The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-08-13
1KmpoRAnILr suspEvDING woRK.
New York Obliged 60 Respond TO the Demand
OF the Bridge Trustees for Money

Early In the summer the trustees Of tho
Brooklyn Bridge Company made rcquisition
on the city of New York for 100000, to be cx-
pended in the construction OF the bridge. Tho
roQuIsitlon was made under the law OF 1875
making the bridge public work Of New York
and Brooklyn and providing that Brooklyn
should pay two-thrds and New York one-thrd
OF the cost Of its completion the total cost being
limited to ss.0000O0. William II. Webb. O. B.
Potter. and John H. Strahan urged the Board Of
Apporionmcnt not TO issue tho bonds for the
payment OF Che requisition. After an argument
for the Bridge Company by It's President Henry
c. Murphy, it was agreed that Mr. Srahan and
the counsel to tho company should send written
arguments to Corporation Counsel Whitney,
and that he should then decide whether the
bonrd OF AppOrtiunment could declin" tO honor
w rclnisition. The counsel Tor the oGc'iors
IN their argument shy that the law requiring
the two cities 10 pay Tor the work is a violation
81 The article OF the state Constitution that pro-
hhs any city from mourning my indebted
ness except for city purposes: that more than
SSuOO.OOO has already been expended on the
hridge and that it cannot be completed for
fore the passage Of tho act Of 1875.
The Corporation Counsel completed his
opinion yesterday. As an answer to tho OBJ
lcrtors.. arguments ho says that it has been tho
invariable custom 10 impose upon adjoining
towns ind counties the expense 81 the erection
OF bridges over division streams; that the llmi-
tation ~ TO the cNpcnd turc refrrs to tn" sum To
be expended after tho passage Of the act Of 1875.
and that no qualification Is attached TO the oh
legation ~ the two cities to mako tho required
payments except TINT the whole amount 10 bo
paid by the two citirs shnll not exceed ss 900
OOO and that New York shall not be- called upon
to pay more than 81 100000 in any ono year.
The Corporation Counsel Is Of the opinion
that the trustees ~ the Bridge Company nlone
are to pnss on the question OF the cost Of the
structure. and thai the simple duty Of the
officers Oi the two cities is to see that not moro
than sS.O0u,0O0 Is paid from thcrtrrasurics Ito
decides that the Board Of Apportionmrnt IN
without jurisdiction in tho matter; that under
the law OF 1873. and the Common Councils ordi-
nance of May 3. 1876, authorizing tho Comp
troller to issue bonds To- the full amount Of
s2,666 G6 was prescribed by the law NJ 1870
the trustees right to receive the money called
for Is perfect: and that without further action
1t s the Comptrollcr's duty TO issue the bonds
and pay the money in such sums rs the trustees
may require.
Work on the approaches to the bridge has
been suspended, and moro than COO mon have
been discharged for the present owing TO tho
refusal OF Comptroller Kelley to respond 10 the
wcok from this city. There were 32j mon ON
ployed on the New York approach and 81 men
. ~ Brooklyn who are temporarily thrown out
Of employment but the understanding il that
as soon Ms the money is obtained they will all DO
recngagcd.
Tho work in tho main hns not been crippled
by the delay in responding TO the call for $780,
UpO. hut Two OF the most important contracts,
that Tor iron Tor the supcrstrururo and lumber
Tor the roadway have been withheld. owing To
the uncertainty OF receiving this sum. Tho la
hllitrs OF the bridge do not exceed SlSGilG7S
Tho 100 men who are employed IN cable making
are still retained.