, 1876-12-17
demand Is made by the people that these requests

the Gas Company fl1ed price, say - per wv. wv
posed to be consumed per mile of n1ain sa oo, e~r
600 e5bS feet and il the 9uaS.y y,,mtv nfiray nyamed
qnaptsy as - 6s
consumed should exceed the quantlty Maax> .s,I
price TO be lower in proportion az te M agree
troyefsy such burue1s and timetables as II m1SaI
from time to time, think proper: o,t. ,,on1a on1v
nav for the amount OF gas actually consumea'
1pakins pIi more Or less az they might think proper.
yin asea sqt ns ana e eaaany
~ n T the ndustment Of our differences on this
basis am not only willing but anxions 70 maze
tns ind fs'e 10 the snta pnbc Knd in
financial condition Of the city, and Of hnxlns =
future good understanding with It ! an willing, II
10 make rate, say from Dec ], 1876, TO April J.,
1871 at So per !, 000 cubic feet, with the present
time table aud burners, which is less rate tnan
States, having regard to tue cost and expenditure;
And would suggest that ii yonr Committee Will
examine carstally INTO the subject you WI " aao
pcnse of furnishing the gas required without dol
feel ,tx tic t,om importance s 9re,eS{ S{
financial difficulties, and assure sou that the
Peoples Gas Light and Coke Company is ready to
If The city should require By ordinance the laying
of additional Mains service pipes, and lamp posts
I submit that 1t is bu: reasonable fhat tAe Guy
should enter into contract with the Gas Company.
Us it is now practically settled that such contracts
are valid, not to interfere with the Gas CQNpany
in its use Of and pipes laid at the request
Of the city unl The eiy Eays for m, tse Rctadn IT.
The parties quarterly, and that the city should pay
interest at the rate Of aPer cent. upon balances
foundd upon such settlements, should payments pay
be DELAYED for the cfty's convenience. The new
contract, would suggest, should commence as OF
Dec, J. 1876. the city to pay At its conven-
enes the H. due at that me per S:ta Ssut
from the time whentle quarterly statements wete
made, fixing the sums which, ftom time to time,
became due. In the suit OF G. X. Garrison against
Cnitel States Court all the questions between the
city and the Gas Company are under consideration
and entirely willing that the Court shouid ap,
matters OF controversy between the partiea. and
that their award, and the judgment Of the Court
thereon, shall take effect as OF and from tue first
day OF December, 1876 OF course ! shall expect
that the referees will not be governed by the offer
nereinbefore made relative to furnishing gas from
Dec l. 1876 to April l. lS5z Int t 5hat ,aana. snsl.
sustained By the Gas Company. III complying with
that proposition, il accepted. Yours respect
fully, \; H. B1.tlSgs, President
Peoples Gas Light and Coke Company.
On finishing the documcar the Alderman re-
marked that he could not understand Just ex-
actlv what this proposition amounted to, as
there were SO many conditions attached
thereto.
there was pcrplcxlng obscurity about&s1r. Bill
liugs' communication they should report the
matter back to the Council, fntimating that it
was something they did not CLEARLY compre-
bend, and recommending that the Mayor and
Comptroller te authorized to close the contract
original proposition Of 81 per 1000 that price to
date back from Oct. l..
Aid. Thompson said If that course was pur-
sued, neither party would waive their rights
under the contract Mr. Billings put IN con ,1
dition that the city should recognize the validi-
ty Of the contract, but he (the speaker) was op-
posed to anything Of TINT kind,
The Chairman expressed himself IN favor Of
the original proposition, and It was agreed to
send IN report embodying the suggestions OF
AID. A1drich.
The Committee then adjourned
LEONARD sWETT's OPINION.
The following letter, which will explain itself,
was to have been read yesterday before the Gas
Committee, but that body having separately
perused the epistle, pos:poned action upon its
suggestions, Mr. Billings lengthy communica-
ton taking up great deal OF time:
The Hon. John L. Thompson and the Gas Com
nltfee-DEAE S1E: fon having asked my opinion
a. to what should be done II the matter ndn OF The
the attorneys for the city beg leave respectfully
to submit the following, based upon the resume Of
the facts KNOWN To
In 1860 the Common Council made the contract
with the West-stde Gas Company for ten yea;5,
and increased the price 50 cents pc. 1000 cubic
feet It has been cQntcnded on be1alf OF the city
that contract could not be made for ten yeara,
because tho powers OF the Council are simply the
powers to regulate. and therefore cannot be bar.
years, and because ut the time Of this contract
there was an appropriation for only one year, and
there is clause in the charter prosiding that no
unless there is En- appropriation concerning such
expense. In this case the appropriation was con-
sidcrably increased from year to year from one
tenth to ouetUenteth the expense OF the contract.
When contracts have been made for . series OF
years in other cities under u charter pro-
ng that no sha Be aae uqss ahs
expense" it has been hold that the con-
sTact must be- limited to the appropriation;
bu a the Tos sed il oe5 shats r s9n
tereets OF the gus companies TINT if appropria-
ton il made upon tile subject, then contract can
be made to an unlimited degree,
Having this question before him, Judge Drum
1nond has made no definite decision, but has Rug-
gested that the parties settle the controversy. So
Tar as fixing the prlse is concerned, settlement
than . li1igatlon;. bnt there is 5 ques-
9a esesa 9Ss in pee 3ss matter s S oS Ssss @
section providing that no contract shall be made
except in appropriation shall first be had concern
H. ID s It does not
effect this object, the city stands without any pro-
lection il ths regard aud a1l the departments
BY contracts plunge the city into debt beyond
hope OF relief II, therefore, we are thus exposed,
the quicker we know it the better for the Legisla
ture ia about to convene and the law can be prop
erly amended. II the matter is now compromised,
and nothing is decided, in short time
We will have other oppressive con-
tracts, and be asked to compromise them,
and il nothing is now decided, anu the matter is
now hushed up, probably we will get no new icgis-
lation. The present Common Council is entitled
to and doubtless has the thanks OF all good citizens
for the fidelity with which it has discharged IT.
duties aud the reforms 1t has inaugurarcd, and
yet the great good is not In little expenses saved
but in the modes devised to save US from future
evil. In this gas matter yon ought to look to the
future more than the present. find out just what
rights the city has, and whether it has any, and, If
not, get some from the cunning Legislature. This
view does not involve any more expense. Let
Judge Drum1ond decide just what rights we have,
and, ii you please, acQuiescc In that decision
and pay the bills which the folly or crimes OF the
past City Councils have imposed upon the city. but
see to II that Tho evil have to pay for is cured
forever. This will do the city more permanent and
real good than to cover up and trade in regard to
the nnrghteous contract, and leave the city ex-
posed to similar dangers in tue future. Yours
truly, LEONARD SwETT.
PUBLIC Gas CONSUMPTION.
In reply to several correspondents, Prot. Col
bert furnishes the following table, showing the
number of hours in each month in which gas is
burned, based upon the moons changes. Or
cnf}rsc it does not include the hours In which