Year: 1875




until In time the sad story was known, and
We learned that the gallant commander had
ialien another victim TO the cause of Arctic
discovery. This cause, in which the husband
lost his life, remained ever dear to the heart
OF the wife. She lived to see the Pandora go
out on its errand, and to give it her
blessing almost with her dying words.
Lady Franklin lived to an honored old
age, and her name will live among the noblest
in history.


The AIderma mic CnbaI and the City


Ordinances.


If the Aldermen who are factiously defeat
ing necessary city ordinances are gaining
creditas useful partisans they certainly are not
improving their regulations as good citizens
and honest officials. The necessity of i'm
proving the supply and the distribution OF
water in the city does not rest upon the state
ment of the department under which the
work is to be done. The dangerous deficiency
in the supply has been pointed out by the
Chief Engineer of the Fire Departments
department under republican control-who
has long since drawn the attention of the
Commission under which he serves to the
inadequacy of the means at the command of
the Fire Brigade to check conhagration in
certain exposed localities The laie Commits
sioner OF Public Works. republican poll
tcian urged upon the attention of the Com
mon Council and the State Legislature
time and again the importance of en-
larging the present mains and of taking
measures to insure sufficient water
supply. The last Legislature, politically
divided between the two parties, and the Gov
ernor. who is not supposed to be in warm
sympathy with the Department of Public
Works, united in considering the subject one
Of immediate Importance. In defeating the
ordinance necessary to enable the Department
of Public Works to do the work demanded
for the protection of the city the Aldermen
place themselves in opposition to the judg-
ment OF the Chief Engineer of the Fire Depart
ment, of ex-Commissioner Van Mort, Of En-
gineer Tracy, of the Safe Legislature and
of Governor Tilden.


In like manner, the abominable nuisance
of the Harlem flats does not rest on the
opinion of Mayor Wickham and Commissioner
Fitz John Porter. The police surgeons, who
were entrapped into prepared statement
denying the existence of the nuisance, have
repudiated the lalsehood and pronounced the
plague spot deadly peril to the health
and lives of our citizens. The Health
Board has presented the district officially
as dangerous to the public health. The
residents in the neighborhood appeal to
the city for protection and relief The con-
tractors who. with the aid of Disoecker s
bumpers, have created this hotbed of pesti-
lence in the heart of the city in violation of
their con racts have acknowledged the law
Dessness Of their course by making in fficient
efforts to cover up their work. In defeating
the ordinances necessary to secure the imme-
diate and effectual abatement OF this danger
Gus nuisance the Aldermanic cabal defes the
warning OF the department. created Tor the
protection of the public health, sregards the
opinions of competent medical authorities
and places itself in direct opposition to pub
ho sentiment.


The Aldermen who have thus banded them
selves together to obstruct the public business
can have but one reason for their conduct.
The Public Works Department is in demo-
cratic hands. Ii the ordinances tor lmprov-
ing the water supply and abating the danger
GUS nuisance of the Harlem flats should be
suffered to pass, democratic laborers would
be employed to do the WORK and would be
satisfied with the present municipal admins
tration. Ii these laborers can be kept unem-
ployed until election time they will be DIS
satisfied with the present city government and
may turn against the Tammany ticket. The
excuses gwen by some of the Aldermen Tor
their action only prove by toeir shallowness
the correctness OF this explanation. Alder
man Morris declares that he only waits
tor information, and when the informa-
it. Alderman Vance will not vote to abate
the Hhrem fats nuisance because in driving
through the infected district his uusenstlve
nose can discover no Objectionable odors
Alderman Simonson excuses his vote on the
ground that ths fats have existed for q num-
Der OF years and have not heretofore been
considered dangerous, ignoring the fact that
D.soecGer ana his garbage are modern ac-
cess,ons. Some Of the Aldermen assert that
they are opposed to city work being done by
days labor; although when republican was
at the head OF the Department of Public
Works they had no such scruples. Indeed, as
President of the Board OF Aldermen and ns
accidental Mayor, Mr. Vance was the avowed
enemy of Comptroller Green for his
obstructive" battle against Commissioner
Van Mort and his daily labor system. We
have, therefore, the spectacle before US of an
Aiderinanic cabal obstructing public business
and risking the safely of the city and the
health OF the citizens in the fear that few
democratic lahorers from Mullngar and Tip
perary may find work at the city's expense.
The minority representation" system is thus
hrouoht into contemDt With ona ar two &C.