Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-08-22
OTHER OBJECTIONS TO THE BILL
EXTENDING THE CITY LIMITS.
A Great Public Necessity Overlooked
The Opening of Liberty Street 10
Bruton Hill

A Great Public Necessity Overlooked
The Opening of Liberty Street to
BrutOn Hill.
Editor Morning NelcS: Sometime since
in an article published in your paper
| stated that there were SeUerdt serious OBJ
iections to the bill now before the Legisla-
tsre for the extension of the city limits
one of the strongest objections ] declared
TO be the rant Of protection against making
ae,cIy incorporated lands liable for the
debts of the existing municipality-debts
which they had nothing to do with
creating, and from which they could de
rive no possible benefit.
Another serious and very grave objec-
ton / wish to point out Is this: that the
lands of DR.. Lawtou on the east Of the
city should be included IN the act OF IN
corporation just as we'll as mine on the
southeast and south; and are more nee
essarv to the commercial qrOlch ~ the
cftV than mine are. 1t is very we'll known
that the original bill of extension lnclud-
ed these lands. By whose direction, then,
were they left off. and the line so changed
as to take in all the rest OF us except IN
LQlctOR,
The public and the gentlemen concern
ed will please keep their tempers as well
as | shall in discussing this very remark
able elimination. since it becomes neces-
sary for the welfare Of Savannah that
matters gravely and vitality affecting heI
welfare should be discussed candldly and
dissected thoroughly. Two great wrongs
have been for years past perpetrated on
the city OF Savannah and her tax payers
bv parties owning lands adjacent to the
city.
The first is this: That when the dry cul-
ture contracts were made, and the people
or taxpayers paid for the reduction OF
adjacent rice lands to a state of dry Gull
ture. certain privileges OfOccaslOnal hood
ings were injected into these contracts
thereby defeating the very purpose Of the
pavments. and giving US for cur money
no real dry culture ut all.
The second was this: That the NUM-
cipal authorities appear to have had SO
much individual business to attend TO that
they could not give intelligent and practi-
cal study to the public works created un-
der their own auspices.
Let us take the BilbO canal as specl-
men. An intelligent course OF action
would have been to take not only land
enough to use for the canal, but enough
more on either side of the canal TO con-
struct catch basins, so tnat IN cases ol
overflow the crops would not have proved
more profitable IN damage suits against
tie citiI than when left to the contingent
cies of nature-the catch-basins serving
as reservoirs for the overflow IN the event
Of great storms.
Now. sir, ! think the tax payers OF Sa-
vannah would like to remedy these two
evils. and the remedy is very plain one,
VIZ: Extend the limits over these lands
and yet them under municipal control.
Other sequences will come OF themselves.
/ am satisfactorily informed that Presi-
dent street was dedicated to public use
through what is now called the Lamar
lands Why is it not opened: l know
that Gwinnett street was an original
roadway six to eight miles long. and eX-
tending several miles east and west OF the
city. that it is a state bigbrdg, and yetthe
city some wears ago bought from land
owners this highway, already belonging
TO the public, and paid private parties Tor
it. Why is this highway not opened as
far east and west as the States title eX-
tends:
know that the Waters road extends
across the fenced lands Of Lamar, Law
ton and others to the savannah rlVer-dU
lrifhfn the present municipal limits. and
within the province OF the Mayor ana
Aldermen to force open and make prac-
teal and convenient highway from the
toll gate TO River street.-the state title
I never suffering forfeiture. ny hOu L
they open it: What right have they to
let it remain closed:
Now. for Liberty street: This most i'm
portant avenue should be opened from
Wheaton street to BrutOn Hill. As a
natural consequence the Liberty street
railroad would follow, and whilst wood
yards and lumber yards would line its
sides, and cross streets would succeed
from the river to the highlands, the har-
vest of profit on the highlands for tuttd-
ing lots would pour more gold into the
pockets of the owners than do now the
rice crops cleaned from the lowlands
alone.
1t has been matter Of surprise to me
that the gentlemen owning these lands
have never realized that crops OF houses
paid better than crops Of grain.
There is one point more which l wish to
note. 1t has been objected by some that
the incorporation of lands on the south
east and south would greatly increase the
negro vote. No such objection presents
itself concerning the Lawton lands. and
if it did, | have no objection in stating my
own views on the subject. The rtgbt to
rOtc should be confined 10 the residents o.
/ the tardbIe limits Of the city. More anon.
Respectfully yours,
EATTT