The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-03-07

OeIhdulOWu ana I6HGue lblduu, b0e CIy Is
impcratively required 10 remove the rails, we
answer:-Tbat in the bill now before the COM
mittee and Councils, DO such petition of ten
citizens is required.
To the second cause OF protest, viz.-7"Be.
cause the parties urging the passage of this bill
are understood to be interested in the
race.coUrse at the 10 wer end OF the city, aud
in property far north of the railroad tracks at
the upper end of the city, we auswer:-That
the persons urging the recommendation by
Councils of the enactment Of tins bill into
law by tho Legislature are ci liens Of Phlh-
delphia, owners of property upon Broad AMI
other streets, interested alike in the business,
prosperity, and adornment OF the city, and
whose names will not suffer by any compari
son with those OF the remonstrant5. BeIie7-
ing that the business carred on in Broad
street by such of the remonstrant5 as required
switches into the premises owned or rented
by them might be done as successfully for
themselves, and certainly with more adyan.
taee to the city, upon Pennsylvania avenue,
Willow street, Market street, Prime street,
and Ninth street, and on the west side OF the
Schuylkill river, they also felt that there was
but one such avenue in the city as Broad
street, and that 1t ought without hesitation TO be
cheerfully gwen up by the railroad companies
for improvement, and their rails removed for
the benefit, use, and enjoyment of this entire
community, whose unsrudging hands had ac-
corded to them SO many valuable rights and
privileges upon other thoroughfares. OF the
scope and advantage of Broad street for
improvement by the erection of public build
ings private residences, and for stores for
ia
himself. OF the advantage and profit thereby
to the city, by general enhancement
Of the value Of property along its most cen.
trail portion and contiguous thereto, we may
safely trust to the integrity and candor of Coun-
cils whose duty and wish it Is to legslate for the
general good, and whether the removal OF the
railroad tracks and other distractions therefrom
would secure such increase of value of property
and consequent profit to the city is scarcely to
be doubted. The motives which have influenced
our action in behalf OF the bill before Councils
may be best inferred from the m amer in
which 1T has been introduced to your attep-
tion-full publicity has been given and desired,
and the committee well know that all sugges-
tions made in spirit of fairness and accord
with the objects to be attained, have been will
lingly adopted. And it is with no little regret
that we find among the remonst-ant9 names OF
some gentlemen and firms, whose wellknown
liberaity, public spirit, and pride in all other
measures promotive of the advantage and adorn1
ment of the city, should in this most laudable
and popular enterprise be used for its defeat
rather than its encouragement.
The removal of the rails from Broad street is
not a new matter, Public attention has for years
been called TO it, and its approval given. 1t has
spoken through the Select and Common Coun-
ellis who, in 1868, passed an ordinance, still un,
repealed for the removal of the City Railroad
tracks. The spirit OF opposition which then
resisted the enforcement of the ordinance and
succeeded by decision Of bare majority of the
Judges of the Supreme Court, to which it ap
pealed is still unwilling to permit the city and
the people to accomplish the end, when it is
proposed to be accomplished in the manner in
dicated by the court, viz, by compensation for
the'appropriation of their easements, etc.-com.
pensaton which, by the terms of the bill before
you, is to be made by the contributions Of pri
vate citizens. And until that is so made the
rails must still remain upon the street. 1t might
not be amiss for the remonstrants to examine
the class OF the improvements on the, street
below and above the railroad tracks, and COM
pare them with those between Prime street and
willow; certainly no better evidence, we think
exists to prove the necessity for and propriety
of the removal of the cause of this difference IN
value and appearance. The witnesses are mute
but tTuthful.
To the third-''That the signers hereto are a
large majority of the persons owning property
and doing business in Broad street, between
Washington street, on the south, and Spring
| Garden rect, on the north" we ans wer:-There
appear to be about one hundred remonstrants.
all claiming to be persons owning property and
| doing business on Broad street. Classified, they
are about as follows-Say thirty dealers in coal !;
three lumber dealers; forty-ave produce, conf
mission, and other business, anumber of whom
have no switch into their warehouses, and con-
seouently no use for the tracks; and say twenty
two clerks, laborers, and persons not owners OF
property, or doing business on the street. and
whose names are not in the directory. OF these
one hundred remonstrants, fifteen are the own
ers OF lots representing $50 feet 'front.'
Within two days we are able to obtain and
present TO your committee the bona fie names
of one hundred and eighty-two persons, owners
of 26, ,395 feet front of property on the street,
urging your favorable action in their behalli
Between Prime and Spring Garden streets!
forty-three owners owning 1851 feet on the
street are in favor of the removal of the rails
The assertion that the fifteen remonstrants con-
stitute majority of the owners of property,
or that seyentS-one persons doing business
upon Broad street, between Prime and Spring
Garden, are a majority is not sustained by