, 1873-11-13
THE COMMON COUNCIL AND THE EXP0sI-
TON BUILDING.

Tho 6tadis- -Zcthtng contains an article upon
the petition Of tho Exposition Directors for per-
misnjop to retain tho building in Its present
locality until May l, 1876, in which it takes the
ground that 1t would ba best to leave tho whole
matter to the decision OF the next Council. Tho
ostensihe reason which tho Staats-Z -Zeitnng urges
for this reference 10 that the stockholders hayo
mado MI the profits, and the city Inns derived no
benoat from It, and therefore, il the stockholders
aro to be granted such valuable permit aB this
extension Of time would virtually DO, it should
DO granted upon certain conditions. The first
OF these ia tho improvement Of tho grounds &C.
cording to the original understanding tho Sec
ond, IN e1pross agreement TINT tho building
shall not be used for any purposes injurious to
tho legitimate trade Of the city !; and tho third
and last, that it shall DO kept opou on Sundays.
There is nothing Objectionable In the frat
condition, and tho Directors will undoubtedly
consent to it willingly. The Exposition Inns, wo
suppose, boon profitable Investment It has
drawn hundreds OF Thousands Of people horo,
who haye loft their money 1iberally in tho city.
and have gono away satisfied that they got thor
moneys worth, and will gladly repeat tue opcra-
tlon another year. We assume, therefore, that
the Directors gro in position, notwithstanding
tho stringoncy Of the times, to ornament aud
benutify tho grounds adjacon to the building
and this they would probably do in any event, as
it would help to rondor tAcir building atll moro
attractive in the future, and thus make good the
extra Investment.
The secondeqndition Ia ono Of importance also,
and 1t Bhould .bo made N Indispensable requisite
to tho granting Of tho extonsioa. whether tho
tociaion is maqo by this Council or tile pe1t.
Tho recent proposition OF tho Young Mons
Christian Associations Of this city and Of Boston,
to open "Bazaar of tho Natlopa" for retail
trade, Ia wholly apart from tho purposes for
WHICH tho city granted the permit, and for which
tho stockholders apbscrbod their money. That
proposition ID still alive, although 1t has been
temporarily kept III Rheyance by tho reaonstran-
ces Of tho mercantile community. Thore Is no
bottor time than tho present, w'ii1e tho petition
Of tho Directors is pending, to sottla thIs .nat-
ter definitely, 30 that 1t may apply OF only to
the Young Mems Christian Association, but to
all other associations or individuals who may
seek to got possession Of the building for mor
cantllo purposca. Such uHo .ot the building
would DO, In the first place, mn injustice to
tho 1norehapts who ha1e exhibited tAoir
waroH in Il, at considerable expense to
themselves, aud with mor9 Or less OF damage to
their property. In tho second place, 1t would be
contrary to the spirit Of the original agreemcnt.
In this agreement it was mover contemplated by
tho oity tlat tlp building WAS to bo turned into
rotatl store. It was amply and solely designed
for an pxposition hall, where tAo merchanta OF
this city, aud tho producers OF the whole Wost,
in fact, might plaee their goods and produota on
exhibition, both as matter Of curiosity and on
tortain~opt, and for what futpro profit might
inuro to them in tho way Of edverttatng their
busincsa. Any proposed uso Of this building,
therefore, which will roapls In Transforming 1t
iuto place OF trade, eitAor Wholesale or rotail,
should be immediately nulliaod, aud tlhta should
10 mado au Indispensable condition to tle grant
lug Of tho Desired extension. As to the third
point, the opening on Sunday, 1t may bo loft for
time to deoide. It ia m incidental itom, Which
has nothing to do with the main question at
iasue. It occura to us that the Council cannot
foros its religious opinton8 upon the Directors Of