The Portland daily press., 1886-03-30
CITY covERNME ENT.
Special Meeting of the Boards Last
Evening.
Petition of the Soldiers and Sailors
Monument Association.
Action In Relation to the Public Fer
ry Way.
The Reorganization of the Portland
& ogdensburg Railroad.
The Salary Bill Passed With Little
Discussion.

The Salary Bill Passed With Little
Discussion,
A special meeting of both branches of the
City Council was held last evening, and
considerable amount of business transacted.
In Board of Mayor and Aldermen.
The Board convened at the call of the
Mayor, at half-past seven o'clock; all the
members were present.
THE SOLDIERS AND SAILORS MONUMENT.
The following petition and the accompany
ing order were read by the Mayor:
TO the Honorable, the city Council Of the city
The undersigned. chairman of the Executive
Committee of the Portland Soldiers and Sailors
Monument Association, in behalf OF sald assocla-
tion, for the purpose duly authorized respeetIuiiy
petitions and thereupOn gives your honorable
body to be informed
pose 81 erecting suitable monument 70 tS ier pert
lani who served In the army and navy. OF the
United States during the war of the rebellion.
That the erection of monument proper ana
suitable for the purpose indicated, and which Will
compare fav0rably with the monuments erected
for this purpose by other cities and towns IN tne
United States, must necessarily involve tne eX
penditure OF a large sum Of money. That the
cost of suitable site for said monument added
10 the cOSI 0r construction, VIII DC StIlOuS
den upon the resources of the association; That
the lot In Market Square upon which the Old Clty
Hall stands, has been unanimously voted at the
last two annual meetings OF said association 10 De
the most desirable of any in the city as site Tor
said monument, and that at the recent munlclpal
election nearly ninety per cent OF the voters actu
ally voting for municlual officers Signifed their
desire that the City of Portland shou set apart
said lot for the purposes aforesaid,
therefore pray in my said capacity, that said
lot may be set apart by your honorable body for
the purposes stated, by allowing said association
to erect thereon within three years from the date
of the passage of said order by your honorable
body, monument to cost not less than $4,000
to be dedicated to the memory of the soldiers and
sailors Of Portland who served In the military or
naval forces Of the United States during the war
of the Rebellion.
l. AS in duty bound will ever pray,
JOHN MARSHALL BROWN,
Chairman Executive Committee Soldiers and Sail
OrS Monument Association.
Portland, March q, 1886.
Ordered That the Portland Soldiers and Sail
ors Monument Association be, and hereby are,
authorized and permitted to erect upon the lot
known as Market Square, in said Portland, a
monument to the memory of the soldiers and sail
ors of Portland who served in the military or ma
val forces of the United States during the war OF
the rebellion provided tnat sald monument ssi snaii
completed within three years from the date of no
tice to the said association, given by the city gov
ernment for the time being that such lot is ready
for occupancy.
The Mayor called attention to the fact that
the order did not seem to be sufficiently ex-
plicit in referring to the Market Square lot,
He said, with this single suggestion he would
await any motion.
Alderman Sawyer thought that any trans
fer of the land should be made with care,
and moved that the matter lie on the table
until the next regular meeting. The motion
prevailed.
Alderman Wilson said that the large vote
at the recent municipal election leftno doubt
that the site would be finally granted. He
urged the necessity of careful action.
Alderman Briggs said that under the
statutes it would be necessary for the city
first to condemn the lot as public park, and
then it could set the lot aside for the monu-
ment, the title remaining in the city.
THE FERRY LANDING.
The Mayor alluded to the action of the
former city government in directing the City
Solicitor to appear at the hearing before the
County Commissioners on the petition of A.
V. Cole and others for the laying out of a
ferry way into tide waters in the city OF
Portland, said way to be located at Portland
Pier. The matter goes before committee
of reference ON appeal from the County Com
missioners, and it would be necessary to de-
eide at this meeting if the city is to be rep
resented.
Alderman Briggs said that he would intro
duce the following:
CITY OF PORTLAND
IN BOARD OF MAYOR AND ALDERMEN
March 29th, 1886. J
Whereas, petition has been signed by promi-
nent business men and taxpayers of the city and
county, asking for the location of public high
way and landing on Portland Pier, suitable for
the accommodation of teams and foot passengers,
and a committee having been appointed by the
Supreme Judicial Courtt'O hear the parties there
fore ordered, that the City Solicitor be instructed
to appear at such hearing and take such action as
he may deem for the best interests of the city.
Alderman Wilson thought that by this plan
the city took no positive action leaving the
whole matter to the city solicitor.
Alderman Briggs replied that the question
government and the wishes of the city were
pretty well understood. In view of these
facts, Mr.. Briggs thought that the matter
could be properly left to the solicitor. He
read the petition praying for the laying out
of the landing presented to last years city
government, and signed by large number
of influential citizens of Portland. An order
was introduced into last years city govern
ment directing the city solicitor to oppose
the laying out of the landing. This order
was passed in the upper board, but failed of
a passage in the council. subsequently Mr..
Briggs believed an order like the one offered
by him was introduced and passed, and that
the city solicitor had gone to the hearing
with much the same power as granted to him
under this order. The committee of refer
eDce is composed of good men, and Mr.
Briggs was willing to entrust the matter to
the city solicitor.
Alderman Beale, who had seconded the
motion for the passage Of the order intro
duced by Alderman Briggs, said that in do
ing so, he had supposed be was supporting
measure instructing the city solicitor to op-
pose the laying out of the landing. He
found on the contrary from the remarks OF
the gentleman from Ward Seven, that the
intent of the order was directly opposite
what he had supposed 1t to mean. Mr. Beale
was opposed to any measure increasing the
taxation of the city and withdrew his second
The order directing the city solicitor to ap-
year at the previous hearing was read by the
city clerk, and it was found the solicitor was
directed to oppose the laying out of the way.
Alderman Briggs order not having re-
ceived second, the chair announced that
no business remained before the Board.
Alderman Wilson saw no reason for chang
ing the city's position in this matter, and
recommended the passage of an order siml-
lar to that of the last city government. Such
an order had been prepared and Alderman
Sawyer moved that the order be given pas
sage. The motion was seconded by Alder
man Wilson.
Alderman Marks having expressed a will
lingness to second Mr.. Briggs order, some
change having been made from the original
draft, that order was moved as substitute.
+ MI. Marks SAID tnat ne thought ferry land
ing was needed in the city. He thought the
city should own some public landing. AS it
was citizens had no legalrights on any of the
wharves and might be considered as tres
passers. He did not think the city was called
upon to pay $4,000 or $4,000.
The question being upon Mr.. Briggs order
as a substitute to the one already pending
action, it was voted to adopt.
Mr. Beale was opposed to placing the city
solicitor In the position proposed He was
willing to grant the right of way for a ferry
landing, but thought the ferry company
should pay for it. He didn't believe the order
would satisfy the city solicitor, and thought
that the city's position should be determined
there.
Alderman Wilson asked for the estimates
of the cost of the proposed landing, as pre-
pared by the city civil engineer, and the esti-
mates requiring total expenditure of $44,
1885 were read by the clerk. Mr.. Wilson
then said that this was the carefully prepared
estimate of one of the city's servants. 1t
would seem that the city would be unwar-
ranted in not opposing the granting of the
petition. Mr.. Wilson was in favor of land
ing, but not at Portland pier.
Alderman Briggs spoke at some, length
upon the question. He referred to the esti-
mates just read, and said that the city asses
sOrs estimated the value of the whole proper
ty at only $33, 900, placing the value OF that
owned hV the c0rpOretiOn at 800, 600. All that