Morning journal and courier., 1886-09-21
FOR A FREE LIBRARY.

N ', At a Special Meeting of the Board ot 1 Aldermen Held Last Evening They | Vote to Accept the Proposed Contract Mems Institute.
 | At special meeting of the Board of Al dermeh held last evening to discuss the free library question Mayor Holcomb presided l The following orders were passed Appoint l ing Sherwood O. Preston special constable | petition of J. Burton Hine for changing the width of Burtonia Place to thirty five feet l for gas lamp on Rosette street; for change of naphtha to gas lamps on Davenport avenue l for naphtha lamps on North Bank and Foster | streets; naphtha lamps on Anderson street. Petitions referred: Of Peter McQuaid and | others for brick walk on east side of Orchard street between Gilbert avenue and Oak street; Stoddard, Kimberly & Go. for straightening of west side of State street; Hilton E. Doolittle for repairing the bridge on the corner of Grove and Orange streets; H. H. Blake for sidewalk on Cedar Hill avenue; H. H. Blake for sidewalk on Meay street; J. M. Lee and others for layout of proposed park in western part of the city.
 The following petition of J. M. Lee and others then came up:
 To the honorable Court of Common Council of the The undersigned petitioners, residents and prop erty owners in the western part of the city, re- spectfully represent that the public necessity and abolished, as recommended by your special com mittee on parks. in the western part of the city between Norton and Mott streets. and
 They therefore ore EespeetfulIy ask your honora ble survey and layout of said proposed park between same at early day. And as in duty bound they will ever prey, &c.
 J. M Lee, Frank S. Platt, G. stoddard, char:es Sheldon hn'eSK Niles %sPref Sebasd ghfeS Lyon. Horace P. Hoadiey.1 F. s. Andrew, Brd5 HefB' 1ess Fh9@Pson. Acxermans J. L. Joyce. Fred M. Ryder, L. Need. L. \. WeIch, William Brogan, George A. Hubbard, John E. Earle S. c. Johnson, Miles Bristol, F. R. Bliss C. " Kelly Kelly, H B B5ge,Gw. W~ Mo. IM.oulthrop, Joel sperry Frederick B. Mallory, s. B. oviatt, N. N: Smith, W. N. Merwin, John R. Futile, Dennis
 This petition after some little discus sion was referred back to the committee on this matter for reconsideration.
 The letter signed by D. W. Lewis in which he found fault with the city's way of doing business, and which came up before the Board of Public Works at their last meeting and was referred to the Court of Common Council, next came up, but before the clerk had finished reading it Alderman Daley moved it be referred back to that Board and it ordered.
 All the business then being out of the way the public library matter came up and the discussion of the proposed contract be- tween the Institute and the city was opened by Alderman Daley, who saidi This matter is not simple one and it ought to be treated carefully and candidly, remembering that we are acting as agents for the citizens of New Haven, and they should see by our votes that we do nothing of which at some later date the citizens may repent. I think myself that this contract should not be made and I myself am opposed to it and shall vote against it. In the first article it says: 1.-The Institute will turn over to the of said library and reading rooms all it's books pamphlets belonging to the Institute or hereafter acquired by it during the continuance of this contract, except from time to time deem reasonable to expend for litigation to establish or defend the rights of the directors and for advertising.''
 Now these directors may be perfectly honest men, but still as the agent of the city I should not put such power in their hands, Now take section second, which reads:
 9 This shall include the use of such rooms as the tune to time under the provisions of their trust.
 Now, they might give us two rooms and they might give us the whole building, but still don't think the city would get fair equivalent. Again, section three, which reads
 All the property of the Institute; now or here; have been by the grantor or donor made subject to any conditions restrictions, shall be held, used and managed in accordance with such condi- tions and restrictions.
 I don't see why the trust cannot be put in the Mayor and the Court of Common Coun- cil. think this contract not a fair one for the city, and I as 8 business man and an agent for the city would rather take the $6, 900 year mentioned in the contract and start library than put it where in year or two you may not have anything to show for it.
 Alderman States-The Alderman from the Tenth has said something about possible litigation. Now don't think the directors ever thought anything about any litigation except where legacies might be left them, and this clause in the article IS only there so as to give the Institute money and power to probate such wills. There are at present nearly 600 persons who are partaking of the benefits held forth by the Young Mems Institute. The idea seems to have got out that the Institute in some way is going to swindle the city out of $6,000 a year, and now would ask what is the Institute: It is the citizens of New Haven; and they will not be liable to swindle themselves. This library committee have worked hard for two years nearly to bring this matter to some point, and they obtained from the legisla- ture the power to complete this contract, or to appropriate $150, ,000 for this purpose and buy property and start a free library, but this latter was opposed, and no contract or anything else for 8 free library will ever come up but what it will be opposed by some one. do not believe that such men as Harmanus M. Welch, Ruel P. Cowles and John E. Earle will ever try to swindls the citizens of New Haven. You will never have 8 better time than to night to start public library, and I believe if this contract is passed there will in time be 6 public library of which all the citizens oi New Haven will be proud.
 Alderman Whitmore didn't quite under stand the exact meaning of some of the sec tions and so the Board went into an informal session and Judge Pardee explained each clause at length.
 Alderman States then moved that they vote to accept the contract.
 Alderman Graves-I move it be in formal ballot and taken by aye and nay This motion was seconded and vote was taken with the following result:
 In favor, Aldermen Dickerman, Kenney States, Wines, Bradley, Sheridan, Graves ingway and Connors; opposed, Martin, Daley and Fisher.
 Alderman Dickerman then moved that the vote be made formal and it was so done.
 Alderman States moved that the commit tee be ordered to sign the contract for the city, which motion was passed and the meet