The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-10-04
THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN
MA YOR'S QUARTERLY MESSAGE
 PRESENTED LAST NIGHT.

Suggests Special Joint Meetings of Conn.,
 mon Council to Study Ordinances
 Need of ''Fence 400
 Transferred for Repair of Streets With
 Crushed Stone-other Matters Acted
 Upon.
 The mayors quarterly message con- taining several important communica- tions and recommendations was pre- sented at the regular meeting of the board of aldermen, held last night. In the introductory part of his message it is stated that the business of the city in all departments continues to be man. aged for the best interests of the tax payers and this will be shown clearly at the close of the fiscal year, Decem- Der 31. Reference is made to the death of Superintendent William H. Hubbard of the fire department Speaking of the part taken by New Haven in the war, the mayor says: 'The city has been we'll represented by as patriotic men as ever lived or died for their country'' He then speaks in high terms of the residents of the city who assisted in caring for the sick soldiers brought to the hospital This portion of the mes- sage was tabled for printing. The mayor transmitted to the aldermen the report of the special committee com posed of members of the board of finance appointed to devise and recom- mend plan for providing for the pay ment of the city debt. This report has been already published in the Journal and Courier. The communication was referred to the committee on Iegislation. A communication concerning the care and preservation of the elms in the city was referred to a special committee to consist of two aldermen and three coun- cilmen.
 Another communication refers to the fact that many changes have already been made in the city ordinances since the recent revision and as new edition of the ordinances will probably be nec- essary next year, the communication states that it seems very important that the subject be very carefully gone into during the coming winter with a view to reducing future changes to a mini mum. The mayor suggests that the court of common council hold a suff1- clent number of special joint sessions to thoroughly discuss all the ordinances ana that all heads of departments, the corporation counsel and assistant, and clty attorney and assistant be requested to participate in such meetings. The passage of an order is recommended. giving the city clerk when new ordi nances are adopted or ola ones amended to cause to be printed 800 copies of such ordinances with date of adoption for the purpose of supplying citizens who desire to keep the ordinances l1p to date. The communication was referred to the committee on ordinances
 Another comInunfcatfon presented stated that the director of public works had informed the mayor that he had several cases awaiting the attention of Fence Viewers" An opinion from the assistant corporation counsel concern ing the matter accompanied the com munication. The opinion states that by the adoption of the new charter the selectmen's powers have been limited to those duties imposed on them by the constitution of the state in relation to making voters. The selectmen under the Public Acts of 1895 had before this limitation of their powers authority to order any person neglecting to keep his division fence in repair and order such repairs as were necessary to be made within fifteen days. The opinion states that no provision having been made in the charter affecting the duties devolv- Ing heretofore on the selectmen asifence viewers there is no authority now which may act in these matters. The mayor requests that the legislature be asked to provide for the need. The communication was referred to the committee on legislation.
 The mayor sent to the board last night notice of his veto of the layout of harbor lines and resolutions relating thereto adopted recently by the court of common council, and recommended that the matter be referred back to the com mittee for further hearing. The reason given for the disapproval is that prop erty owners represent that the lines adopted by the court of common coun- cil on recommendation of the commit tee differ materially at several points from the lines discussed at the hearing held by the committee. Accompanying the veto were protests against the adoption of the line from Halstead & Harmount and from Sargent & Co. The matter was referred back to the com- mittee, which does not now exist, as it was a special committee of the old board of aldermen and no committee has been appointed from the present board.
 A petition signed by number of residents and property owners on West Chapel street was presented by Alder man Chillingworth, alleging that no hearing was given as to whether or not the paving of West Chapel street was a benefit or damage to property owners on the street, and asking that hear ing be given before assessments were made payable. The petition was re- ferred to a special committee of two aldermen and three councilmen. Messrs. Pickett and Cooley were appointed all dermanic members of the committee. A petition was received from resi- dents and property owners on the upper part of the Ninth ward asking the run ming of trains at rate of speed at a rate of speed greater than six miles over grade crossings within the city