The Portland daily press., 1877-02-22
CITY AT FAIRS.
special Meeting of the City Council.

special Meeting of the City Council.
A special meeting of both boards of the City
| Government was held last evening and the fol
lowing business was transacted:
| BOARD OF MAYOR AND ALDERMEN.
| The joint standing committee Oh laying out
new streets reported favoring the discontinue
ance of so much of Island Avenue as crosses
the land of j. W. Brackett. The report was
accepted and the order was passed for discon-
tnuance.
| The Mayor then stated that the Board were
| called together to listen to proposition from
Mr.. d. N. Stanton of New York, for the pur.
chase of the city's interest in the Ogdensburg
| railroad. 1t was proposed that the Board join
| the Common Council in joint convention to
hear the proposition. The two Boards went
| into
JOINT CONVENTION.
| Mayor Fessenden addressed the Council and
read the section from the Commissioners re-
port where they advise the city to sell their
share in the Ogdensbuog railroad. He then
said that he thought that perhaps it would be
for the interest of the city to sell their interest
knew large number of influential citizens who
thought it would be we'll for the city to SELL
On the other hand a number of well informed
gentlemen oppose the sale, hoping that some-
thing favorable to the city would turn up. The
Mayor continued to state that as soon as the
Commissioners published their report recon-
mending sale he talked with some gentlemen
on the matter and was Informed that some
parties in New York wished to be informed
when the city was ready to sell. These parties
were communicated with and one has made
proposition. The Mayor then read the propo-
stion, which is as follows: Mr.. Stanton will
pay $4,000 for the city's interest in the road
including stock, bonds and all. Of this sum
$4,000 will be paid down, one-thiId of the bal
ance within three years, the second payment
within two years after the first and the balance
within eighteen months from the second paw
ment. The purchasers also agree to put the
road in good repair and to pay the employees up
to the date of purch ase.
Mr.. Stanton asked an immediate reply to his
proposition. He stated that he considered it
proper that the employees should be paid up at
once, and if he purchased he should settle their
account at once.
The first matter was to see if the city would
sell and the second at what price. A discus-
sion followed, in which Alderman Taylor ask
ed Alderman Waterhouse, the newly elected
director of the Ogdensburg, what the views of
the directors were on this subject. Mr.. Water
house was unable to state
The Mayor was of the opinion that the road
should not go into the hands of strangers and
be sold out to Vermont parties and the city
lose all control and benefit from it. 1t had
been suggested to him that company ofiPort-
land capitalists would like to purchase it. He
thought Portland parties should have the pref
erence. In regard to selling it out to parties
not interested in Portland, Mr.. Stanton stated
to the Mayor that he would not bny it unless
he could make through connection from Port.
land to the West
Alderman Fox asked who Mr.. Stanton was,
to which the Mayor replied that he was rail-
road contractor of New York, Of very large
experience and means. He made bid for the
contract to build the road but did not get the
award.
The Mayor further stated that some of the
original creditors of the road oppose the sale.
For one he cited Mr.. G. Z. B. jackson of the
Rolling Mills.
Councilman Andrews asked if the other par
ties to the ownership of the road were willing
to sell at the rates proposed by Mr.. Stanton.
No one was authorized to say whether they
were or not. Il was stated that the purch asers
would be obliged to pay interest on the whole
amount until the first payment was made. Ii
was thought that if good security was obtained
the amount of the firstspayment was not i'm
portaut.
Alderman Fox thought that before any &C.
ton was taken the citizens should have an OPP
portunity to make an offer.
On motion of Alderman Waterhouse a COM
mittee was appointed to consider this matter
and report The Mayor appointed Aldermen
Waterhouse and Perry and Councimen Cous-
ms, Little, Andrews, Somerby and Nash. The
Mayor and President Small of the Council were
added.
The Mayor referred TO the death of Rear
Admiral Alden in few feeling remarks, and
asked what action the City Council would take
to show its respect to the departed.
On motion of Alderman Fox committee
consisting of Aldermen, Fox, Perry and Lit
tlefeld, and Councilmen Walker, Andrews,
Sargent, Knowlton and Brown was appointed
to make the necessary arrangements to attend
the funeral.
The election of constables was referred to the
next City Council.
This concluding the business of the conven-
ton it was dissolved.
BOARD OF MAYOR AND ALDERMEN
reassembled and the order for the abatement of
taxes on the Catholic residences on Congress
street, which passed the Council at former
meeting, came up Alderman Cushman fav-
ored it and spoke in his vigorous style for it.
Alderman Perry opposed it strongly and
sharp discussion followed. Alderman Fox
wanted it referred to the City Solicitor to see if
they had right to exempt the property. He
(Fox) did not think they bad. He offered it as
an amendment to the motion of Alderman
Cushman to give the order a passage. The
amendment was lost by vote of 3 to 4.
Alderman Perry then offered as an amend
ment that the residences of every clergyman in
the city be exempted. LOST to 8.
Alderman Cushman, seeing that he could
not get the property of Bishop Healy exempt
ed, moved an amendment to strike out that
word and simply abate the tax. This amend
ment was passed by the following vote:
Yeas-Greeley, Taylor, Cushman, Fox and
Waterhouse-5.
Nays-Perry and Littefeld-2
The original order was then passed by the
following vote and the tax for this year is
abated:
Yeas-Greeley, Littlefeld, Taylor and Cush-
man..
Nays-Perry, Fox and Warehouses;.
COMMON COUNCIL.
No business was transacted in this board.
EXPENSIVE PRovIsIONING.-At the meeting
Of the stockholders of the Portland, Bangor &
Machias Steamboat Company, it was stat