The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-01-12
City Affairs.


The regular monthly meeting of the Board
of Common Council was held last evening.
Papers from the Board of Mayor and Alder
men were acted upon in concurrence.
The report Of the Finance Committee, rec
ommending that the salaries of the Commits
sioners of the Building Loan be fixed at $3.50
each for the present year came down, accepted
in the Board OF Mayor and Aldermen. After
sharp debate in which Messrs Jose. Mari,
Dow, King, Burgess, Harmon and Winship
participated, the report was tabled. ( :
The report of the Committee on LAYING Out
New Streets, on the petition of John Curtis g.
ais. that Cumberland Street may be continued
and laid out from North Street to the Eastern
promenade re commencing leave to withdraw
came down, report accepted. in the Board of
Mayor and Aldermen. After some debate the
whole matter was referred to the next City
Council in this Board.
The report of the Committee on Judicial
Proceedings, on petition of N. s. Feruald for
damages to his hack by quagmire in Quincy
Street, recommending leave to withdraw, was
recommitted to the same committee.
Orders Passed-Authorzing a loan of $4,000
ior one year, the same TO be appropriated for
for the removal of the end of Union Wharf
and the distractions at that place; calling on
the City Auditor for a statement OF the cost of
rebuilding the City Building; authorizing the
Committee on Judicial Proceedings to settle
taken in 1867, together with his claim for land
taken in 1866, on such terms as they NAV con-
slider just and equitable; directing the CITY
Marshal to notify all parties owning lots on
which. are vacant cellars, or similar excava-
tions, in close proximity to any of the streets,
to have such cellar or excavation properly and
sufficiently fenced; directing the Committee
on Streets, &C., to confer with the Directors of
Richardson Wharf Company, and see what ar
rangements can be made to insure the safety
md uontn or he
the caving in of Fore Street on to their land.
Petition of j. G. Lewis, for remuneration
for damages to his property by alteration of
grade of Hampshire street in 1867, was referred
to the Committee on Damages for Grading
Streets. as .r.eg.r - -
An order that the gore of land adjoining the
city farm, purchased Dec. 3, 1866, be attached
to the city farm and placed under direction of
the Board of Overseers of the Poor, elected
considerable debate. 1t appears that after the
purchase had been made the Overseers of the
Poor assumed control of the gore and took off
the soil for the purpose of filling up bog on
the farm, until they came to a valuable strata
OF sand, which has since been used for street
purposes The street department. has used
sand to the amount of $500 from this GORE
which amount, it is claimed, should be paid by
the street department and credited to the ap-
preparation for the support of the poor, and
this, it was commended, was wrong. AS long as
the city owned the land there should be no
charge for sand taken by the street department
After long debate, in which Messrs Win.
ship, Dow, Mari, jose, Harmon, Mccarthy,
Burgess and Chapman participated, the order
was refused passage-7 yeas nays. Ad-
iourned.
PARK STREET CHURcH.-Rev. Mr.. Buck in
troduced himself to his church and society
Sunday morning in well written sermon up
on the text "Why do ye these things" We
say introduced himself" because he used the
phrase, and very appropriately, too. The truth
is, this worthy pastor installed hinself, and he
and bis society think no other formula is ne
cessary. In his sermon he said that when
ministers of the gospel are settled "for better
or for WORSE" as they used to be years ago, a
public installation or ordination might be pro.
per, for in snch marriage for lite between the
pastor and his church and society, some public
forms and ceremonies might be proper; but
now that ministers are settled for brief and
uncertain time, such public demonstrations
seem out of place. The pastor preached
capital installation sermon. and we don't think
he could have got another to do it any better
than he did himself If his church and society
do their part as we'll as he does his, they may
safely cherish the hope of progress and pros
perity in this world, and safe and happy ar
rival at that bourne whence no traveller re.
turns. "
A beautiful pyramid of flowers stood upon
the table III front Of the pulpit, and quite
large congregation was present on the occa-
sion. This house is very neatly and tastefully
arranged, and the pews afford very easy seats,
which cannot be said of pews in all our
churches. We trust no members of this socie-
ty will indulge in doing because the seats are
SO comfortable and easy. We confess the iu-
ducement to such mental con dition would
be great if the preaching were not SO good, for
their pastor always says something worth re-
membering.