The New York herald., 1869-03-31
PROSPECT PARK, BRo0aLyy.

Row Between tho commissioners and Pre-
pertv Owners.
In pursuance of call issued BY the Prospect Park
Commissioners, inviting the taxpayers OF Brooklyn
to meet them and discuss the question why tho CON-
missoners should not sell portion OF Prospect Park,
consisting OF 1871 the Of Fatbush avenue
as a matter of economy, large mass meeting Of
some Of tue most substantial men Of the City Of
Churches was held last night in the Circuit Court
Park Commissioners. Mayor Kalbnesch and other
leading men were among the audience.
The matter which evoked this meeting may be
briefly stated-There are l37 acres Of land east OF
FIatbush avenue, which was included In Prospect
Park at the time the Commissioners secured author
ity from the Legislature to appropriate grounds at
fair valuation for the construction Of tie Park and
now the Com nissioncrs have bill before the Legis-
lature asking permission to sell this land, I0r which
the owners have been paid, rs they claim, only
nominal value, and to this proceeding the property
owners Cbject on the ground that the Commission.
ers want 70 sell the land for speculative purposes,
and that such q sale would have ruinous effect on
their property a. at present existing and to exist
In the future In that vicinity.
Commissioner stranahan opened the proceedings
by reading large pile OF manuscript giving his
tory OF Prospect Park since its FIRST inception, and
defending the course taken by the Commissioners In
their mode OF conducting affairs. lie laid great
built twice rs many houses AZ New York, and 1t was
In order to make that city quarter OF the great
met o. sne Sa'e anu NOT suouro' anat proa
carried into development. lie also argued that Il
was emlnently proper for the Commissioners TO sell
the land east or Flatbusn avenue In order to save
useless expenditure ana that Il would save the city
&4,O0000o.
Mr.. Goodrich. cx-Assembyman from the county
OF Kings then spoke behalf Of the property own.
ers and taxpayers. He reviewed with telling erect
the career OF the Commissioners and showed how
they had been sQuandering the peoples money reck-
lessly IN various ways, one Of which was the pay.
Ing OF only 100000 for the 137 acres east OF
FIatbush avenue, while they paid for fifty acres OF
the Litchheld estate 600 600. lie showed that the
Commissioners had no power TO sell this land, and
SAID n they attempted to force the passage OF .
bill at Albany for that purpose he was ready
on behalf OF the property owners TO light them
for twenty years, and light them, too until ne had
exhausted oil the courts In the country down to the
very last He read letter from General viele re-
missoners In architectural constructions and fancy
gewgaw work about the Park while they paid no
attention 10 the beautifying Of the wood or grove
or to the development OF the natural rural scenery
which there ab0unded. He c0ntended that the PARK
was for the benefit OF the poor as well as the
rich, and the Commissioners had no more
right to ride In their costly carriages
through It than the poor had to ride right
through the centre OF II by rail- which acc0mmo-
spoke at great length and was greeted several times
with applause.
Mr.. Ciittendcn rose to interrupt him when he was
reading General vcles letter. but compelled "
sit down amid storm Of Kisses.
Mr.. A. A. Low made u short address In vindlca-
tlon OF his course as one or the Commissioners.
Mr. Chttenden followed IN support OF the ground
taken Wy the Commissioners, and after remarks by
other speakers the proceedings terminated.