The Portland daily press., 1867-09-05

This subject has already received a large
share OF public attention, and has been made
the foundation of various communications
published from time to time in the papers of
the city. / have read attentively all that have
appeared, and have noticed one peculiar fea-
ture connected with all those designed to dis
courage and prevent the improvement lately
III progress at the eastern terminus of Congress
street. While the ostensible object in view,
has been the preservation of "our beautiful
Promenade"-a relic of "thirty years. stand
ing, (and which by the way, has been used as a
cow pasture during the most of that time) I
have not seen one, the writer of which was
not influenced by personal interests, either di-
rectly or indirectly. In the treatment of mat
tiers OF great public importance, such interests
ought to have subordinate position No i'm
portant public improvements can ever be made
In this, or any other city, SO long as private in
terests are Permitted to dictate the terms and
conditions upon which such improvements
shall be made. In nearly all such cases the
interest of some individual must suffer more or
less, and 1t is upon this principle only, that
communities or governments are held togeth-
err
I Your correspondent gu /" in his communica
ton recently, remarks that Private opinion
is manufactured by private interest" which is
doubtless true in some cases: and il NAV also
be said with equal truth, that what is called
public opinion is some times manufactured in
the same way, as is plainly illustrated in the
case OF this Congress street improvement. e.-
Private interest started the opposition to it,
and 1t is not too much to say that the end
reached through the Intervention of the Su-
preme Court, was the result of the same inau-
ence. great dealis said about preserving
our beautiful Promenade" Just as if any one
wished to destroy it, The contemplated cut
through it would not leave the drive way at
that point any lower than it now is at other
points; and when the proper grading ON each
side of Congress street is done, the depression
there would not be noticed more than at 9th
er points of the Promenade.
That drive way, no one will deny, was not
made, or intended for a trotting park, and
therefore does not require level roadway. A
diversified surface for public grounds is not
considered Objectionable, but on the contrary,
Is often thought desirable. What would in
duce the people of New York city, for instance,
to have their drive ways in Central Park
brought to level or straight grade? Nothing.
One of its chief beauties would be DESTROYED
by the operation
But it is said, if you cut down the Promen-
ade you will destroy the fine views now had
from that point, There are no views from the
Promenade, over which the city has the least
control, excepting where streets are laid out
and opened through to the water.
1t is in the power of those owning the land
on the lower side of the Promenade, to cut off
the view at any time, by the erection of houses
or barns, or any other buildings, and that work
has already begun, one small house with out
buildings having been erected there. which at
that point entirely obstructs the view seaward.
The opening of Congress and other sire cts to
the waters edge, through, or from the Prom
enade, is, in fact, the only means of secur;oo
any lookout from that part of the hill But
supposlng it were otherwise, can the city af-
Ioro 10 let so large and valuable water front
lie idle, and in q condition of uselessness. SIM
ply because public street flor when buildings
are erected on both sides, the Promenade can
be called nothing more) lies in the way of the
most convenient means of access 10 it?
u" says in effect, that "useful business es
adjustments and taxable property" are of
no account compared with public drive way.
and talks of how large a sum Boston Common
might be sold for, &c. and calls for a law TO
protect all such places from theencroachments
of the business interests of the CITY. The land
known as Boston Common was given TO that
city 1or Inc specific purpose of a common, and |
by the terms of the donor, ca mot be used for
any other purpose, not even for a street. but |
when public grounds under the control of the |
city stand in the way of important business in
terests, the people Of Boston do not hesitate to |
make the former subordinate to the latter. as |
witness Fort Hill, which has been used as a |
park Tor more than thirty years" and is now
oelng cut down for business purposes. sf |
we wish to grow, and flourish as city.
we must make ample provision for the accom-.
modatlon OF the various branches of hns;,ess |
that capitalists may desire to locate within
our limits. We should not wait for ttor,,
to ask us to do so, but should bava tho
facilities provided in advance, as an invitation
for them to come. Our wharf privileges are
at present very much contracted, and millions
of dollars might be added to our valuation bv
opening up the land, now of but little use, on
our eastern shore. The grading of the eastern
end of Congress street was desired to accom-
pllsh this end to a certain extent, while at the
same time, it would permanently establish the
grade OF that part of Munioy hill. But the
soou intentions of those in favor of doing this
worh' nave been frustrated for the present by
Tue interference of the court, which by its
course OF reasoning, has arrived at the copclu-
'ion that the work was illegal 1t is evident
Enough W 'hose VINO have looked at the mat
'er' with the best interest of the whole city in
Tiew that the work there begun must even.
ually be completed, and the question is
whether it shall be done now, when it can be
lone at the least expense, or whether it shall
'e delayed until the abutting lots have been
and built upon, and the cost of
trading thereby largely increased, in the shape
# damages. Pro BoNo PUBLIco.