The Portland daily press., 1867-07-06
Congress Street.

MR.. Edltor,-Allow me q small space IN
your columns to correct, for the public, some
of the principal misstatements of your cor
| respondent Portland" with regard to the
grading OF Congress street.. sGREg
It's true, on the evening Of June 18th, at a
special meeting of the City Council with just
quorum of either branch present, an order
was passed directing the appointment Of q
joint committee to organize scientific COM
mission, whose duty it shall be to examine and
and report a general system for the improve
ment Of Mupjoy Hill Subsequent to this an
order originated in the Common Council, and
passed both boards, suspending the work until
this commission reported. A person of ordi-
nary understanding can readily see that the
Board Of Aldermen had perfect right to re-
fuse to concur that night-or to reconsider
their favorable action on the order at the next
regular meeting; and in either case the order
suspending work would legally fail to become
a law. ''A@-14 s~aTsl- ''ss
At the next regular meeting, July 1.t, the
motion was made to reconsider the action
which the Board had taken at the special
meeting, and was carried, thus killing the Or
der as fairly and legitimately as though the
Board had refused to concur on the night Of
its presentation. a asA -
The assertion of portland" that the recon
sideration required the concurrent action OF
I both Boards is absurd. -s sTeuts =
q Portland" further says the motion to recon
slider the vote passing the order to suspend
work, was not made until after the appoint
ment of the committee to organize the COM
mission; there he is wrong again. The COM
mittee was not appointed until long after the
matter of reconsidering the vote suspending
work had been determined.
He also tabs loudly about the legality
of the contract made by the committee
on Streets, &c.-There again ignorance and
prejudice appear. The Committee were duly
authorized and empowered by an order which
passed both branches, to grade Congress
street should they deem it expedient. After
mature consideration and careful examina.
ton of the whole subject, they decided it wa,
for the best interest of the City and all con-
cerned that the street should be opened, and
the work was at once commenced under the
authority given them. The legality OF the &C.
ton of the committee is unquestioned, and ]
regret that we have among us respectable rel.
les of the past, who continually and persist.
emily impute selfish and personal motives to
this committee. Any improvement tending to
develope our resources or to increase our pros
perity is almost always sure to meet with OPP
position from this same class Of men. =
II It is not proposed to ignore the existence Of
the scientific commission when it is appointed.
Let them 60 on with their work with all pos
sible speed, as we have no time to lose. As
soon as they report what the grade of Congress
street should be and it is found acceptable to
the City Government and the public, I have
no doubt it will be accepted-meantime let
the grading go on, for the work cannot be
passable, or the city will be liable for dam
ages. '~4S- 'l-o1) el1 iod1ci
It is matter beyond doubt that deep cut
must be made in grading this street. How
deep this shall be, has been fixed by the COM
mittee. This commission may have differ
ent opinion, but there cannot be much differ
ence. Let the contractor then lessen the cut
by several feet until we get this report. Then
ifitis accepted, the work can be made to con-
form to the given grade by going deeper. By
this course no damages or expense will be in
CURED, There is no idea or intention of des-
troying the beauties Of this pleasant drive I
would by no means have it done. And think
but speak the views of the committee when
Isay there is no intention ON their part of al
lowing it to be injured. 5s,s
/ Interested parties who desire to stop this
great improyement have raised the cry "Our
beautiful promenade is being destroyed" as
the most effective means of Accomplish ing
their purpose. This playing upon the sympa-
thies Of the people, appealing to their preju-
dices and plying them with Measurements, is
unjust and very unfair way of meeting the
issue. Let the Peep lie be not deceived or mis-.
led, but 60 and examine for themselves the
plans of this proposed Improvement and the
object to be attained, and I think every candid
fair minded man will admit that it is what thi.
part of our city needs to develope its resour-
ces.i gJ tsbGl0I zul .ls IMPROVEMENT.