New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-06-02
OPPOSED TO REMOVING THE NAVY YARD

REPORT OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE OF THE CHAM
Der OF CONfNfERCE-THE GENEVA AWARD BILL
The last meeting of the Chamber OF Commerce
previous to the summer vacation was held yester-
day. The most important feature of the meeting
was tho report of the special committee appointed
to take into consideration the propos ed removal OF
the Brooklyn Navy Yard 1t was in part as iol-
lows
The first and most important question TO be deter
mined yonr take 10 be this Do the national
interests require admit of removal Of the Bro0Syn
Navy Yard 10 any other port No argument VIII De
required to prove thar the defence OF great harbor
a national of the first Importance IL VIII hot ne
disputed also that and orfcaons alone. even OF the
most approved KIND cannot be relied on for the defence
OF large barblr against the attack OF meet pi0Nue
with modern offensive armament The harbor OF New
York having two different approaches from the sea- II
attacked would have to be de ended by two cets anu
to be effective, both these fleets would require con
venien and welappOned base Of supplies, rom when
they could be cut of long az the harb0 To De d
Ncw-I ondou nor any port outside of the orca-
lions Of NewYork could be relied upon dor such p,sS
OF naval operations without winch any neet nochueu
port would soon be III danger OF becoming hepcSs
The port OF New-fork oilers me amplest snppE %
and of skilled labor OF material OF an xmas
offers the most direct and certain communication WIZ
the sources OF supply OF war material ID int
and an almost Unlimited humher Oh Ines anu @
fit in the torpedo service IN th+ nous Oh ioO1
Government and that Of public institutions and private
citizens from attacks OF al lnuatu mon were III
great part derived from the scanty supply OF arms ana
from the small body of marines avalaDle al tne navy
yard knowing mat our large cities never VIII be free
and That TINS thct appes WIN Pec',ta. f, w. &
cities adjacent 10 this port, your committee eeldOnpy
with the necessity OF maintaining mere AT al
times a wel-appOihted establishment OF TINS class.
Having reached this conclusion on the main point of
the question submitted, your committee now oeg 10
state their views the remaining point; DO the national
interests require or admit Of the removal 81 be BrooA
lyp Navy Yard other locality within the HaDor
Of Newly The Brooklyn Navy lard, including thc
ground occupied by the Naval Hospital comprises very
nearly $50 of land, which. after taking ont The
usual number OF streets would yl.d about 9,OuO cry
lots The ground is, large extent arncially made,
auda
for tue storage OF timber remains IN the Original con
dition OF SWAMP Inc "e 1t ar ~ a1oed
and of lutte or value Tor private Is oouDt
built at a of upward of two millions could ever be
made 10 pay for ts maintenance ~ palNaG 0"pcIsr
So 100000 could be derived from sale OF the properly
III Its present condition. eve1 II perfect le eOu DC
given TO purchasers On TINS important pont your com
have been unable TO obtain reliable nioIinauQh'
but it is not unlikely that some portion at ielst OF hG
property has been transferred 10 the GoNerheh' une
restrictions which would make 1t revert 10 the original
their heirs ii It's use for Navy 1aFd Is apan
dOned Your committee have the authority oi Ine pre-
ent Commander OF the Yard, Commodore Johh IL; Up
That ,o e1een4 1naIea Tor at apv Se%
site Your committee are Onvnced that suitable ste,
of deep water and "a weprOtccted anchorage, with the
requisite ana Otner qualifications coud not POSI-
bly, be secured by the Government at inst cost bti0W
the value which could be realized ron tIe BiOoAiyh
property. ,, ,,
with island before il, the BIooSyn lard mas larger
" ater 'front.' tnau uld De obtained from almost any
ar" ~, I,d and ~tter CertainIS no sUch convenient
ever be had any straight course OF
wafer 'front.'
The committee then presented the official commu-
MICA ions OF Commodore Upshur and Lieutenant
Commander Gorringe III support Of the views cX-
pressed III the report. Resolutions were adopted
That the removal OF the Navy Yard would be III
COMBAT bic W tn the national interests and neXpc-
dent Ii. a financial point of view that the improve
ment ol the naval establishments OF the country,
WI II the view OF httlLg them for the building,
maintenance and repair OF a modern armament,
must pfecede the actual RECONSTRUCTION OF our Navy;
ana further, that tins Chamber urge upon Congress
tie necessity OF an carly and liberal appropriation
vi the money required for the Inauguration oi such
improvements at the Navy Yard III Brooklyn"
James W. ElN ell, OF the Committee on Foreign
Commerce. reported that since the last meeting at
teniiOI had been gwen to bill introduced INTO
Congress by Senator HarTls, 10 prevent the nitro
ductlOn of contagious or infectious diseases INTO
the United States" He aided that the bill would
affect the commercial and shipping interests OF tins
state and city, and would entail new BURDENS upon
the commerce of the country. There were already
ample means To guard the health OF the cry and
State by quarantine regulations. Nil. Scbwab sand
thai the bill proposed TO establish quarantine es-
adjustments III every port, and that there was no
necessity lOr this vast amount OF machinery. Ii
WAS resolved that the bill ought not 10 become
law as ample and wise provisions were already III
force III this State and city to protect them from
Contagious or infectious diseases
Henry NJ Taber, Of the special committee APP
pointed 20 consider the proposition 10 facilitate the
transfer of real estate utes read "a report This
real property should be repeaed leaving subject
TO specific liens ony IN the case Of personal prop
erty that the legal distinctions be! ween real and
personal property 10 inheritance and distribution
should be abrOgatcu; that after certain dale the
validity of all titles TO be transferred should be do
termned by public officer qualified for that pur-
pose, and that certificate OF ownership should he
issued which should carry with 1t tho title to the
property and be negotiable by transfer the same
manner as stocks, bonds, or warehouse receipts
Resolutions were adopted approving the report and
requesting that the Legislature appoint "a commits
10 consider the subject.
A large proportion of the members present
marine underwriters, soIpe of whom had not at
tended 4 meeting before for three years. The rea-
son for their presence became apparent when Am
brOse Snow called attention 10 the bill which Is
before President Arthur dlsposng OF the Geneva
awacd, and asked the adoption of resolution urg-
ing its signature. The Insurance representatives
objected 10 such action, and thought that the
Chamber was interfering in matters of
no concern TO ii. The underwriters
accused of making every effort
against the Chamber taking action to its use TO
further personal ends One member charged tho
underwriters with resOrtng to a " trick !" ard upon
exception being taken 10 the language he described
IL " mode Tor defeating the object of the meet
ing" jackson >. Schultz said that IL was "A ones
ton with the insurance men SIDE ana every
BODY else on the other. and am on the otheID The
resolution Of Mr. snow was then adopted.
Robert Tannahill. Charles de COrdOva John c.
Graham Daniel A. Head, Robert Olyphant WilnaIu
| Russell and L. j. StTanahan elected meIu-
beers.