New-York tribune., 1886-01-29
OPPOSING HARLEM BRIDGE.
SEEKING TO REPEAL LAST YEARS LAW.
WILL GOVERNOR HILL SIGN A BILL TO SAVE
NEARLY THREE MILLIONS TO THE CITY,

realine thelaw OF $50 which requires the authorities
Of NewYork TO construct bridge across tue harIen
River 500 feet north OF the High Bridge. Mr Ham'-
ton presented his bill to Assembly. Although 1t aims
to protect the treasury of New-Iork from loss Vi
% $50 900 few here believe that Governor HUI VIII aP
proyc IT, II he signs the repeal bill ne will he coGpeeu
to break with the leaders Of rdmmany Han "lo lh"uceu
him to sign tho law forcing the city to make the eN
pendlture Senator PlunAitt, OF those leaders, III
troluced the bill year ago, making IL
mandatory upon the city authorities to expend
the money he knew that Mr.. I'm deared tho support
m his candidacy for Governor Of tho Tanmany deleSa-
ton i'm tha Democratic Stato Conyention-"hlch was
given him four months later. when the bill hai Decomo
a law through Mr. H:lrs sicnatnre.
There was, it said. second iorcc at WORK WIN W.,
Iulin favor OF tho bill. that Of Samuel J' IIden MI
Ic's influence in favor of the bill was declared 10
have been obtained by Anirew H. Green manager oi
the great ogden estate which lies undoveiopcd near inc
proposed bridge the north side OF the liarom 'oi
Mr. lIamiton's bin IS given below: ,,..
Section l. Chapter 437 OF the laws of 1850 Is heieOy
tcoton .. The Controller Of the City Of N9w-lorG
shan adjust and pay all expenses incurred nnucr so
act hereby repeated an balance OF approfmatIoMns m M
made pursuant to sad act sh'! be iT's,eii'T ~ mai
and TO the general fund Of tho city ana
applied 10 the reduction OF tAXiLion' .,,,.o,.
section 3. This act slaiI take en- 'eJ ihIl'''''
Senator Puukt no sooner read the articles III TIE
TRIBUNE calling attention 10 the costly enterprise th@n
he began to work among the Ncw-York members 10 pre-
vent any repeal bill being passed lie expects 10 I9
all the Tamnany Hall against the repeal bill "hch
was plesc ntcd to-day. The County Democracy AsS'm
bymen have o love for either runktt or for Iam'ny
Han and are therefor inclined to favor the repeal
LII Hamilton believes that The Republican Assem-
blymcn from New-YOrk will vote for his bill Itere cHh
be no douoJ about the bin passing the Assembly III 'I'
may be possible Tor Senator Punkit to defeat
the measure but even in the Senate the Eepu3eh! M
iority is SO largo that his not possible iAs
Eepub!ican Senator'S Sloan Pitts, Hondrlcks, FaS'o''
Ksapp Will be favorable to the bill. Th9 opposition
must come from tho Democratic minority one OF tH"'
minority Senator Dunham OF New-Iork, Sald to'hSht'
,T think I shall vote for the repeal bill. Ccrtan'y
,o-o 20 demand for bridge in tat spdr'ey settled
region of the city above the High Bridge II VIII, Iu
hiring any return to the city Tor many years II We
are eeIninrd to cxpemd m3uey should expen4 1t -
constructiug new docks new municipal buHlhsa.
The docks bring a return OF ten per cent on tIe IN
1es;Incnt There maud for more 3r or 'Te,% Ten
We can let all that we can .! pui., ,, 49,
think OF the extravaganza OF leasing buGlhss anu "
for the accommodation OF Tie inunc'Iu &
What folly 20 spend S3otOoOO on a. OLuSr G ~ ~ tHcr
needed when money is 80 lmpeiaiiNeY require" III O''
/ directions"
senator Traphagon showed plainly that ho would be
opposed 10 a repeal bill. lie said
.'Tbe bridge may cost too much. do not kno" Any
thing aout that, but II IL badly needed AT me pon'
yhere il is TO he built The bridge Is necessarily cost
| should thnk. because an enormous span Is lcIu,i
over e IInr.eln RIVER The n-neers VINO have paAhc
the Harlem, River Improvements nave madg oa ndot
channel for the river that place Hence " - cc
sary To- give wide span for the bridge The McConb
Dam Br5ge does not acconMOddte inc pHoIic al" w
THE CONTRACT SIGNED AND DELIVERED
| REFUSAL OF THE COMMISSIONERS TO MAKE ANY
EXPLANATION.
The Commissioners of the Harlem kiVer
bridge Jacob Lori!Iard Vernon II. Brown and David
James King met yesterday in their Offices IN the ne"
Cotton Exchauge building and signed sealed, ana dc
hyered the contract ot the construction OF tho bridge
The Commission apartments are worthy OF an enter
prise ON which 1t is proposed TO eNpcnd nearly thfce
millions OF public funds They consist ot ret Oi largo
Offices finely fitted up. An elegant pen picture
OF the bridge as 1t be when completed adorns the
wall OF "A room marked "pryate' in which the con-
uissoners ho their secret sessions II Is fine picture
OF stately bridge. Tho CLASSY Harlem flows dcDe!-
atey by its costly abutments on one side are tho large
Estates the biggest Of which Is controlled by Anule" H.
Green who enjoys the distinction OF originating te
scheme by which the value OF these estates Is to be IN
creased by bridge at the cost oi the taxpAyers'
pcture OF the bridge would be incomplete without q
| picture OF the estates.
THE TRIBNEs reporter in his card to the secre
tary OF the Conmssion Mr. Nven but was told That he
was engaged ard could not until the meeting
was over After the reporter had waited nearly three
hours tie secretary Of tho room marked pr-
yate and in answer question said tina: he had Doen
instructed by the commissioners TO answeru0 questions
They preferred to do their talking lie regre't'
therefore that he unable to give Information to the
press While he explaining that tho commi
ont The reporter about to ask him II tho contract
had been signed and had began the question In per
feotly respectful tone and manner
OWN yoa tell Inc for THE TRIBUNE, II you please MI
| Lorillarl-'
"No will not" Interrupted the commissioner. In his
| crutfest tone, he walked rapidly OIL
| The reporter waited few moments longer ana inc
other comis oners appeared. They said that the con
tract had been signed, sealed and delivered They de
cned to say whether not 1t had been altered IN SUD
stance or to answer any other question: The members
of this commission evi1ently new to puOc posi-
ton II was learned from other sources thoI they had
discussed making public statement OF thelr
| course, and their reasons for drawing up tAl'
sort Of contract, but the matter had gone
over At their meeting nothing was said OF Robert Ray
Haniltons bill repeating the Pnnkitt act ana drawlhg
the affairs OF commission TO close ana IL IL De
Ueved that they did not know that II had been offered
In case Mr. HamtOns measure passes, the legal qneo
on as TO the rIg the contractors 10 enforce thcI
contract will DO raised There Is reason TO suspect thai
the Commissioners have loft "a oOp-hOe OF escape H. The
agreement they made yesterday, aud that prompt ac
tiop by the Legislature will YET afford relief to the tax
payers.
Thomas c. Clark of the Union Bridge Company, judg
ing from the articles Of incorporation of tho Crane
Central Transit Company" filed at Albany ON July 10
1854 was even then laying plans for crossing h
Harlem River on "a magnificent scale. Inc cOHPth)
was iucorporAted with the capital Of SjOOOODO Ih'
corp"raors were Thomas G. CLARK, Orlando W. Josyn
Thomas A. Vyse, James lIepenstal r, James H. Bcdeii
Charles NJ. Dodge, Walter X. n. hardingham hl'
Cuarlts - Marshall Tho company did not 20 INTO dc
tails In laying It's route but INDUCED In nagniceh
distances the following scheme or the he OF inc rOa
indicates Begins at the Brooklyn Bridge, west ehn
nortbery through the central portion OF the city 10 EC
Harlem River. thence northerly and easlcry 70 @ tn'
northern end OF NewYOrk City, thence norhcrly ant
westerly to the boundary line between the town OF y
| and Connecticut"
TURNING TO TIE PRESS FOR RELIEF.
To the EdttOr Of The Trtbnhe.
SIR: THE TRIBUNE deserves great crcdl
for It's timely exposure of the Harlem Bridge job
does that only hope Of escape from the opera
tons OF Il set OF vulturcs who continually preyin