The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-09-17
CITY COUNCILS.

Select Brdnch-President Stokley occupied
the chair. There was a quorum present, the
reading of the journal was presented and the
business went on.
An invitation was received and accepted to
visit the Teachers Institute meeting, to-day,
at Musical Fund Hall.
The resolutions of the Board of Control, re-
ported in our issue of Wednesday last, asking
for certain appropriations, were referred to
Committee on Schools.
A communication from certain workmen
employed in cleaning the streets, asking means
20 draw their pay, was referred.
A long printed communication was received
from the Schuylkill Navigation Company,
making claim on the corporation for giving it
water. 1t sets forth:
That, by the contracts of the company with the
city for the of the water power created by the
erection of the dam in the river Schuylkill, near
Farmount, it is in effect stipulated that, whenever
by the use of the water of the river at that point
for the purposes of navigation and for water power
the water is drawn down to the top of said dam,
then the city shall stop using said water power
til the water rises to the top of the dam, thereby
leaving the whole of the water for the purposes Of
navigation, and only granting to the city the right
to use as water power any surplus OF water that
may then be left.
for the Company to call on the city for compli-
ance with these contracts. The agents of the city
stopped the of the water as water power, so
that navigation was only partially interfered WITH
But on the 18th day of August the agents of the
having consider
ably below the top of the dam, refused to shut off
the water from their machinery, thereby stopping
the navigation of the river, and greatly damaging
mem0rialists.
on the 14th of August, while this state of things
continued the Chief Engineer of the Water De-
partment made an application requesting that the
navigation of the river should be wholly suspended
and that the city should be permitted to use the
whole of the water of the river until the famine
for water was passed. The Chief Engineer stated
he had no power to bind the city to indemnify the
Company for the damage which might occur, yet
expressed the conviction that a full indemnity
would be accorded by the city. In answer to this
application the Navigation Company at once or
dered their locks to be closed and several of their
upper dams to be drawn, This arrangement was,
on the 23d day of August, communicated to your
bodies at special meeting. AT said meeting the
action of the Chief Engineer and of the Committee
on Water approved of, the liability of the city
for indemnity was recognized, and an appropra-
tion of twenty-five thousand dollars was made, to
be paid on account of said indemnity,
The stoppage of navigation has continued for
more than a month, and has been lately only par
TALLY removed.
tent in time the city is liable to make payment for
the obstruction of navigation. The object of this
memorial is to secure immediate payment on ac-
count of the indemnity, and to arrange for the final
asceItainment thereof In full.
II must be borne in mind that the river Schuylkll
is great public highway, entrusted by the State to
the Care and control of the Navigation Company,
and that thew are bound at all times to keep it In
navieable order.
tbev have at all times and with all parties stpu-
iated-as by their charter they were bound To do
that the use of the water of the river for water
nower should cease whenever 1t was required for
he nurnoses of the navigation, and hitherto these
Contracts have been enforced against all the wafer
tenants the city included It is susee o. Ine
clearest proof, thatH the city had, IN compliance
with her contract, stopped using the water.power
| of the river, when so requested by the NaVlgalon
Company, these Would have been an The ou
question that remains between the CITY ana Iue Nh
! yigatiop Company is the amount oi ING inu0in'''