Perth Amboy evening news., 1904-12-17
LEAGAL TALK
ON BRIDGE.
An Opinion as TO What Rights the
City and County Have in
the Matter.
Editor Evening News:

Editor Evening News:
The presentment by the grand juty
as to the famous unfinished bridge,
that stretches its course over the
waters of thesRaritan river between
{ 10 shores of South and Perth Amboy,
appears to be rather amusing (al-
though there is a precedent for 1t;
viz "rhs Pope's Bull against the
Comet'') in face of the fact that the
law and not grand juries fixes the re-
lative obligations of municipalities
and public bodies whose whole ma
chinery is legal machinery and not
artificial, and is such that does not
work in accordance with or is not
disarrsngsd by the whims of public
| clamor or the presentments of grand
i~uries. And that it is the legal and
not the supposed moral obligations
that fix what shall md must BIZ done
by these respective bodies.
1t is said that Corporations have
no sonls'' and i. can be truly said
that thoy are dev lid of "moral obi.
CATION als). And it must be borne
in mini that as lone swallow does
not make a spring." oeither does one
Judge, whatever his ability may he,
make the law The duty of building
the bridge and finishing 1t is q pure
quest on of law as to the relative rights
and duties of the ctunty and city.
What the freeholders are bound to do
as to the huildipg of this bridge, that
it may be accessible at both ends to
the travelling public and q bridge
in fact is firmly settled law. That
duty cannot be disregarded or evaded
by "what was understood" what
was supposed" or for what was
imagined or by moral obligations
or presentments of grand juries, nor
can the city of Perth Amboy under
take things or make agreements be-
yond it's chartered or legal powers.
This talk about moral obligations"
and I" was understood" is pure non
sense. The question to be met IL
"What is each body bound to do in
law and what each should do and can
legally do or should be made to dor
Neither body can do things, spend
money or incur obligation, ad libi-
tum.
There is no uncertainty as to wllat
constitutes n bridge in law. the de.
inition of which has a fixed meaning
and if any court decides that the pres
emit str ucture, that looms up in tbs
air like Mahomets coffin, or q skele'
ton hung in chains, on the outer shore
line on this side Of the river is a com
pleted bridge, then all the decisionl
of the courts and the settled common
} law as to what constitutes q bridge
are at fault and new presidents vii
have to be established on this impor
tant question.
There is no doubt hut that mistakes
have been made In this COMEDY OF
Errors The first mistake was mad'
when the city accepted this ravine al
O street from the hands of its liberia
former owner, who, If lie lad KEEP
this white elephant" would hav'
had to fill ii in himself at q large ont
lay to make it available or let it res
in its present normal condition. NJ
one can blame the giver of "a whit
elephant, the one to be blamed !
: the person who is so foolish as to re
, oeive it. The human tendency is Il
, keep those things that are useful ant
. TO give away those that are not ant
r seIfshness is not a lost art to q til
! hast and no one can criticise th
: giker. The criticism lies 10 its accep
taAee. Ths donor gave a deed con