Morning journal and courier., 1882-03-14
Board of Councilmen.

A Large Number of Petitions Referred in Concurrence-Report of Committees Ex-Mayor Lewis Portrait-Speech by Judge Munson-Other Matters of In- terest.
 A regular meeting of the Board of Coun- cilmen was held last evening, President Frank D. Welch in the chair.
 Petitions were read and referred as fol- lows: Of John Thompson ct al., for curb ing and grading walks around Munson Park; of J. N. Platt, for grade and curb on the north side of Norton street; of Henry 5. Hamilton, for pavement on the east side of Dixwell avenue; for pavement on the east side of Shelton avenue, between D1xWell ave nue aEd Hazel street for a pavement on Elliott street; of Marlin Firearms company, for the grading of Willow street; of D. H. Ferris, for appointment as special constable; of H. W. Ball, for appointment as special constable.
 Ordinance providing that the New Haven Heat Supply company shall pay fifty cents for opening streets was passed.
 Petition of the East Congregational church for the appointment of David B. Hosley special constable was read, and Mir. Hosley was elected in concurrence.
 Petition of M. J. McNIahon for the grading and curbing of Orange street between Hazel and Willow streets was referred.
 Remonstrance of Philando Armstrong ct als. against assewer in Davenport avenue was read and referred
 Petitions were read and referred as follows: Of P. Fresenius for pavement on Congress avenue; of Ann Lowe for damages to person; of F. Hogan for a curb on Greenwich avenue; of M. Eagan for q sidewalk on Fillmore street; of 4. B. Hendrix for sewer in Audu- bon street; of L. Candee $ Go. for a stone pavement from Tomlinson's bridge to Water street; of James McGowan for damages from injury to person; of William AlWyn for abate ment of lien; of Daniel J. Lucey for damages to person; of s. H. Barnes for sidewalk on Hill street, of William Cummings for appoint ment as bathhouse keeper; of Daniel H. Brown for appointment as bathhouse keeper; of Timothy Crowley for appointment as bath house keeper.
 Resolution providing that hereafter in the erection of all three story buildings the walls shall be twelve inches in thickness, and at four stories in height sixteen inches in thick ness, was referred
 resolution to the Legislature for reduc- tion of horse car fares to five cents, passed
 Order for crosswalk across Market street was read and the Board voted to adhere to their former action, referring the matter to the Committee on Streets.
 Communication from Dexter R. Wright and others presenting the portrait of Hon. Henry G. Lewis, eX-Mayor, to the city, and providing that the same be placed in the Mayors office, was read
 Councilman l.. E. Munson spoke as follows Mir. President-I cordially endorse the res olution and concur in the action of the Board of Aldermen in reference to the matter now before the Council. I came from an adjoin- ing State to reside in New Haven more than quarter of a century ago. One of my ear Hest acquaintances and friends was Harry Lewis, as he was then familiarly called. We were members together of the New Haven Grays; we were members of the same politi- cal party we met in party caucus, in social gatherings, in business matters; and it is my privilege here to state that no truer heart ever beat for the welfare of a friend or for the prosperity of this city than that of Henry G. Lewis.
 I speak, Mir. President, from personal rec ollections and observation. As clerk of our Superior Court, which office he held for a number of years, he brought order out of confusion, inaugurated our docket system, and other features of our profession, which have since been adopted throughout the State with no improvements since they left his hands.
 As chairman of the Whig State Central committee he brought to that office great ex- ecutive ability and rare accomplishments, and the result of the ballot in @ hard fought con- test verified his predictions in the canvass with few extra votes to score on his side of the battle, and it is not too much to say that no abler chairman of the State Central con- mittee of any party ever filled that position in this State, and no one probably ever will.
 If he had remained attached to the political associations that merited his first love and warmest aspirations, believe that his DOT trait long years ago would have had 8 place among the honorable names of the Governors of the State upon the walls of the Capitol at Hartford.
 In the shifting scenes of party afiliation, he became attached to the Democratic party, and the city made him it's Mayor Without disparaging the claims to honorable distinc- tion of other persons who have filled that office, will say that no one ever filled it more ably and with truer interests and zeal for the city than ex-Mayor Lewis, whose monuments of executive ability and far reaching wisdom greet us on every hand. I believe that New Haven to-day is more in- debted to him than to any other person for enterprise and public forecast1 of great ben eicent results which proclaim us model city of the Union.
 Hillhouse, in his day, stood out preemi- nently as a great public benefactor, and he shall not be forgotten while these grand old elms shall live, and I hope the city will ct honor his memory l. some suitable memorial that shall keep his memory fresh and green in the hearts of this people, when these trees shall have decayed and crumbled back to na- tive dust.
 Skinner, the representative of the second epoch of our city's history, had his great merits Mayor, and his monuments are sacred to the living and the dead. I hope that his smooth face and benevolent coun- tenance shall yet be put upon canvas and hung upon the walls of the city he loved so well and honored so much.
 Mayor Lewis was the representative, I might say projector and embodiment, of the third great epoch of our city's prosperity. Scarcely any measure of great public utility in this city for more than quarter of cen tury past that does not bear the impress of his far sighted wisdom and genius of execu- tion. Our railroads and bridges, our stroets and sidewalks, our sewers and telegraphs, our water and gas, our police and fire depart ments, our manufacturing and commercial industries, hospitals and asylums, our public and private charities have all found in him liberal hand, cheerful patron, a safe adviser.
 Combining great executive ability with the