New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-04-20


The recent act of Governor Albeit in signing the
legislative bill authorizing the construction OF Guy
Han in Jersey City, recalls the peculiar history and the
long struggle Of the effort to accomplish TINS ooeo'
That a new City Hall is a necessity 10 the CITY Is ap
parent to every citizen, for the present ono Is w
cdeSly Inadequate for the transaction OF mumClPai
business. This fact was discerned as fsr oacA as
1894 when the attention Of the Legislature was cseu
10 a. ana bill was passed that PROVIDED lor Uie
building OF a City Hall and an ArmoTy al an expense
not TO exceed 100000 This act gave tiie 'ias
power to appoint three commissioners whoSe appoiV
rnent must be concurfed in By the 'oaro OF A1ueio
Gnbe Collins was elected Mayor the spring OF that
year nv the Republicans and citizens movement
Mayor Collins became reform Mayor at once TIC
was content 10 use his law Office for the Mayors ONCE
and when the ctys business required his attendance a'
the CITY Hall he found plenty Of room in the oice
Of the City Clerk Mayor Collins found his prhcpai
hnsiness at the City Hall consist OF signing warrants
His vetoes and other official documents were pIepareo
at his individual Office. He never sought pohuclais'
and never held long and secret powwOws WIN lea1s
political wirepullers as has since become ircqueh'
practice and therefore he needed no extra room al te
City Hall. T.,
In consequence of Mayor Collins's economy IN
municipal affairs City Hall was erected IN MS TWO
wears of Office. OreStes Cleveland succeeoeu May VI
Collins in 1885, and he has been Mayor ever since anu
81 Is said desires to be SO for another terh Ao Ca
oron,a NJ economy which Mayor Collins had set had
r1orontlv passed Mr. Cleveland by wthout oeihg
recognized for he insisted on having an once In inc
CITY Hall His Democratic friends sympathheo WIN
him and turned Judge Randolph and the First DIS
trict Civil Judicial Court out Of the City Han, anu
rented large courtroom IN hiSiipi''N '-AO0
ing for him. -. -.
Mr. Cleveland thus took possession Of the courtroom
IN. the CITY Hail. 1t was extravaganuy reho'ateu'
s sofas rich carpets expensive gashxtlres ana great
easy chairs were placed in IT, ms was we'll Inc"
ha ner Mayor concluded that 1t necessary to nave
nriyate secretary. This the greatest OF all lnhoN
tlons made by Mr. Cleveland, almost maze the boaiu
nj Finance gasp but Mr. Cleveland is an oio man. anu
pohably the Board considered this fact Tor the secie
4ary was duly installed Having engaged these IuAufe
and found them good, Mr.. Cleveland soon aterWaIu
kindly permitted the Board of Finance to appoint
messenger 10 the Mayors Office. Then came tele
uhone and this was followed by district messenger
callbox and then his Office was complete-so the TAX
PAYERS fondy hoped.
In 1887 il was evident that the Mayor did not think
his quarters suitable and he also discovered tlat inc
office of the City Clerk crowded, and so was tli't
az the CITY Collector and the other offices, and
incidentally to this discovery another bill appeared IN
The legislature having for its PURPOSE the construction
OF City Hall, Armory and a Police Headquarters Ex-
cepting the addition Of the Police Headquarters feature
end the taking of the confirmation power from the
Board Of Aldermen, which was elected by the people
and giving 10 70 the Board OF Finance the members
OF which were then appointed by the majority OF the
Board OF Aldermen but are now appointed by inc
Mayor, the bill similar to that OF 1854 only IL
raised the limit TO be expended to S2Oo'Ooo' his
bill repealed the one OF 1884. BY this bill the Mayor
was authorized to appoint three commissioners 10 De
confirmed by the Finance Board who were to select
suitable site which be confirmed by the finance
Board and the commissioners, and the Board were
empowered to buy and condemn lands. TINS seeihcu
TO be good bin and no doubt was.
Three commissioners were appointed under u, puV
the Finance Board did not think well Of the BILL for
it refused to confirm them and they were powerlesS to
act In $780, while Orestes Cleveland remained az
the head of the municipal government, another Dill
was introduced to enable the city to build munlcl-
pal building. In this act the Armory and Police Head
quarters features were stricken out, reducing the e4
pense of the building at least twothirds. This act
was peculiar one and like nearly all legislation Tor
tie city since the charter for Jersey City had
been adopted, it asked for money. 1t provided
that city property said to be worth 100000 should
be sold and that So for each inhabtant In the city
slould be expended for the building of the new
City Hall. There 10000 people in Jersey City,
and this meant at least $330,OOO which, added 10
the 800 600 expected TO be realized from the sale OF
city property, would net the neat sum OF S4SooOo OF
Just S2300Oo more tnan the bi OF lee. Soeiore te
csw H fanr H oIGw and O Police eadGuarers
This bill also provided that the commissioners
struct tho City Hall. 1t did away entirely with the
Board of Finance, except that they must CONFIRM
provide for the bonds TO be issued and signed by
TIE Mayor Ine Commissioners alone were 70 NIX
the Commissioners award was to the court The Com
missoners were sole and supreme IN al Other re,
anticipating it, Mayor Cleveland nominated John
Commissioners. The board of Finance is constituted
OF five members. The president of the Board OF
Aldermen by virtue Of that office, is member. lie
Is elected by the people. The four Others are ap-
pointed by the Mayor 49,.
Any one who knows Mayor Cleveland knows that
he is not the man and politician to appoint four
Finance me who would boT any way s a
surprise when the Finance Board promptly CON
bc shsa Repn69a almost G Constantly IN Officer ms
bin vas rushed through ana had 1t not been amended
should be approved by popular vote at the general
or charter election,' there would not probably have
been any legislation in the present year
The amendment was too much for the men who were
pushing the scheme. Why they should object to their
to themselves, but they did object, and the City Hall
Commissioners, beyond drawing their salaries ana
nothing for whole year. This year a BIN sub
s;antally such as that Of 1890 without the objection
both houses, but the Governor told its hackers he
lhe bill was recalled and amended, and the limit
fixed at S250,00O to be expended for the City Hail.
the last bill prepare the bonds more securely
The real reason was to get rid Of the popular vote
Of Jersey City told reporter for The Tribune that
present bin in its original shape, this year that while
So a head might be necessary to build city hall,
the city could afford to spend SO much money for
city Hall alone, and besides he wanted the bonds so
Governor said ex-senator Edwards. did not believe
the bill limited the amount sufficiently II practically
left the amount 10 be expended TO the discretion Of
the City Hall Commissioners. The Governor was
willing the city should have new City Hall, but he
objected to spending more than $25o'oOO, for the
ground, site and building
= Max Satncer lawyer and member OF the Board
of Aldermen told Tribune reporter that by the last
act and that of 1890 the concurrence OF the Board of
Finance was done away with. and that the Com
missOner- were subject 10 no one. Another member
OF the Assembly, also lawyer, who requested that
his name be not used. told The Tribune re
porter the thing. No one who was spoken to
gave a different pnion. and Mayor Cleveiand's in
fimatiOn that the City Hall Commissioners acts must
be confirmed could not he substantated with this
history of the proposed City Hall can Mavor Orestes
Cleveland say he had nothing TO do with 1t but to
nominate the City Hall Commissioners