New-York tribune., 1873-06-18

Drafting aud copying Commissioners report 4oVO
Total. ...sl3465o
But large az the bill appears, there have Deeh va
rety Of peculiar circumstances Whch "ouu seem "
Justify the charges The evidence taken thus lar laN"S
bis vie The first meeting before the referee held
Oh Monday OF last week. when the representatives OF
uumber of newspapers appeared aud testified TO the
correctness OF certain bills OF advertising. Adjourn
nent was then had till Monday of tho present week.
when William Sinclair appeared for the Corporation
CoupseI g. T. Hawes for the Surveyor; Henry fdrsOhs'
" liam j. Parsons, and Edwin Armstrong ior lAe Com-
p.ssoners; and d. d. Lord and T. J. Powers in behait
O, property owners The pre- imnares not having Deen
fully settled considerable discussion as TO the proper
method OF conducting the Investigation was hau' ana
the meeting adjourned till noon yesterday
Atvesterdays session, Henry Parsons and John II'
NcGowan of the Com mission; Edwin Armstrong Com
nissoners Clerk; G. =. Hawes for the surveyor, WIZ
liam Sinclair for the Corporation Counsel, Thomas D.
Powers for property owners, and Others, we're present
Mr. Powers pethoned that his suggestion that the Ia"
OF 1867 concerning Commissioners fees should hold 10
this case-miGht be entered on the minutes Ihls Ia"
requires that Conmissor fees shah be a certain rate
per nea foot for the length OF the street opened IL If
stated that this figure is 80 cents per foot However
that NAV be- Judge Gilbert OF the Supreme Court mas
decided that the law does not apply 70 special openings
ordered by the Legislature where actual rather thah
nominal awards made but that it only applies to the
opening Of streets already mapped out and where only
nominal awards are made Besides this, the only I'M
porant business done the taking OF the sworn state
ment OF Henry j. Parsons, Chairman of the Commission
after which adjournment had till noon to-day MI
Parsons statement as follows:
The order for this Commission from the Court IN
about October, 1870 it flied, as am informed, on
March 1871; tue Commissioners were sworn IN soon
after their appointment; the original Commissioners
were James II. Coleman Thomas j. Coleman ana my
self Our first meeting was held IN January lS'l; nus
meeting called by order Of the Corporation C0unsel
al No % Nasau-st, room No 2i was appointed Char-
man George II. Purser, clerk and Edward BOYLE sur
yeyOr then directed the necessary orders TO be pre-
pared and posted, requesting property owners TO pro-
duce their deeds and evidences Of title; we also gave
notice that we would be IN attendance al NO - Nassau
certain day. 10 receive such evidences we met there
received such deeds and evidences; the surveyor had
been directed TO make map OF the proposed
Improvement, for the inspection of Commissioners and
property owners the deeus hahucd III were apsticoh
under the personal superintendent OF the Commission
ers the book OF deed abstracts was placed IN the hands
OF the surveyor LOT ms Itectoh anu hg wa % 90
prepare the requisite damage and benefit maps other
service had been performed on the work by the sur
maps' All this occurred, 70 the best or my recoec-
in with preparation Of the damage ana benefit maps.
To the best OF recollection the following SIX months
parng these maps. During this time the Commissioners
eoud OF course do little. Before the surveyors work
coud bc finished ar. Coleman taken ID, or mad sick
ness IN his family, during the Winter OF 1s772 that
he could little work. and be resigned n the Spring or
carv in the Summer OF 1872; John T. MCGOWAN Mas aI
PoinIeu ~ ile 10 efend m tGe mailer tbe snrvevor
might have FASTENED his work somewhat; IN scptcm-
her the Commissioners resumed active dutyi we went
over the ground, consulted experts ana dd preliminary
cerkship and Edwu Armstrong, the present clerk, was
appointed in hs pace Wltnn low a;tYa Oh ihs, Nj
Parsons was appointed IN ms place from about that
t,ns,bont Dec l-meetngs were held almost daily al
he office of the clerk, No 81 Broadway the property
was appraised estimates OF the yauc OF the property to
be taken aud of the awards tf damage were made at
these meetings; the Commissioners attended these
nv m foT bo1rs long ths continued tin the abstract of
d ali the Commissioners made 10 a point t6
Sftend calculations made by the Commissioners
I'm nerson: assessments for benefit estimated
mnder our immediate supervision. After the filing OF
me repOrt we occupied IN experimenting the
drafting OF report many legal points had also to
m ssitIed by Ourse yos or by the counsel OF others
many novel and singular points came up, for which
there few if any precedens during this time. and
No TO April objections which had been advertised
f'r were received and examined required by law
after April Is, in session almost daily till May
Il hearing arguments OF oectors or their counsel about
twenty days in ALL in several instances long briefs were
submited which required eXamnauOn; objections were
made largely cases where, owing 10 The failure Of
owners TO hand in deeds, plots had been marked mn
known owners and IN where, stree the original
surveys large tracts had been divided and sulliydrd
this rendered II necessary for the surveyor make
changes III the maps, and alterations had also
he made in the drafting, and copying of me
report much reappOrtlOulng Of the was
also necessary; the Improvement extends from One
hundred and-fty-ftth-st to Kinesbrdce and owing IN
its winding course, is nearly five miles in length. II is
almost entirely in the line OF the old KingsDrdgerOad
The widening is sometimes on one side sometimes
on the other and sometimes on both, and tends 10
straigbten old road. The number of parcels, as
shown on the damage map before the filing OF obiec.
tOns about 9s $780, the number assessed for ben
eft about Goo tho subsequent changes increased
the number Of damage plots to about 425, and the
Der of benefit plots 10 about 6OO Nearly every plot
the damage maps double each plot being bounded
by the the old road aud the outer line of the
new and the boundary OF the old road having
inserted between these TWO lines Nearly every parcel
acquired was in consequence irregular in shape and
made the estimates much more difficult; this cOmpi-
Gated both the work OF the surveyor and OF the Coms
siOners; the Commissioners have frequently, body
individually been the ground. both before aQd
after the filing OF obJectOns have done tins myself
with other Commissioners; probably all OF them have
done this the irregular shape and direction Of tho
D-Ovement added difficulty ~ the assessments as well
as to the awards.
The witness reserved the right 20 add TO his testimony
hereafter and expressed hs readiness to undergo cross.
examination at any future session. 1t is thought that il
will be impossible 10 complete the testimony that the
referee can report to the Court Monday next the
otder required, and postponement VIII prebablY be
asked for.
nIyTN