The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-01-14

uary 5, 1892, at s O'Clock D m.
Reconsideration Edlestein, Messrs.
Allen, Hitler and Kenny,
Absent-Mr. Peterson.
On motion the reading of the minutes
was dispensed with and they were ap-
proved Ms printed.
PRESENTATION OF CLAIMS.
Claim of the International Bank Note
Co., of $1,000 for engraving city bonds,
etc.
Received and referred to the Committee
on Finance.
Claim of tine American District Tele-
graph Co., of S43. 90 for messenger service
Board of Finance, December, 1891.
Claim of the Jersey City News, of $55
for printing tax bills.
Received and rererred to the Commit
tee on Printing. Stationery and Supplies.
OFFICIAL COMMUNICATIONS.
The following resolutions, adopted by
the Board of Street and Water Commits
sioners, were received and referred to
the Committee on Concurrent Resolu-
tious:
/. Awarding contract to Charles O'Neill
for improvement OF Jackson avenue.
from Claremont avenue to the Newark
and New York Railroad.
2. Awarding contract to Henry Byrne
for the improvement of Eleventh street,
from Jersey avenue to Coles street.
8. Awarding contract to Henry Byrne
for the Improvement of Ninth street, from
Monmouth to Brunswick streets.
The following communication from the
Corporation Counsel was received and
ordered entered upon the minutes and
filed:
JERSEY CITY. January 5, 1892.
Honorable Board of Finance:
SIRS-Tne resolution of the Board of
Street and Water Commissioners award
ing the contract for cleaning the streets
a ~ II par1nn ~ ~ ~ tina oshaS and nnrhp0a for
the present fiscal year to Henry Byrne,
now before you for concurrence, has been
referred to HE for my opinion. 1t ap-
pears that in answer to the advertise
Inent for proposals a number or bids
were received upon the blanks prepared
by the Chief Engineer; of these bids that
of Henry Byrne was not the lowest; in
point of fact it was the highest bid for
the work. This bid the Board of Street
aud Water Commissioners accepted
upon the reason, as recited in the
resolution, that he was the
responsible bidder who offered the terms
most advantageous to the city," n that
advantage to the city. The resolution of
that Board is correct in form. They had
a right under the law, upon such a lind
ing of facts, to so award the contract
under the provisions of Section 159 OF che
Charter of 1871, which enacts that after
du ltlSOhiCuOS tho Nou v cHoih W
awarded to, or the purchase made of;
that responsible bidder VINO offers the
terms most advantageous to the city,
this section has been amended so as &C
exclude from this provision all contracts
for street improvements; they must be
awarded to the lowest bidder; it is still
the law with reference to contracts OF
the class now under consideration.
You Boar should, therefore, look into
the whole T. ar and RXamlnA the vari.
Gus bids made for the work. paying par
ttcular attention to the character of the
boudsmen offered as security, and If you
then find that Henry Byrne is that re-
sponsible bidder who offers the terms
most advantageous TO the city," you have
the right to concur in the award of the
contract, but ii you do not so find, it is
your duty to non-concur. l call your at
tention to the fact that all the bidders
offer in their bids the same terms to the
city, aside from the question of price. As
/ remember it, none of the bidders have
offered to do the work within the appro
prlatiou made in the tax levy. When you
decide to award the contract, o should
first increase the appropriation by the
sum required to make up the deficiency,
nde the provisions of Chapter 40 of the
Laws of 1890, following the general form
of the resolution adopted for a similar
purpose last year.
Yours respectfully,
WIN. ID. EDWARDS.
Corporation Counsel.
REPORTS OF STANDING COMMITTEES.
The Committee on Concurrent Resolu.
| lions reported the following resolutions
of the Board of Street and Water Com.
missioners and recommended that the
same be concnrred in;
l. Awarding contract to Charles O'Nelll
for the improvem ent of jackson avenue