The Portland daily press., 1878-10-08

BOARD OF MAYOR AND ALDERMEN.
communication was received from Francis
Fessenden, j. B. Brown, P. H. Brown, S. E.
Spring, a. n. Jose, Ell. 1. Libby and E. X.
Swan, asking that that portion of the Mayors
message in regard to the establishment of a
Board of Public Works be acted upon. The
communication was referred.
w, G, Raid was made special policeman
without pay.
The Committee on Drains and Sewers, to
whom was referred the petition of Maurice
Wheeler. that his sewer assessment be changed
from Washington to Monroe street, reported
recommending that the prayer of the petition
be granted.
A communication was received from @. p
Mattocks, asking that committee be appoint
ed to confer with the Oxford g. Cumberland
Canal Company relative to the settlement of
five suits now pending against the city. The
communication was referred.
The license of E. o. Bailey, q. W. Allen and
W. ID. Jones as auctioneers was renewed for
another year.
streets asked for further time to make their
report on various petitions now before them.
An order for the acceptance of sewer bull t
by c. G. Chapman on Neal street was preferred
to the Committee on Sewers for investigation.
Petitions Presented and Referred-Of T. G.
Hersey for the establishment of grade on
Fletcher and Orchard streets; of Aver, Hous-
ton & Co. for permission to erect WOO len
building under Clark street bridge to be used
as horse shed; of s.. 81. Colesworthy Jr., to
erect two-story wooden building on Franklin
street; of Andrew McClosky to erect two and
a half storied building on Anderson street; of
j. Clay for permission to erect wooden build
ing.
Orders PaSsed-That the assessments on
sewers built the past season be made, and that
the City Clerk give Eotce of such assessments,
returnable November 4th; that the Committee
on Streets, &C., be authorized to cause to be
laid 1000 square yards Of granite block pave
ment, more or less, in such streets as they may
consider necessary for the interest of the city;
that the same committee bs authorized to pur-
chase pair OF horses for the use of the street
department. at cost not to exceed $500; that
the Civil Engineer be authorized to report the
lines on Turner street; that W. III. Somers be
allowed to enter Monroe st. sewer; that assess
ments on the several new, viz: Brown, Fore,
Danforth. Merrill, Monroe, Monument, North,
Portland, West and York street sewers be
made 10 accord auce with the request of the
City Civil Engineer, aud that the City Clerk
81 J
able to the aldermen's room November 4th,
and certify to them.
The Mayor as chairman of the Committee on
Police read communication saying that after
an investigation into the detailing of one mem
Der of the police force for special duty as de-
tee i've, considering the limited amount of that
kind of work, it was decided inexpedIent to
continue such an officer. The following order
was then passed:
Ordered That the detail of one member of
the police force to special duty as detective be
discontinued. and the City Marshal is hereby
directed to cause this order to be carried in'o
effect.
The city treasurer was authorized to execute
deed to W. r. Hamilton for a lot of land on
Grant street.
The Mayer then read the following commun-
ication upon the improvement of our prone.
nades:
To the City Council:
beg leave to call your attention to the plans
which have been prepared for laying out our
two Promenades. They have been drawn BY
our City Civil Engineer, Mr.. Goodwin, with
care and under the best professional advice Oh
tainable. The principles on which they are
founded, and their leading features, however it
may be as to details, will commend themselves :,
think, to the favorable consideration of the
Council and of the citizens generally. They
man be found henceforth at the Mayors Office
for examination and suggestions.
If, after due consideration, the plans should
be adopted in their present shape, in order to
secure conformity and continuity 10 the work,
that the carrying out of the contemplated i'm
provements and the care of the Promenades
be entrusted to commissioners or trustees,
somewhat as is the case at present with Ever
green Cemetery.
From all the information that comes to me,
the suggested improvements to the Promenades
meets the cordial approval of all classes of our
citizens Nature having done so much in their
behalf, the estimated cost of mans work there
on is but moderate, and can be distributed over
q series of years.
One thing requires attention. The condition
of the Western Promenade is such that imme.
date expenditure is needed this fall to preserve
it from lasting injury, and in addition to and in
connection with this work of preservation, some
further limited expenditure ought to be made
upon 1t by way of preparation for the perman-
the land, providing fertilizers, attending to the
drainage and the like. BY savings made in
other directions, 1 think, we can spare thou
sand dollars from the contingent for these pur-
poses. therefore advise the passage of the &C.
companying order. M. M. BUTLER,
Mayor.
The following order was then presented and
passed:
Ordered-That there be and there is hereby
appropriated from the contingent fund the sum
of $1,000, to be expended under the direction of
the Mayor and the committee on cemeteries
and public grounds, by the City Civil Engineer
in the preservation of and work upon the Prom
enades, preparatory to the permanent improve
ments to be made thereon.
The following orders received passage:
Ordered-That the board will meet the Sc
lectmen of the town of Deering at the boundary
between the city OF Portland and said town Of
Deering on Deeriug's bridgs, on the 10Th inst,
at o'clock p. M, first giving them at least ten
days notice of the time and place of said meet
ing, for the purpose of perambulatiDg of the
boundary line between the city of Portland and
said town of Deering
Ordered-That an oil lamp be placed on the
corner OF Newbury street and schoolhouse lane.
The following report from the valuation CON-
mittee was read:
To the Hon. Mayor and City Council of Port
land, Me-:
Gentemen-In answer to your request of the
9TH inst, we respectfully beg leave to report.
We have examined nearly all the improved
property in the city excepting the wharves
probably complete our work in season for mex,
years taxes.
Yours most respectfully,
JOHN G. PROCTOR,
GEO. q. LTTTLEFIELD,
CHARLES H. FLING
Portland, Aug. 81. 1878.
The Mayor read the following message on the
above report:
To the City Council
herewith transmit a Communication from
the valuation committee in answer to the re-
quest of the council asking them to report tn
progress of their work, and when it would b
completed. The answer is not so definite 81
desirable, and seems to contemplate protracte(
contnuan CO of their labors. They have nov
been engaged in the valuation (limited to rea
estate alone) of city not larger in population
than one of the wards of Boston, full eieh
months at a cost to the city of twelve dollar
each day, thereby nearly exhausting already the
| appropriation for the object of $3.50.
| In view of the fact that the assessors are the
| only officers known to the law as charged with
| the duty of making such valuation under theil
official oaths. and that no other city or town il
| the State has any valuation committee apart
from the assessors, and that the values set upor
real estate by such committee are simply opin
| ions, which the assessors are in duty bound II
revise, accepting, rejecting or modifying then
| in whole or in part as may seem proper; in view
also of the unsettled values of all property il
these times of currency agitation, deem it m,
| duty to call your attention to the subject, AM
to the fact that we are spending large sum o