The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-12-18
FRIDAY, DECEMBER IS, 1868.


The ordinance providing for the erection Of q
new City Hall passed the Common Council
yesterday afternoon, and now only awaits the
signature Of the Mayor to become binding
law. That Mayor McMchael will afix his
signature we do not doubt, for the projected
improvement 10 one which is almost impe-
ratively demanded. A glance at the location
of the city and county offices will convince the
most economically disposed taxpayer of this
TACT. great number Of these offices are
located in and around independence Hall, but
about dozen others are scattered about the
oity in buildings belonging to private indi-
vidualj or corporations. In the Law Build
ing, on Fifth street, below Walnut, are the
City Solicitor and the City Commissioners;
in Tatem's new building, just below this, are
the Pork Commission and the Department of
Surveys; in the Philadelphia Bank, on Ches-
nut street, above Fourth, is the Recorder of
Deeds; in the Atheanum Building, at Sixth
and AdeIphi streets, is the Board Of School
Controllers; in the Girard Bank, on Third
street, below Chesnut are the City Treasurer,
the City Controller, and the Commissioner of
City Property; at Fifth and Walnut streets is
the Sinking Fund Department; and at Sixth
and SAMSON streets is the Health Office and its
appurtenanoes. In this way are the public
offices of the city scattered about without any
regard TO convenience or economy; while they
should all be embraced under one roof, or in
q series of buildings adjacent to each ether,
and owned in fee simple by the city itself.
To remedy this state of affairs is one of the
principal objects Of the projected improve
ments. But this is not the only good result
that will follow. The rickety old buildings at
the corners OF Fifth and Chestnut and Sixth
and Chestnut streets will be torn down, and
their unsightly aspect no longer mar the
beauty Of our principal thoroughfare. That
grand burlesque on architecture and conve-
nisnce yclept the New Court House will like
wise be demolished, and peace of mind restored
to the man who built it by its disappearance
Independence Hall proper, the old historic
building in which the Continental Congress
sat when they declared the colonies free and
independent States, as matter Of course will
not be disturbed, except for thorough renovs-
ton and complete restoration 10 lis former
state.
When all the struggling edifces which now
enoumber Independence Square, excepting
only Independence Hall itself, are removed,
there will be ample space for the erection of
the new buildings on the Walnut street front
OF the enclosure, without shutting in all the
rest from the light of day and access by the
public. The Board of Commissioners undor
whose supervision the new buildings are to
be erected consists of seventeen well-known
citizens who enjoy the entire confidence of the
community, in addition to nine Of the regular
city officials whose functions as prescribed by
law render 1t very proper for them to consti-
tute portion Of the Board. Ample provision
or meeting all expenses connected with the
erection of the buildings is likewise made by
pedging a special tax levy sufficiently high
to rase 100000 annually for the purpose
until the projected Improvements are complete.
10 render the whole scheme success which
will merit and receive the appreciation of the
entire community, it is only necessary for the
Building Commissioners to take good care that
no such abomination as the New Court House
is stuck together, to be torn down as an en-
oumbrsnce to the ground as soon as it is com
plsted. The new buildings should be erected
with the double view of adorning the city aud
economising our local administration; and,
above all, they should be large enough to
answer all the purposes for which they are
intended for century to come. With an i'm
posing and magnificent public structure on one
side of Independence Square, and old indie
pendence Hall on the other, the city will
have something to which it can point here
after with both pride and satisfaction.
THR New WAR CLOUD IN EURoPE.-Europs