The New York herald., 1875-08-20
An Important Meeting of
the Board Yesterday.
THE RAPID TRANSIT QUESTION.
An Animated Debate as to the Powers
Of the Commissioners.
THE. CROTON WATER SUPPLY.


Whitney which referred to the opening of lelst street.
PROTECTION FIRE.
Alderman Morris who has steadily opposed the pas
cage of the CIoton main ordinance, which tho Commits
soner OF Public Works deems absolutely necessary for
the city presented petition signed by fifty life
Insurance companies, asking for the passage OF the
ordinance The Alderman, who had evidently received
the document from of his constituents and thus
considered II his duty to present H. laughingly
marked, soto voee Irs very easy to get up petons
pye gotten them up sometimes" "
oRoroN AGAIN.
The Croton water question was again dragged up by
Alderman Vance, who like his republican colleagues
has opposed every effort the part Of the democrats
TO give tho Commissioner of Public Works power to
tend the water supply. He offered the ioUowing:--
Whereas large proportion of the citizens
have felt for that the of the Coon
water supply has been characterized by that skin and
Judgment demanded by the interest they have
sS o ss S a aS
ing daily supply at one time ss hSh as Of gal
pends the slightest degree
y % or Sa or 5 SsSS o
upon which the water except on he lower oSrs Of the
ing the city while at the game time the outlay and
ves an b n their ss become
mons very large and poppops portion OF the city de-
sngnes nc wnds or IN hand Pn@PS Largely the
cost ., water IN ne an s"S ha @ he
npon which the city depends entirely water is
destroyed thus dopyng the city of its O6y security
AGAINST s dsaSIoas h rhe %Sse.sd and
county filthy wholesome condition; that 1t has
tion that it that it cleaned with
RI s on ns %se 1 p and as s9 S ssSS & for
@ & he centre 1t has been asserted in the public
which has afflicted the city this summer In view of the
Resolved That the Commissioner Of Public Works be re-
suested 70 report without delay to this Board
Of water which will insure It's delivery to in uch
quantities they have right receive and for which they
Seond-what is the present condition the
aqueduct verified by the certificates OF the engineers in
Td-Wha is the character and form of construction of
been cleaned purified and does its construction admit
Fo1-%hat was the original cost Of the works for water
supply and what has been the amount expended these
works during the last ten years2
Mr. Morris moved the adoption q the resolutions
Mr.. Blessing sad-I am very glad to sec Alderman
Vance taking the course he is now taking aftor his op
position thus far The city ID in depOrable condition
II the present aqueduct should break TO any consider
able extent il would take at least weeks before IL
could be repaired city would not have drop Of
water If you anayze this question of Croton water
properly you will find that pays twelve per cent.
Now, Westcheser county has 800 houses and the de-
mand there for fresh water very great Most Of tho
people have to depend upon the eisierns, and, IN my
opinion, taking into consideration what COED invest
men orOIoh , water cSek ~ sLooU1O wen d ex
water supply. The lower part of the city,
too needs better of supply II s necessary that
another pipe should be extended from High Bridge
down town. for there many manufactures using
great quantity Of that they drain the upper part
Of the city, thus deprving places on high ground like
Murray Hill and YOrkvIle, of sufficient supply. re-
peat that If any serious accident should to the
present pipes the city would be without water for
three weeks at the very least In view of all these
facs-for they facts gentlcmen-I rery glad to
Alderman Vance taking the course nc has and Alder
man Morris changing his previous course by offering
petition of the insurance companies asking that the
Croton main ordinance shonld be passed
The resolutions were passed without a division.
RAPID TRANSIT.
The following message from the Mayor Ngs read
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT CRY HALL
NEW YoeK, August y, 1870
GENrEMRs-I herewith transmit Tor your cor
communication from the Board Of Commissioners OF Rapid
Transit accompanied by DRAFT oil aesouen W mat board
Respectfully recommend that You pass the resolution as
time s Importance the Board OF
further recommend that the resolution be
adopted az the earliest practicable moment BY passing the
1esSiSon You really but give effect to Your purposes
pressed months recommending the Legisla
transit and the action recommended BY IS but att
we long desired aud which is the practical
plisbment Of rapid transit n this city. ,-r,,,,,
TIE COMMUNICATION.
OFFICE BOARD or CoESussIoNERs or RAPID TRhEsrr
70 His Honor WILLIAM IT, wicETSS Mayor &c,
SIR-I directed by the Board OF Commissioners sp
of 1875 accompanying draft OF resolution
request You to transmit il to the Honorable the Common
Council with your recommendation that It be passed. II
indeed meets your 'ppr0v" VS5y 0sST
President Rapid Transit Commission.
THE RESOLUTION.
After lengthy preamble the resolution reads as fol-
lows
Resolved That consent Is hereby given FOR the location
and operation OF steam sSwnys M OF
in this city subject the control ofhs Com
iones are now authorized by the act aforesaid locate
railways or connections thereof provided that such railways
tho ground shall be constructed elevated railways,
the ground or water except in River street along
the Harlem River where the same may be built on piles on
any company constructing such railway River shall
70 change their railway on said street 20 an elevated
q the description aforesaid whenever said shall be
requirement
ferred to the Committee Law and said This Board
should not go 1t blind this question: and the laying
OF the exact route is important matter that this
Board should have something to say about know
that the majority of the people living In my district
opposed 10 rapid transit AS for myself | want to
know before vote for this resolution of the Rapid
Transit Commissioners what the of the road be
10 what it may is to be, what streets avenues 1t is
run through They may establish the road II we pass
this resolution blndy, in streets where the adj
Joining property is worth millions Before they
here ask any privileges they must give tho route of
the road. don't believe in voting bhndly on so Inn
portant matter.
ing resolution Of this character the route Of tho road
should be located that this Board before giving its
approval of the kind of road they decide as the best to
De built will know what IL is voting upon. When they
have decided upon then they here to
get the consent Of the Board to that route and they
go on and make their arrangements Here Mt Billings
quoted section OF the Rapid Transit act which pro-
yides that the Commissioners must get the consent Of
the local authority before fixing the route.
Mr.. Blessing-May | ask the Alderman question:
III he looks NJ the constitutional amendments he can
see that the commissioners establish the route but
then they must come to the Common Council for its
approval. In other words as have said before, the
route must first be established before any action upon
their work IL taken by the Common Council think
that any member who would vote for any resolution
looked to the approval of the road decided upon by
the Commissioners would commit perjury
Mr. Bilhngs-I again say that agree with the Alder.
man that we ought TO know the route beforehand at
least as precautionary measure This We should
know before We give our consent to the road
Mr. Blcssing-I desire TO state hero and now II this
resolution passes this Common Council tho Commits
.oners can establish the route OF the road and If they
do not got the majority Of the people along the line in
hvor Of II they can go into the Supreme Court and
there settle the matter am, myself not opposed to
rapid transit but want everything done In the open
night am friend Of rapid transit, and | voted for