The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-03-28

ana completed on the 3lst OF Deoember vvben abo
thorized as yet to offer any opinion in rsvard a.
her until further trials made but thew eSnTesS
me nope that she will succeed to their satrfaetion
Councils appropriated S17,35O for the ord,narv ~
penses OF the boat for the year 1906 of which Sio 80
M were s1pendeo, leaving balance Of 5000 TO merge
The number Of cars which have passed ovsr the
Olty Railroad during the past year, according 10
the report of the Superintendent, was 136 $50 and
the amount OF tolls received therefrom amounted
TO Slh5g4 69 The expenses Of the road for the
s peIioo were Sm9Ss ~ showing net profit
The report OF the Board of Health shows tha
number of deaths for 1865 was 16,sO3, being de-
crease Of 366 as compared with those Of 1865, and
779 with those Of 1854.
The report of the Health oHicer shows 7Os7 mar.
ilages ana 1887 births during the year, being an
increase compared with the year 1865 of 293 for
the former and 200O OF the latter.
1t also appears that SOL vessels were examined
by the proper officers and 2sO7 foreign passengers
were permitted to come to the city, being an in
crease OF 76 vessels and 11O3 passengers compared
The report of the Physician of the MuniclpaI
hospital shows that during the year 1872 patients
were admitted; of whom as died, 1873 were dis
charged and ID remained in the institution on the
Slst Of December 1866.
ooa ne ne appropriation made for the year 1866 was
S9l641 50. The expenses of this department were
Ses5i2 %, leaving balance of S2,OO5 "A unex-
The business of the Committee on Defence and
protection during the year 1906 was mainly to
keep In proper condition oil property in their pos
Session belonging to the city, and TO be prepared
for any emergency which ight arise The amount
dlsbursed during the year was SIs,222 80, chiefly
Ior expenses incident to military purposes. The
amount remaining in the treasury TO the credit of
was Sl4s,47i IS. - WV
These details of the different departments for the
most part are gratifying. Let me offer, in closing,
word of comment in another relation. OF IaTe
years II mas become too much the custom to settle
at Harrisburg the afiaire of Philadelphia. L do
not speak OF such legislation is beyond the
scope OF our chartered powers; for that we have
otten occasion to seek, and when IL is graciously
granted we are thankful for it. But as to things
that are purely municipal in their cha-acter-for
example, the supervision of our thorouehfares and
kindred local matters-the Councils of the citv
and not the General Assembly of the State, are
the proper law-makers. Whether q street should
be opened and paved; whether sewer should be
built; whether main of gas or of water should be
laid, are questions not for the common wealth, but
the corporation. And 1 go further, and aver that
in whatever concerns the city alone, and does not
involve principles of general application, before
hnal decision is reached the city, through its
ognized organs, should ba consulted. If it is pro-
posed to occupy our highways; to regulate the
disposition Of our finances or the methods Of our
taxation or TO do any act Of exclusive local inte-
rest, decent respect for propriety would seem to
require that the people most directly involved
should be considered, and at least allowed an OPP
portunty to be heard.
know that the city has a large delegation at
Harrisburg, whose business it partly is to pro-
tect her rights and concede that the ain this
service is well performed But these representa-
tives are chosen to fill wider sphere of duties.
They have to participate in all the great move
ments that agitate the commonweal and to
assist in determining issues which are equally inn
portant on the banks OF the Delaware and Lake
Erie. They are by the very nature of their posi-
tion, therefore, disqualified to pronounce Judi
ciously the smaller and peculiar topics referred
to as those to whom such topics are constant
study. And even were it otherwise, their own ac-
tion is modified, and not unfreq quenty controlled,
by associates who know little and care less about
our policy or our progress.
1t is my wish, as am confident it is yours, that
between the Councils of the city and the Legisla-
ture of the State there should be entire harmony.
We have such frequent occasions for aid from the
latter that 1t would be folly to do anything likely
TO interfere with our obtaining It, Nor are we so
inclined. On the contrary, for the readiness with
which requests for the passage of enabling bills
have been complied with, even during the present
session, we are sincerely grateful
But when our functions are usurped or disre-
garded; when measures affecting the city and the
city only are adopted without our sanction, or in
despite of our remonstrances, constrained to
protest against conduct, which cannot but re-
gard as discourteous to the offices we have been
called to fill, and inimical to the interests we are
sworn TO sustain.
MORTON McMIOHAEL Mayor.
Office of the Mayor of the city of
Philadelphia, March 25, 1867