The New York herald., 1875-09-24
THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN.
The CrOtOn Ordinance Again Stood Up
TO Be Knocked Down.
4 Dangerous Predicament for Property Owners
Who Don't Keep Their Eyes Open

The Board Of Aldermen held their regular meeting
yesterday afternoon, President Lewis in the chair
When the Board was first called to order there was
barely quorum present, but before the proceedings
had been carried TO any great extent nearly all the
Aldermen put in an appearance among them ex- Mayor
Vance, who has been seriously i'll tor several weeks
and Mr.. Billings who buried himself at Fire Island
early in the summer and was dug out only yesterday
in time to be carried to the city before noon The
business was begun by
Alderman MCCARTHY Offering resolution requesting
the RAPID Transit Commissioners not to adopt the
plan Of any
TRANSIT
railroad any part OF which will run over the sidewalks
and that they give preference to plans which provide
that the tracks will be located only the centre of
the street.
Mr.. VANCE thought the subject of such importance
that 1t ought not to be decided upon hurry and he
therefore expressed wish that it should be laid over
for a week or two.
Mr. MCCARTHY advocated the speedy passage of the
resolution the Rapid Transit Commissioners were
considering the plans and would make public their
decision in few days
Mr.. VAYcEs motion to lay the resolution over was
lost by vote of 13 nays to yeas and the resolution
finally passed by vote of Is yeas to nays.
AMERICAN TRANSFERS
Messrs. Cole Billings and Purroy, the committee ap-
pointed to accompany the American team made n re-
port which read and to which was appended
resolution thanking the Common Council of Dublin for
the hospitality extended to the team and to Mr. Cole
who accompanied them The resolution was adopted
with provision that engrossed certified copy of the
resolution be forwarded to the corporation of the city
Dublin.
THE BOULEVARD WORK.
A resolution was introduced by Mr. MORRIS that no
work shall be done the Boulevards in view of
the alleged fact that the work already Gin advance
of necessity and that the cost in instances fell
in part upon the taxpayers of the lower wards of the
city instead of upon the taxpayers benefited solely and
asking that the Commissioner of Public Works report
to the Board what work being done the Boulevards
by contract and by days. work.
Mr. MCCARTHY warmly combatted the resolution
and declared that taxpayers were assessed for the
work now in progress the Boulevard except those
benefited, and he argued that the facts" alleged in
the preamble facts at all the resolution ought
pass. The resolution was referred to the Com
mittee on Public Works.
wATERY SUBJECT.
Mr. NORRIS created quite breeze by introducing an
other resolution which, in disguised way, declared
that Aqueduct not under the control of
persons who understood their business. wrange en-.
sued this Mr. Seery declaring that the resolution
insult to General Porter
Mr. MORRIS stated that the object of the resolution
get the Croton water supply works examined by
expert (whose name given in the resoution) so
that the people might know what ought be done and
what not done in regard TO the water supply. The
luton was by vote placed on file Mr.. Morris also in
troduced third resolution asking the Commissioner of
Public Works to inform the Board what amount
Of money had been expended on the Tenth avenue
big pipes during the past year. and that the original
innate be given.
On motion of Mr.. SEERY the resolution was amended
to the expenditures for the past three years
include the work done under the administration of
Mr. Van Nort and IL was then passed
WARNING TO PROPERTY HOLDERS.
Mr. NORRIS called attention of the Board to tho
fact that lists had been made out TO meet
the expenditure sewer the construction Of which
was begun some years ago, from Twenty third street
down Eleventh avenue to Seventeenth street He said
that the has been completed of S40O 600
and that the assessments amounted TO 81 03 per foot
all property embraced within the north side of Four
teenth street. from the North River to Fourth avenue
the west side of Fourth avenue TO Foreth street and
the south side OF Fortieh street to the North River
The Alderman stated that he understood that all the
property on this arca-fully two and half square
mes-woud be sold at public auction for arrears
Of taxes ON account of this sewer He believed that
not in twenty of the property owners in
terested knew anything about the matter and
he made the statement that he did so that
they could take the proper steps TO protect them
selves. IL seems that this sewer is an outlet sewer,
and that under the law every property holder within
two miles of an outlet sewer, into which the ordinary
sIrecl scNelS ulonB laDc 10
be assessed for the outlet sewer
Nj VANCE introduced resolution which, at his re-
quest, was laid over that new pumping engine be
erected at High Bridge the cost of which is not 10
coed S45 900. communication the subject was
received from General Porter.
STILL HARPiNG on WATER
The Croton main ordinance was for the twentieth
time called up again, and this time by Mr. Power. Mr..
Vance made long speech the subject, in which he
argued that the answer given by General Porter his
resolution, introduced some time ago, suli-
Cent to satisfy the minority that they wrong in
opposing the ordinance. He analysed the Cominis-
soners answer, and argued to show that there
many msstatements Of fact in IT, As the condition
OF the aqueduct he said that the report stated that
II was generally" IN as good a condition as 1t
had ever been. He said that a local paper
had gwen facts proving that the dam was
not in good condition in some parts some time ago
and these were not referred To In the reuort lIe
denied that the water could be purified by simply pass
ing through five miles OF the Croton River Mr. Vance
closed as siollows-Ieviewing, IN brief this whole sub
ject in the light of the unsatisfactory report which has
been offered in response TO the resolution of INQUIRY
the conclusion irresistible that there an absence OF
official candor, want of breadth in the comprehension
OF the great questions included and apparent ignor
ancc Of the merest details ofadmnstration which calls
for radical reform IN the management of this depart
ment IL has been asserted that the demand for
large pipes originated not in the department. but pro-
ceeds the will of the power behind IT, in order that
the drilled men Of the party in power may be supplied
through this means with large appropriations and the
tribute they have been accustomed to levy on the
public purse and when we told
an official document like this that "large
pipcsn the remedy for deficient
head OF water that tho absence OF large pipes S the
cause OF all the trouble growing out Of the deficient sup
ply of water, the imputaton shadow OF toun
daton. And until some statement shall be furnished
which has at least the merit of common 1t would
be an act Of folly TO appropriate another dollar except
for maintenance for the use OF department which ap-
pears TO be the mere tool of a political organization
and whose official reports the echo of political
party There was time In the history of the Croton
Aqucduct Department when It's management was be-
yond the influence of politics, and until 1t Is again
placed in that position the public will withhold their
confidence II, and too much be exercised
In approprating money for its use.
Mr. gibson quoted from the report Of the engineer
who had been ig active control of the aqueduc for the
past sixteen years 70 show that the aqueduct was in as
good condition now as II was sixteen years ago, Il
A DIFrrRrStE OF 5F7SftS'
Mr. MCCARTHY said that Mr.. Nances speech was
simply lecture to the republican State Senators who
had voted for the appropriation Of $500 000 aud which
gave birth 70 the ordinance he vigorously Op-
posed IL was nothing more or less than plain state
ment that those Senators did not know what they
about and that he (Mr Vance did know more than all
Of them put together
Mr.. PURRoY remarked that Mr. Vance always set him
self up as a Mentor for the other members of the