New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-04-07
LOCAL MISCELLANY.
CITY LIABILITIES AND PAYMENTS.

CITY LIABILITIES AND PAfhbNiS'
BOARD OF APPoRTIoNMENT MISREPRESENTATION
lied COURTHOUSE CONTRACTS.
The Board of Estimate and Appointment, at
is meeting yesterday. In the Mayors ONCE, maoe
appropriations from the Excise moneys as toioWs'
Midnight Mission, $500; Saint Vincents Hospital
81 600; Twcnty-third Ward Relief Association. 800;
Twenty.fourth Ward Relief Association, $50; West
Side Association. Twentyfourth Ward, $500; 81 Jo-
seph's Home for the Aged, S2410 ST. Stephens Home
for Children $50: Linda Gilbert Prisoners Aid Fund
$500; tie German Society OF the CITY OF NeW-fork'
$1,000 Society Of Saint Vincent de Pan, 300; New
York Association for Improving the Condition OF the
Poor, - 600; making IN ALL Sl9.l4O
The Controller was authorized issue Sll6,5OO add
tona Coton stock to pay the lands acquired for the
storage reservoir at Southeast Putnam County. An
appropriation Of 1928 81 made to the Willard In
sane Asylum. The Commissioner OF Public Works rec
commended purchase Of the maps aud surveys OF the
late John Randall jr. for 5000 The application oil
French eoonsts loan Of $4,000 placed on ble
communication was received from Corporation Coun-
Whitney in relation to the alterations oil the new
and the power Of the commissioners 20 make
contracts for the work in Of the appropriations
After reviewing the decisions Of the courts IN analogous
cases, be c0ncludes
Upon the facts stated by the Commissioners OF Ac-
cannot resist the conclusion that tbe court
house Commissioners have exceeded Their authority 10
making the contracts. The present comInls,ners nas
no other greater powers than toe former e1uhis
and the authority of the present Board or sl-
mate and Apportonment 10 issue bonds Is as requisite
now was formerly that of the Board Of Apporton-
nlcnt The Board Of Estimate aud AppOrtlonmeIi' as
stated, authorized the issue OF bonds To the amount
az SIOO 600 only and the commissioners have signed
contracts involving the expenditure Of s3el ilS 1he
ncurring OF Liabilities the extent over and above the
amount autboriZ 10 he expended by Board OF Esti
mate and AppOrtOnneut is IL the language 81 JudSe
Blrct without authority OF law" The otner bTancn
OF the question upon which you request my opinion
is whether the commissioners have exceeded TIER
power violated the law TO make 1t proper Ior you
to lake any action upon the subject and also as TO the
propriety. IN legal point o. view Of continued pay
account Of the now CuErtnuuse Inc Cohl'ila-
siUncs ~ TIE Courthouse hold their appointments from
Mayor and are, therefore, In certain sense respoh-
slbe 10 him. and would TO be proper under the
circumstances for the Mayor to take some aooh IL re-
aiiJu the matter. Work upOn the COuFt-house mas
been commenced under the contracts above mentioned
aud such co TRAITS pToVde TOT pay Mehts 10 l"e coli
tractors the WORK progresses Under the views abONe
expressed the Controller cannot make any payments
upon the rcquisltIohs 81 the c"hniosoists ia t5I
OF the SiOOUOJ authorized 70 De expended bY the beard
/ 81 Esiim1ie ara App9itiohinehl, 'aH L Ss voii ms
siOncrs have exceeded thel! powers IN IA hIIE SUI oy
tracts it is questionable whether any payments can De
lawfully made thereon. Even II the 100000 which has
been appropriated may be- lawfully laid out "hSh thit
sum is Exhausted II Will teen depend upon the DECISION
! OF tlc Board Of Estimate and Apportonmrnt whether
NOR bo, snaf be Issued II the plans OF the commits
-ioncT- small fail to he approved by tHe Board OF I-l
mate and Apportonmen the expenditure or sun sun
| II 100000 may entirely useless. Moreover, the
quest rights and equities o. the contractors
lubIc purposes De seriously mteriered Win II work
under the contract sha! be stopped when has made
considerable progress. therefore respectfully f-cnn-
mend that me Mayor should immediately brlnS lhe
wl0 matter before me Board OF Estimate and Apior
Torment and what the views oil the board are
In relation further appropriations Tor the com
| petiOn Of tie COuIt-IOuse.
Tic Courthouse Commissioners Wylls Bactstone,
builder; p Cumming, contractor; Thomas B. Tap
pen President Of tine Harlem savings Bank, ana Smith
! f. Shaw produce merchant. The improvements, 1t is
understood are to be completed BY December and the
present cor-rOoms and offices will not be disturbed
Il is proposed to rotunda with semicircuar
iron skylight. The walls OF the rOunda VIII DC HshSd
with Stone columns and pilaatcrs and ornamental brick
WORK between The pedimenJ on the large Columns on
the Cham Ders-st entrance VIII be completed IN few
| weeks. The new south wing VIII be oO&J3 Feet
and 10 70 the hight Of the present binding IL Is
10 he built Of Wtstchesfer marble and 10 Dc similar III
style OF Architecture the main building lie entfe
cost Of tie work Will be about $4,000. Contracts To
the amount S3-i,47S have been made as follows: j.
a W c. Spear work. 81, ISL; Sinclair X Milne
stone WORK $500 63i HeGveiuan Haven * Co., iron
! work slgsiO; JOHN Kerby, carpenter work Sl19U6
These con rcts do include ventilation and otncr eN
pcnses which II is estimated Will cost nearly S4oOoO
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