The Portland daily press., 1870-08-25

THE Jon BEGUN-The nice little job OF
stealing 900 out of our plethoric city treas
ury for the benefit of sharpers was begun yes
terdav, directly after dinner. AS we observed
Yesterday, the non-concurrence of the Common
Council in the order of the Board of Aldermen
changing the location of the Robbins wooden
pavement, contracted for, from Congress to
Middle street, left the original and revived
contract apparently in force; aud at one o'clock
yesterday afternoon a gang of men from the
Street Department and half dozen city teams
began to break up and cart off the fine road
bed in front of City Hall, preparatory to laying
down the new pavement. II is quite remarka-
BILE that the contractors, after laying idle for
over eleven months, should so suddenly be
seized with a spirit of haste and utterly refuse
to perform their contract in any part-of the city
but in that Nominated in the bond"
Let us review the history of the matter. In
September, 1869, an order was passed in both
branches of the city government, authOrizi ng
contract with Thomas II. Richardson for the
Robbins wooden pavement on Congress street,
from Chestnut to MYRTLE at an expense not to
exceed $500, the city to prepare the street for
its reception, and the work to be performed
within reasonable time" This part OF Con-
gress street was then in an indictabie condi-
ton, and the CITY government had been dis
cussing the most economical and durable
method of repairing it. When the Richardson
proposal was presented ''a reasonable time,
was understood by both parties to be before the
ground should be closed by the frost that sea-
son; and 50 the contract was signed on the
| 18th of September. The work was delayed
week after week and when the contractors
were asked the cause, they gave sun
| dry plausible excuses; and SO the matter
| run along until the season closed. 1t was
the opinion of Mayor Putnam and the
last City Government that this neglect to per
form the work during the season of 1869 was
| virtual abandonment of the contract, and the
present. City Government concurred in thai
| opinion, and expressed its concurrence by ex
pending at least $500 in May and June on
this place, and putting it in splendid condition
Now as soon as this work was completed the
owners of the Robbins patentlbegan to enforce
their exploded claim. 1t is impossible now tt
expose all the means used, but the chief one
i was that as the city had never formally mott
fled the contractors that they regarded the con
tract annuled by the delay it was in binding
force, and the city was holden TO the full
amount; and on the 10Th of August, an ord Ell
| revIviDg the contract was passed in the Board
of Aldermen by the following vote:-Yeas-
Curtis, Tolord, Senter, Wescott and Bailey
Nays--McCarthy.
In regard to the liability of the city there j:
a difference of opinion among legal gentlemen
the Mayor, we are told, believing that the cit,
is not holden, while the City Solicitor, we un
derstand, takes the opposite view; and the ma
jority of the Aldermen accepted the latte
opinion. Let the figures be submitted to thu
tax payers, and ascertain their verdict:
Estimated expense of repairs in May aud
| June, $3.50
| Amount of the contract, $50
Cost to the city of preparing the street
the estimate of the Street Committee, IA
$40, IA
AT this rate what will 1t cost to put fifty