The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-04-09
MAYOR HENDRICKS VETO.
CITY HAS NO POWER BY CHARTER
 TO BUILD PUBLIC DOCKS.

Street Pavement Bonds and Ordinances
 Relating to Electric Cars Acted Upon
 Several Amendments Made.
 Mayor Hendrick presented to the board of aldermen at it's special meet ing last night the second veto message of his term of office. The order which failed to secure the approval of the mayor was that recently passed by the court of common council ordering the construction of a public wharf over the Sea street sewer. The veto is accom- panied by an opinion on the subject from Corporation Counsel Ely.
 The communication from the mayor is as follows: "The charter is very specific regarding the power of the city for the public improvement of streets, the building of sewers and other neces- sary work, but there is no provision for the construction of wharves and docks by the city. While I am in favor of all necessary public Improvements that will benefit our city, and knowing that the time is not far distant when we
  maining sites for city wharves, which must eventually prove a necessity, yet in consideration of the opinion of the corporation counsel upon the matter, which expressly says the city has no legal power to carry on such work un- der the present charter, it is my duty to return the order passed for the erec- tion of a public wharf over the sewer
 
 ''I would, however, recommend that the court of common council instruct the corporation counsel to secure the necessary legislation and passage of the bill now pending before the general assembly for power, which will enable the city of New Haven to build and maintain wharves and docks for the protection of the sewer outlets into the harbor, and for the purpose of estab- fishing public landing places thereon for vessels, whenever the court of com- mon council shah decree 1t necessary for the interests of the city to order such"
 The corporation counsel in lengthy opinion states that the city has no pow CT to erect docks and wharves for public landing place for vessels and their maintenance under the charter, and that the city has no authority to construct and maintain whaIVes and docks or lay out highways below high water mark.
 After the communications had been read 1t was unanimously voted to adopt the recommendation of the mayor in reference to the subject and the corpo- ration counsel was instructed to advo- cate the bill now pending before the general assembly.
 Mayor Hendrick announced as the ale dermanic portion of the special commit- tee to act in concert with the citizens committee and select a site for the Lewis Memorial statue, Aldermen Mac donald and Well.
 The report of the committee on streets recommending the bonding of the city for permanent street pave ments provoked considerable discus sion. After the report had been read Alderman Blakeslee moved as an amendment to the report that at no time should the amount of such bonds outstanding exceed the sum of $4O,OOO which amount he said would pave a. large area of the city. Alderman Mac | donald still further amended the re- 1 port by making the amount $5OO,OOO, l and this prevailed by a vote of Il to 6.
 Alderman Bfakeslee, after the | amount of the bonds had been settled, | introduced a resolution to the effect | that the life of the bonds should not | exceed twenty years, and providing for | the establishment of sinking fund | with which to meet the bonds when | they came due. The resolution also | provided that $25,OOO should be paid the first year and $25,000 every year there after until all the bonds had been met.
 Alderman Macdonald said that in his opinion $25,0OO every year seemed to him a pretty heavy sum to pay, whether the city could afford it or not, and | favored lengthening out the period to thirty years.
 Alderman Hamilton, chairman of the committee on streets, suggested that the length of time be made twenty-five years and the amount to be paid each wear $20,000. Finally after a lengthy discussion the amendment of Alderman was adopted.
 The remaining section of the report and accompanying senate bills were adopted without change or amend ment.
 When the report of the committee on relating to the speed and of electric cars was reached Alderman Bromley introduced 8 resolu- tion to the effect that the section re- Iating to the speed at which electric ears should be run be amended so as to read that cars should be run at a rate not exceeding ten miles an hour within 8 radius of one mile of the city hall. The report of the committee limits the speed to eight miles an hour 1 within a radius of one-half mile of the gity hall. After a brief discussion the amendment was adopted with but few dissenting votes.
 In reference to the section relating to l sars approaching street crossings AL lerman Bromley again introduced a ( resolution requiring the motorman of my car approaching a street crossing O shut off the power and keep the IF under control until the opposite ,rosswall1 is reached. This resolution vas unanimously adopted, although f he report of the committee only requir- r d cars to be run at the rate of six f niles an hour when approaching street z crossings. r