Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-02-05

postponed tho confederation Of both this
Ard The Eleventh street bridge bill for
w2ek, in order to give the fristds and
opponents Of the measure a full hearint.
On the evening Of March 18th this hear
ing took place; William @. whitley, Rsq,
and Samuel Townsend addressing the lseis
latOrs in opposition to the bill, and FL
saulrbury, Bsq and Thomas NJ ogle In
favor Of It. The result was that on the
following Thursday the Senate defeated
both bulls. On Friday, however, this
adverse vote was recon sidsred aud, cn Ii Q
following Tuesday, "Mr jackson got the
bill authorizing the oonsu uclion Of the
bridge over the Christina .ferrsd to the
committee on corporations, with the hope
Of getting II in such a shape aa will
render II upobj eotionAbls and secure iis
passage. The bill authorizing the levy
court to build q bridge over the Brandy
vine creek was, by the agency Of the
same gentleman, referred to a speois,
committee with similar obi cot in view
The promoters Of these bills had now
been given to understand, beyond the
possibility OF mistake, that the bridges
ware not wanted at that time by the
people; that whatever hope Of public
support they might have at fist enter
tanned must now be abandoned and that
they would only get the bridges by
building them themselves. The LeRis.
lature was about to adjourn; there was
no time to be Lost. They sasented to the
conditions demanded and the bills, in
their final shape, got through the next
day, Wednesday, and the Legislature
adjourned on the Friday following.
We have thus traced this measure
through the Legislature Of 1857 in order
10 show, independently of the levy court
record and the other evidence which had
previously been introduced, that the
authority to build this bridge was only
secured after the parties specially inter
ested had practically agreed to build 1t
themselves, and that there could have
been no understanding Of any kind that
the money they contributed was ever to
be refunded II there had been the
bridge would not have besn built. The
bills that originally passed the House
provided that one half Of the cost OF this
and the Eleventh street bridge should be
raised by private subscription. We have
seen that the people did not want either
Of these bridges, even on these terms,
in the adverse action Of the
Senate, and that the friends Of the
measures had in the end to agree to
shoulder the whole burden or to let the
scheme iall through altogether. To SHOW
that the nature Of the act finally passed
was fully understood at the time we
qnote from an editorial in the Dslaoare
Gazette OF March 18th, 1857
The amendment to the bills for bridging
the ChristiRna and Brandywine were similar
i'll all respects, and the whole money neces-
sary for these works must be subscribed by
private parties before either Of them can be
built.
And, on May 2osh, We find the levy
emit taxing sieps to learn whether,
auss, ihs lay, \ had the right to saddle
a17 par. shaaaYeF OF The coss Of THU
ride -pgz ~ e.ur.y, as iollovs
Ess.sz1sga ossrsd AID unanimously
sf.a1 t.Ea tie raAa q the bridge shall be
s--l 1. u ~ c-s5 =. 1ksEst sRsEt, with 8
-saz e = .sssl Iii y k3d.ilcoEl row Of pill
I-s t.. II s1rls.fi rSLLss CONTRADICTIONS
SEAL II sLC-zE1 - wAEEAST TEE CON-
s1ErcT1oy " alTTEz c-Ass or EEIDgE Oh
HE LEVI cou=z SELL x sATlsFIED. TEEgrGH
IHK LEoAL ofESI5S " Jzs COUNSEL THAT
THLY CAS- AFPzoHsi4TE 4 Ezi0y or TEE
ASeuSE sEoEssAkT FOB a FrEsE Class BsTDGE.
i ever Any 1Aius Wss sasazsiibie VI
irT-fsagab!s proof shat It =as entered
inc a. purely private speculs,ion, the
| COST q vhieh was c9unted ard fairly
agreed TO beforehand, we think the
Tdifd street bridge bill is that measure.
And a!ser reading Senator Cooper's
exhibit OF the prc6ss OF the real estate
! oRnafs on he South Ssds, DERIVED from
the appreciation in the vslus of tbei,
! land consequent upon the construction Of
this bridge, We fancy no one will diapute
ex ssEat B.tts' asss1tian that SIT wee
the emsrtest thing these mon ever did in
their lives.n