The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-05-12


TIE anti-Penn Squareites vest erday
met with a defeat at Harrisburg
which we hope will effectually
settle them for the future. The House Com
mittee on Municipal Corporations, which had
in charge Mr.. Decherts bill abolishing the
Building Commission, listened patiently to
the appeals of Mr.. Tom Webster, listened in
terestedly to the fiery eloquence of Mr..
Smith, and carefully compared the
valuable statistics of Mr.. Henry
G. Lea, and found the whole affair to be much
ado about nothing. Mr.. II. W. Gray, in
straightforward speech, pricked the anti
Penn Square bladder, and by showing the
interested motives and the real aims of the
men whoswere demanding that the Legislature
should interfere to defeat the will of the peo-
pie, let the wind out of it, and then fol-
lowed a total collapse. The result
of Mr.. Gray's speech was that
the committee determined to report
the bill with a negative recommendation,
which will effectually kill it, as the Washing
ton Square faction cannot obtain the votes of
two-thirds of the members of the House,
which are necessary for its consideration.
The entire Committee on Municipal Corpora
tions, with the exception of two members,
Messrs Miller and Johnston, voted to report
the bill negatively. The names of those who
thus respected the plainly expressed wishes of
the citizens of Philadelphia were Mooney,
Quigley, Griffith, Lamon, Dumbell, Albright,
Duffy, McGowen, Thompson, and Hager.
These gentlemen have done an essential ser.
vice to Philadelphia, for they have put
uuietus to one of the most discreditable
attempts to defeat the popular will ever made
in this city, and they have insured the erec-
tion on a suitable site of such public build
ings as will be creditable to a great and
wealthy city such as this is. The interested cha
racter of the agitation for the abolition of the
Building Commission needs no other demon
stration than glance at the composition of
the delegation of anti-Penn Squareites which
has been in Harrisburg for the last few days
urging the Legislature to reverse its action of
last year. Of those gentleman who protest
against the irresponsible Building Commits
sion but three are not members of commits
sions equally irresponsible which were
created by the Legislature in the
same manner. One of them was
the president of the old Building Commits
sion, four are members of the Park Commits
sion, four are trustees of the Girard Estate,
and five are on the Bridge Commission. These
are certainly not the proper men to protest
against the Building Commission on the
ground that it was created by the Legislature
and not by Councils. In fact, the whole
agitation that has been carried on
since the October election has
been nothing but an impudent
and reckless attempt on the part of certain
property holders to prevent the erection of
the public buildings at all, unless they could
have them in the neighborhood of Sixth and
Chestnut streets. They managed to induce
the Senate to stultify itself, but the Commit
tee on Municipal Corporations of the House
proved an obstruction that could not be sur
mounted, and the Washington Square delega-
tion were obliged to return to the city with
nothing to show for their time, labor, and
money. The action of the committee in re-
porting the bill negatively was doubtless due
in great measure to the eloquent speech of
MIR. Gray, who presented the real facts of the
case in such a plain and understandable
manner that there was no excuse for any
other action than that taken. Mr.. Gray is
entitled to the thanks of his fellow-citizens
for his able vindication of the cause of the
majority, as expressed at the October cleo
tion, and the members of the Committee on
Municipal Corporations, who aided in the de-
feat of theWashington Square conspiracy, are
also deserving of gratitude for their resist
ance to the demands of men who would sacri-
fee the interests of the public for their own
selfish ends.
OUR WATER SUPPLY.