The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-07-20
The Alleged Violation of Contract by
MesSrs. Decker and Quintard.
OFFICIAL INVESTIGATION.



past three weeks examining the accounts and hnan-
cal disbursements of the department while Mr..
John L. MCGOWAN, a lawyer has been at work look
ing into the Riverside avenue contract. Tho latter
has placed the result OF his abors in the hands OF
| the Mayor and it is expected that His Honor will
take official action to result in charges before the
| Governor in a few days The history of the River
side contract though frequently referred to,
has never been presented in official form. In view
OF the sensation which charges against the Commits
sioners will create the following leading points IN
the official "bi of particulars will be of interest.
In 1866 the Legislature passed an act entitled can
act to enable the Commissioners of the Central Park
! to make further improvements in the city Of New
| York." by which the Commissioners were
thorized to cause survey to be made Of that part
of the city bounded northerly by 155th street. east
ery by the westerly line Of Eighth avenue north Of
Eighty-seccnd street. and by the westerly line of
Ninth avenue south of Eighty-second street,
southerly by the southerly line OF Seventy
street east of Tenth avenue, and by the southerly
line of Sixtyseventh street west Of the Tenth
nue. and westerly by the Hudson River, aud to pre-
pare maps. plans and proiles embracing aud show
ing sucn changes the width. direction aud grades
OF the Streets avenues and roads in their
opinion could be made with benefit to the
property affected and to the public interests.
The act required the Commissioners of the
Central Park report to the Legislature from time
time the maps. plans and proies prepared by them.
The Commissioners after the passage of the law Of
1866. made their report. which will be found in the
eleventh annual report of the Commissioners. The
Riverside Park and avenue drive is described in
the report which was the basis for chapter GOT Of
the Laws of 1867 entitled An act to alter the map
plan of portions of the city of New York. and
for the laying and improvement of the same. and
which gave to the Commissioners exclusive power to
lay out the region in which the Riverside Park and
| avenue were included. The map of the park and
avenue which prepared by the Com
missoners was adopted and filed in 1868.
The law Of 1867 authorized the Park Commissioners
to acquire title to the land embraced within the
Of the avenue and Park. Proceedings for that pur-
pose were instituted. and they were confirmed by
the Supreme Court in 1872. whereupon the title be-
came vested in the city. The was laid out
100 feet wide, between parallel lines at high eeva-
| ton. In 1873 a Typographical map had been pre-
| pared, and Mr. Frederick Law Omsted the land
scape architect. made areport to the Commissioners
showing the manner in which the improvement
| should be made.
The Park Commissioners determined that the
plans both park and avenue should, IL possible.
be prepared without regard to the then existing line
| of division between them To meet their views
chapter $50 of the Laws of 1873, entitled can in
relation the powers and duties Of the Department
of Public Parks of the city OF New York" was
passed by the Legislature Section of that act pro-
vides that
Tho laid out the made under chapter 697
max Ha widened and in width by erin and
ehaurinr the westerly line thereof the grades thereof
may altered changed and reestabshed by the Depart
OF Public Parks with the OF the Depart
ment OF Public orks ana ana pronss there9t shall
| 1867, as aforesaid.
| Afurtherchange was deemed desraoie' ana chapter
447 Of the Laws OF 1876 entitled IAN Act in relation
90 Piverside avenue and Park in the CITY of Neu,
10 hivcrsiuo "'on"' "nu arr ~ .ne 'i' " No~
YORK. WAS passeo' oecsioh u 'na' ACT oeciares
/ that the whole Of the land embraced within the
| boundaries of Riverside avenue .to be one of the
-. - ~. - =,
parks anu pupnc piaces III inc city Oh new AorA,
and plac.u it under the control and management of
the department of Parks. Between 1873 and 1876 the
| topographcal surveys completed.
| WORKING ON THE NEW PLAN
After the passage of the act 1876 the work pro-
| ceeded upon the new plan which had been adopted
| by the Park Department. and which had been pre-
| pared by Mr.. Olmsted 1t the subject report
presented to the Board document No 7O) in which
| This statement is Contained
A,.,o,, stands ,hsr.fora thu Rvers,aa .orr,or, q,
now s,ad r d 'm nd @ IN
park trcatment The avenue level avenue within
parallel lines of width Of 100 feet bordering tho
and from y a: the ptth avenue i from the
Cenrai raak out .ne Mnoie o,oy 10 uea.su - PARK
MIN ,ne h''erS'e series u ueS anu pains "'d out
.s.. ,., - A..
| r'ans anu p = 1 . upoi mat repor'
anu uocuInen' were PreRatfeu anu apProveo anu es-
ua.ss WIZ ~, W. ns no,nbo is7r " Tn puoleiy
|
was 20 ~ a an1 IA george 30 W.
Qun'aIu AZ .ue es',s pais va eoioiol 20. iue
plans anu ~. WI NH ~, me eonuact wss
awaraeo snoweu very eapis'iy lna. the avenue was
70 NC nv. rs - e,,y %son"e.
put - P".A nc pan a. GU nc hes %
the urive' 'no VI .ie ''se anu Tue ParA
nterspaoes ou ~, e.a, . , sn ponss Va connoc
Ton oe'ween 'iio a.u ING ai inere
were various plo.s.s ~ .e , .nas
poh'eu 70 'e 80 tS . WI Psrh worh
sucl % 'ie P.o . , , ~, W SCI, W.. Pa .se'
pS ris;, AZ rss,,.cs 70 H. dis.r.,;n 49,.
tue ensin1ef W give "'ie"e =" i's"'u W "o'"iis
Vi , .no VIZ. H ,,..,. 500. .x..,.a go A.. o.. ,s
ne eor ,ura w vas s s,t ~. ne oi.' aay =.
Oc.oDo., "a i1 10 ~ n.nn.o 80 prs t aS..Go'
sppo .i ~ W. . III ,i,a al, ~ @ -.
t tsiu Wy ~ ,,a,..;.;as tharoor IA 81, ,a,,
xge WIN, '.o Y."n . @ .,.ia I sias,
wnen ING o; .,, En,,uaar -, a., 70 n ,.i
was .ne n" PSI NJ i - si ~, " wv
men.. ne au ing v1u - =, h NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. rn ~ to
,.,I rabruar ~ Is7s ,vba 10 , ing