The Portland daily press., 1867-08-30
Thr Ea..sl.. PFamennae.

10 the Editor Of the Press.
The work which was in progress for grading
Congress street and portion Of the Eastern
Promenade and nast Commercial street. has
been stopped by an injunction of the Court in
favor Of the petitioners opposed to the improve
ment Illegal grade was established for Con-
gress street in March 1864, with rise Of seven
and thFee-tenths feet 30 the hundred from East
Commercial street to Munioy street Agrade
was also established in March 1861 for Congress
street., precisely like the one above named, but
connecting by two rimps ON the lower side of
fheP remenaas ysiththe erade otCongrcss street
a. established IN 1884. IL Is claimed that the
esiabIishment ID the last grade Of Congress
street ia 1861, being Illegal, abolished the grade
established Tor Congress street in 1864, which
was hgal. although both grades for Congress
street were precisely alike, both legal and lille
gal This may be legal logic to-day, but il GER
tsinIy cannot stand the test Of tomorrow, that
an Illegal act should abolish a legal one espe-
eialIy where the two grades so far as Congress
street is concerned, did not conflict.
But TO the Pr0menade--the beautiful Prom
enadel The wash of the recent rains has un-
certified the three old horses partially buried at
It's lower edge, aud the doga are having a feast
Of them. The long talked of commission for
establishing grade for the Promenade and
the rest Of the Hin is now scarcely mentioned.
The lower road Of the Promenade is being
washed away by every rain, as about a quarter
of an acre of the city land has already been
for want of little care and attention. Not a
word from any of these sticklers for the pre-
servatien of the Eastern Promenade, to pre-
vent all this waste and abuse, and making it
| the receptacle for all the rubbish and offal
which is not allowed to be dumped even into
| tide waters Their ends have been answered
| by the INDUCTION, and the improvement has been
| stopped. What matters it to them that an en-
terprising shipbuilder who has built six or
| eight vessels at the foot of Congress street,
should be shut off from his yard; and anoth-
er from the use of his wharf, and other
parties from improving. their property! The
city has already grown big enough in that di-
| rection for them. Hoop it up. The plea about
the destruction of the beautiful Promenade
with them is a mere gpretext; but that pretext
will not always avail them.l Neither tho city
nor the .proprietors of that magnificent water
front lying below East Commercial street can
afford to let it lie idle. The growing wants Of
the city demand it for business, and the city
cannot afford to lose the increased taxation
which it would realize from the building up Of
wharves and other business at that end of the
| city, by the grading of Congress and East Com
mercial streets. Our, taxes are high and al.
ways will be, until facilities are given to i'm
prove our vacant land and water fronts, which
will give cheaper sites for building and manu-.
featuring purposes. Ithe Promenade is worth
having it is worth preserving Where is the
much talked of Commission which was to be
appointed to establish grade for the Promen-
AIDE and the rest Of Munjoy Hill? Has the in.
junction to stop the improvement, answered
the purpose for, which that measure was in
tended? If the project for a scientific Com
mission was an earnest thing, let us have it
and if the grade heretofore established is not
the best to be had, let the Commission give a
better one and the work put through. 500
| 4agu6 Q. FsI# ftffI EQUERI,