The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-12-22
NEW YORK HERALD TUESDAY DECEMBER o.

street, and In Church street. he SAID. sores bring
| nearly three times IS much rent IS Stores on PARK
place, Referring 70 the petition he ssd:-n the
he would acknowledge that they stood % the same
| liged to pay assessment for the extension Of
Church street. and because OF the dsay In the
cent in ADDITION om Se time 81 the ne
OF the commissioner estimate. For Church street
there had been awarded as damages s2177.15 and
81 564 had been collected assessment and yet
the street Is not opens no advantage has been de-
rived from it, and none can be derived from 1t be-
fore the majority OF the leases he represented would
Mr. TiTUs would like to know the csaoono of this
extension: II II was to the good OF the general
Mr.. A. X. LAWRENCE then commenced his argu-
ment in behalf Of the petitioners, and after ex-
at the previous meeting Of the committee said:-T
win undertake TO say that no sane man whose bust
fail to see that all the Streets below that street must
In the course OF time be wldened. II, as question
OF public utility It were put to the VOTE Of all those
that they would declare the widening Of ali the streets
below Chambers street would be a public benefit
and an improvement to the city. Should you. l ask
throw out this improvement simply because Ger.
tain persons will be assessed who believe they
can derive no benefit from IT. There are peculiar
street taken IN this march OF improvement. Park
place, for two blocks rs sixtynve feet In width. II
u
noble direct to the river, relieving Broadway
and many OF the streets which lie north and south
have new POST once building located at the lower
angle OF the City Hall Park. The project Of extend
ing Beekman street across the Park has been
already agtated and will be brought up again and III
timatey carried out 1t must be done. Then we will
have this broad avenue from river to river relieving
rendering beneft which win readily be felt. The
tIemen VINO hold leases from Columbia College, and
0ra not hiatt xufIIn n< Io
provement but simply because they will be asked to
bear part Of the expense Judge vanderpoe In
when 1t up before in 1856 and 1882 and he says
that by his efforts and those Of few d his neghbors
the matter g, was defeated What becomes Of Their
had nine years to run. Had they allowed the i'm
provements to be carried out at that time the fee OF
been benefited and the increased value would have
repaid them by TINS time Their argument kills
msnt would have been vs sso
was less valuable, when the cost Of the improve
ment would have been much smaller and the benefit
them to take these easesf They went into the con-
tract with their eyes open; They must have known
as in populations; that Improvements should be
made to keep up with the internal prbgress and the
extension OF the commerce OF the city. and they
agreed to pay their share for these improvements.
they did NOT wish to take these risks why did they
enter into these contractss This vey question has
which plainiifr, who held just sucn q lease. OBJ
jected to paying some assessment. The case Is Post
VS.. Carney, quoted in the second OF Comst0ck's re-
ports.
Then as to the idea that no public Improvement
should be initiated unless there was opposition
was great public Improvement suggested which
did not meet with opposition. remainder the oppo-
sition that was raised to the INSTRUCTION Of the
Cr0tOn water, to the Central Park, II the Free Aca
denny and to many other public worfs. had con-
versation with some venerable ard sensible gen
that the Central ' PARK would bring curse
upon New York; that fever snd ague and
typhoid fever f. would be y II that
that II would be place in which violence would ind
haunts, and that 1t would be the calse Of death and
to those arguments before our eyes. And yet the
causes Of opposition to those improvements were as
plausible ana as iorcneLno more 30 ana no less
now under consideration.
In regard to the assessment, is not necessary
to follow the statute which permits them to assess
any property which they may deem to be benefited
as w Be- o 81 e bear al S
assessment. 1t was asked Il those who
had signed the petition would be obliged to pay any
that petition will be within the limits that be
deemed to be benefited by the Improvement they
makes no difference whether It be paid BY one by
ten thousand. Here Mr.. Lawrence exhibited map
e s Of Mr.
Rhnelander hold leases similar to those held by tho
tenants OF Columbia College, and they, OF course
run the same risk. In regard TO the Nep-
tune Steamship Company being the prime
movers, I cannot md the name OF any
such company on the petition and did not know
before that they were supposed to have anything to
do with the matter. Now, In regard to the heavy
damages and assessments these tenants will have to
sustain, the Supreme Court has frequently decided
that the commissioners In making out their estimate
are entitled to consider all the covenants and to de-
termine what the damage would be to the essees BY
being obliged to pay taxes which, under ordinary
circumstances, would fall to the owners OF
the property. The first question Is What is
the value Of the fee or the lands then,
what is the damage to the buildingf then,
what assessment shall be imposed for the benefit Of
the remainder Then they may consider that these
premises are held under extraordinary leases, and
they can ask what Ii the damage 70 the leasef what
Is the damage to she buildings what Is the DAMAGE
to the diminuton OF the lease2 and then under the
covenants what IL the other damage which the
essees shall sustains Thus 1t viii be seen the bur-
den will be quite light The majority OF the lessee5
have covenants Of renewal, and they will get the
benefit on the renewal and will b. allowed the p0r
ton Of the assessment they nigh have to pay be-
cause Of the benefit to the owners
bono OF this project II Ii for ne general good 1t
should be made general EXPENSE
Several other parties expressing desire to be
heard on the subject, Alderman HARDY announced
that the committee would then ADJOURN to Thursday
next, at noon, and he suggested that the rem0n-
strants should make out lists Of tl0se holding leases
which contain covenants OF renewal and those which
did not have such covenants.
MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS.