The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-07-07
THE COMMON COUNCILMEN.

The Gas Contract Ordercd-An Alleged
Monstrous swindle - Interesting De-
bate.
The Board of Councilmen in session yesterday
afternoon, President Green in the chair
After dsposipg OF a number or unimportant papers
Mr. KEENAN, called up the following resolution and
moved its adoption. Notwithstanding the objections Of
his Honor the Mayor
BY authorized and directed for lighting
h sss Ss S oI Bs e sss Ssnss
be founded sealed bids proposals. and bs
s'ns he
which shall agree to do the same Tor the lowest price FOR
measured according the existing regulations and afford
redacs gas required BY the CONTRACT The provision
Company, as practics5Ie shall embodied in the
- q this and s term
= &
Mr. PULLMAN said he entirely concurred with his Honor
the Mayor in the opinions which he set forth in hs
veto message and IL he he speaker thought he would
accomplish anything he could urge other objections to
the passage of the ordinance at this Time Looking al
the matter from business point OF view It was
ruinous job. There was not single member OF the
Board who would make private contract for fourth
the number OF years which the proposed contract
named He believed that FIVE years from this period
everything would be much cheaper than the present
prices and II the gas contract made the city
would lose FIVE millions OF dollars. If other gentlemen
looked at il as he did they would consider it great
swndie.
adopted when gold at 100, the city would have
saved money, for gold was 100, and
raging in Europe 1t YVES likely that gold would re
main at that figure for a long time
MIR RoBERTs ventilated the great swinde as the people
called ~ at considerable length He thought 1t strange
when any important measure like the one under con-
sderation was up that there was full attendance Of
members, which showed that they were 10 the interest
OF other than their constituents When the resolu-
ton first presented its friends were ashamed to put
the number Of years into the contract which was found
on examination to be twenty years. He pIr. RI was
who when he found hasty legislation, called upon the
Board to reconsider their vote This matter affected not
only Fifth avenue but thousands OF poor men, who
anxious to get gas cheap it could be had II the
resolution passed, all the gas companies would COM
bine; each OF them would say, ~ VIII not od under
you, and we will divide tho spois." Thus was capital
attempting TO crush the poor man. He had conversed
with thousand citizens upon the gas contract and had
for twenty years. and he would inform the Board that
the people generally called swinde In conclusion,
MI ROBERTS called upon every to sustain the veto OF
the Mayor, who, II no continued to improper nea
sures, would DO placed by the people in higher posi-
MEMBER called for the previous question, which was
not n put T. go, ..,,.r.o, ~, - ., oomn.nr ou,,
make contract for period Of five years, for II was
Mr. HALoRAS said that he had conversed with citizens
residing IN the district which he represented and hs6
not met with any who were opposed to the contract.
The resolution was put and adopted For the infor-
motion OF the public we append the names Of the men
who voted for and against the resoluton:-
For-Patrick II Keenan,, James Long, John stncom Cor
neus Fly Isaac Robinson Hugh 0Bren, Bernard Ken
ney Edward Costello Anthony Hartman James O. Brink
man. Chal les Roster Clement Watts Alexander keech,
the President 81. W. Green, George H. Mackay Michael
Halloran, George Hettrck, Minor Inlay.
Againa-Wiam d. White, Morris A. Tying Sephcu
Roberts and Christopher Pullman.
The Board concurrcd with the Aldermen in the adop-
ton of ordinances redis,rbutng the election districts Of
the Seventeenth and Twentieth wards also granting
permission to tho Astoria Ferry Company TO remove
their landing at New York from Eighy-sxth street 10
the foot OF Ninety second street.
The Board adjourned till Monday