thought the cost would
not exceed his original estimate Of s225, ,0oo"
And will therefore be seen that after examination
Of these offers containing tho ratessx cents pound
TO Roach Edwards for cast iron, and and three
quarter cents per pound for wrought ron and tweve
cents for wrought iron under Nivens contract-ater
calculations made and consideration OF the entire pro-
direction Of Alpine which, together with she specinca
tons, had been drawn by McAlpnethat the whole cos
Of the work was not TO, and would not exceed the sum or
The next meeting OF the Commissioners was held on
the goth Of October, $780, for the purpose Of executing
ing At this meeting when the contracts were presented
for the signature Of the dneront persons claiming to be
not present The Mayor despatched a messen.
ger tol the Street Commissioners Office, and ne
was absep. And a. the meeting Ss
put upon the records Of the the important
statement that BY direction Of the President Of the COM
missoners, the Mayor he (Smith) had always been In
vited with them one half hour after the other
commissioners called to meet AT the meeting OF the
appointment Of Charles v Hough as receiver and Proper
" Clerk at salary OF one thousand five hundred dollars
per annum his appointment TO take effect from the LIST OF
October 1860 twenty before the contracts sign
ed and before he had any duty 10 perform. The last
report your honorable body to held at the
Mayors Office the lst day OF November 1860, and at
this meeting an earnest and manly protest was put upon
the records Of this alleged commission by Street Conn.,
missioner Smith.
This was the last meeting the Commission during the
year 1860, at which Alsop H. Lockwood was present.
The testimony of Alderman Hatfield shows that Mro
Lockwood before this time, applied TO him (flathed) T.
have him for Chairman OF the Board of Super
vsors Of the county Of westches,e the meeting
Of which was to take place on the llh day OF November
1850.
The testimony Of this gentleman, who was unanimously
elected Chairman OF the Board OF Supervisors in Novem
ber ls60 gives the clue to the subsequent action Of Alsop
arfnuuf nf "a
Legislature Of this State Of April IL 1861, creating
Commission. Alderman Hatfield, in this respect, s cor
roborated by the testimony OF Judge Robertson who stated
that the election OF Lockwood Chairman of the
Board 10 1860 the probable cause Of the orgina.ion
Of the new Commission.
The committee claim that Lockwood had no legal claim
OF right without election by the Board OF Supervisors
Of the whole county to act or assume to act as the Chair
OF the Board OF County Supervisors On and at any
time after Wednesday following the last Tuesday OF
March lsoo special meeting Of the Board OF Supervisors
OF Westchester might have been called which chair
for that Board might and should have been elected
any action by chairman was necessary either the part
OF the Harlem Bridge Commission for any other sta
tutory purpose. And here for the purpose OF settling
this question the committee refer TO Revised Statutes
The alleged Harlem Bridge Commission having thus
ageeed give out contracts for the OF the
new bridge your committee deem il proper briefly to
The contract is known the contract for fonnda.
tions, masonry &C. and that was given 70 Thornton N.
The rates prescribed in that TO be paid to
him are therein 6xed-For dredging and excava-
seventy five cents per cubic yard for piles driven per
linea foot twenty five cents for masonry seventeen dol
lars
twelve cents per pound No total or aggregate amount
beyond which payments could not be made by the Com
missioners was fixed In this contract.
The other contract was signed BY A. h. Van
Cleve. President Of the Trenton Locomotive Ma.
chine Manufacturing. Company. and Thornton ".
Niven, parties OF the first part, and the
tract for the superstructure prices provided to be
paid 10 this contract foowsFor all the cast iron
at the rate OF six and one bali cents pound For all
he as s s e sn
PLANK ne os9 1as rate y dollars
erecting the cast iron archngs OF fixed spaDs the seq
ments and their connecting bolts all fitted being deliver
ed near the site OF the bridge al the rate OF 81 900 Tor
each arch No total aggregate amount beyond which
the engineers and could not so the pay
under this contract, is named or fixed thereby.
The third and last contract known as the contract for
aId James Edwards parties Of the rst part The rates
which they we're to be paid are described at length
could not 20 IN paymen Of this contract is
Fixed therein or thereby.
In each Of the said contracts arc certain provisions
The party of the second part hereby venants and
agrees that whenever proper officers Of the respective
counties shall place at the disposal OF the said Board OF
Commissioners the necessary funds to rebuild and recon-
struct the said bridge they viii pay therefrom for all
the work embraced in this contract at the rates herein
before provided
II s however creby agreed to, on the part OF the
said PARTIES OF the first part, that they will
member Of the same from all personal liability for
pay yment for any work which may have been done, or
alleged save neen 1% zone s asS o. u S
they will look only TO the funds which may be provided
for the work BY the proper authorities for payment for
materials and labor furnished under this contract, and
to their legal recourse against the said countless as pro-
vided for In he said act.
The party Of the second part however agrees 10
all proper means within the line Of their duty TO procure
the appropriations for and heo otanng Of the necessary
funds to enable them TO make the which may
become due under this contract.
And they further agree that whenever any payment
becomes due 10 the parties Of the first part under this
contract, at times when they are bot In possession OF
funds pay the same that then they will give certificates
stating the amount Of such payments due, and decara
nrst lien any funds that may hereafter into
their hands applicable 70 the reconstruction Of the said
The said party Of the second part further agrees that
IL will advance 70 the parties Of the first part monthly
eighty o) per cectum OF such sum as the said engineer
shall certify 10 be due under this contract, which
estimates o. money due are only required to be made
approximately but it lie expressly understood between
made after proper authorities have placed the funds
IN the possession Of the Board make such
OD %
BY the terms OF the said contracts the Commission.
ers or the engineers reserved to themselves the right
at time change the plan for the construction OF the
WORK and such change not 10 diminish or increase
the cost OF the iron pound used under the contracts
The time Fixed by the contracts within which all the
materials TO he furnished and the work 70 be
done and the bridge TO be completed the LIST day OF
October 1851 These contracts seyeray are signed by
the parties OF the first part and by Fernando Wood as
Mayor Of the city of New York, William H.
Robertson as westchester County Judge, and
A. II. Lockwood, claiming he the Chairman OF the
Board Of Supervisors Of westchster county parties OF
the second part. Street Commissioner Augustus ".
Smith refused TO sign either OF them.
The signature OF James Edwards 10 the Roach Ed-
wards contract is James Edwards by his attorney,
Charles " Hough" Bonds Of David L. Pettee, Charles
G. Waterbury, John Roach from New York. and James
Edwards Of Brooklyn In the penalty Of s25 600, accom-
pany the contract ofsRoacb Edwards for the faithful
performance thereof.
Similar bonds Of joseph Potts OF Trenton, New Jer
sey b. Clark OF the city OF New YORK and the Tren
ton Locomotive Manufacturing Company, aud Thornton
NJ Nven in the penalty of S25 900, annexed for the
faithful performance OF the Van Cleve Niven contract
Bonds Of James Mcdonald, James Mattey and Thorn
ton Nven IN the penalty Of s25 900 for the faithful
performance OF the Nven contract
Your committee deem It proper here to remark that