Year: 1870

posed annexation OF seven OF the lower towns ol
that county to New York, and prepare another bill
for legislative action at the approaching session
having in view the organization OF a new form OF
government Tor three OF the lower towns OF the
county. The committee accordingly prepared the
following report, which was presented at an ad-
journed meeting, held in the above named village
last Saturday.


THE REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE


is as follows:--


That the committee have had under consideration
the subject referred to them and have given 1t tnat
attention which It's pubic Importance demanded.


In considering the subject embraced within the
resolution your committee have necessarily had also
TO consider The question OF the proposed annexatlo
TO the city OF New York OF the greater part Of the
population and wealth Is propose TO be annexed
The bill on tnis subject which has been prepared
and printed Is aerSisoa to have ea
Of the New YORK Printing Association. ihe
bill to which he has given paternity includes
wealthy tswns OF the county 'of Westchester, cen.
tanning population Of about 75 900 people out OF
ls22oo, which is about the population OF the whole
compose the heart and the


MOST WEALTHY PART OF Tius COUNTY.


very natural inquiry suggested by so radical
measure OF change as Is proposed by this bill Is,
whether the people TO be affected by ITS provisions
whether the terms and provisions OF the proposed
act are such as will mete out equal AID exact justice
to all OF lis citizens In the way Of representation
sessncnt and taxation. and IN connection with
prospective benefits which are claimed to flow
from the adoption cf this measure. Certainly
10 democratic Legislature should be guilty or
anneXlng 10 the imperial city OF New York 10 large
territory, with u population OF $4,000 people.
against their Will. u cardinal prnclDle or The
democratic party that no people sh0u be governed
without their consent consttutienally expressed
and obtained, which suggests tiat this BILL If it
first be submitted TO the people who are to De
affected by the radical changes proposed; and, If a
majority oi them should desire its passage then,
might be passed with proprlety.


Your committee unanimously repor.


AGAINST THE PASSAGE OF THIS BILL
by the Legislature, because the area OF territory
proposed TO he annexed IL treble in extent that OF
the present territory OF the county OF New YORK.
and government over 80 large territory
would result probably in expensive and made.
be desired at all, a concentration OF Improvement
produced by additional Political power con erred by
N IN might wn 1
chester county which lies Immediately easterly and
southery Of the northern point OF the present county
OF New fork-namely, a line drawn in an easterly
direction from Spuyten Duyvil creek at Kngsbrldge
10 the sound just above Fort schuyler. An anneXa.
lion OF this territory, containing now a population
OF nearly 4O 900 people, provided Il were made npsn
fair and just terms, would be one that the people
OF this section were submitted to them for their
vote might approve But


THE RADICAL CHANGES PROPOSED
by Mr.. Corson's BIZ IN the creation of our wards



having those four wards represented in the Board OF
Aldermen of the city OF New York by two additional
Aldermen, making seventeen In all twhy not the old
Hasserach and All Baba nulnbcrs;, to be elected by
general ticket, and hayIlg these four wards each
with representatives In The Board OF Assistant
Aldermen with the most unequal population In
each ward, $4,000 In the Twenty.thIrd Ward, 900
In the Twentieth ward, 1O,5JO In the Twenty-nfth
ward and ll,ooo in the Twenty-sixth ward, is SO
radically unjust and anti-democratic thaG fair
minded citizen could support 1t.


The change or Tue entire school and OF the judicial
systems now existing IN this portion OF Westcheser
county 10 that OF the present Police Justice and
District Justice and Court of Sessions jurisdiction of
the city OF New York, all Of which is to occur in
1872 II this bill becomes law and the additional
change proposed OF making this portion OF West
chester after rhe next census In 1873 part OF New
YORK city senatorial and Congressional district and
1f New York city Supreme Court Judicial district
ana thc other additional cnange OF removing by "a
great big -s-v-~--s~.


RECORD COMMISSION JOB"
proposed by the bill all the county records OF titles
and judgments from the county seat at White Plains
70 the city Of New YORK. thus uprOoting and over.
turning the existing titles more than one half OF
The citizens OF the county to their real and personal
properly, would result In creating chaos where
order system sud good government now exist.


II Is for this and other reasons which would occu.
oy too much space 10 be embodied in this report,
yoqN Mr. ugsaas gssNo9 seroas
consideration by any intelligent Legislature. :
The resolution, under which your committee act
provides for the prepara ION by them 81 new iorm
county, and in pursuance OF this portion Of the
resolution they have the honor to submit
Or Your consideration Their unanimous views IN
avor OF the incorporation OF the Oil township
of Westchester, now constituting the towns OF Nor
rlsanla. West Farms and Westchester under one
form OF municipal government. similar TO tlxes
which vas given TO tile city OF Brooklyn In the year
1874. The time has arrived when the population OF
'hls Old township of Westcbeste!, amounting TO
ABOUT 4O,ooo--nearly 10000 more than the number
which Brooklyn had when she received the beneits
Of q city charter-shoud receive The
ADVANTAGES AND POWER OF A coon CITY GOVERN
NEhT


The growth OF Brooklyn, marvellous in extent
ana greater perhaps tnan that OF any other city in
the United states, II not IN the world, may have
been manly attributable 10 the fact that her own
people received from the Legislature Il charter
making all the internal improvements which
were necessary for her development and progress
within the last ten years the third city in the
Union and In her improvements one OF lhe most
beautiful.


The benefits OF a city government are exemplifed
not only Ia The growth and prosperity OF BROOKLYN
but also in the growth and prosperity Of Jersey
CITY, which has more than quadruped in population
within the last ten years.


no good reason can be assigned why the lower
part Of Westchester county, with its natural lacl
ties FOR great development and improvement, should
not grow as rapidly within the next twenty years as
Brooklyn and Jersey City have grown within rhe
past. She is bounded on the south by the Harlem
river, with proposed canal connecting II with the
North river, and which VIII probably be speedily
constructed the two farming


A NATURAL CANAL BASIN


lor the laying up OF vessels In winter superior TO
that Of The Atlantic Dock at South Brooklyn, and
the bank OF The river ahordng greater facilities for
commodious stores and warehouses


on The east it is bounded by the East river and by
Long Island Sound.


on the East river, just north OF Harlem we nave
Port Norris Unsurpassed iOr the anchorage ol large
vessels by any port IN the world.


The Great East, rn with her immense size and
capacity, formerly laid safely at one OF her docks.
And Just above Port Morris and opposite Rikers
Island, fronting The property OF The late D. M.
WhltlocK, is a bay airording the best place
ior navy yard IN any Of the states,
inasmuch as here, alongside OF the East
river salt water frontage, might be constructed
d large fresh water basin, to he supplied by water
about mile distant FROM the BRONX river, in the
village OF West Farms, large enough TO foat all The
iro,i-cads of the world and the corr0ding OF The
iron o these vessels when not in actual service,
lying in salt waller, requires Their anchorage III such
Il fresh water baSin.


THG CONCENTRATION or THE HUDSON RIVER,
the Harlem and New Haven Railroads III their
freighting and passenger business ut their proposed
new grand depoi, near Melrose, and al Mott Haven,
indicate thar tlelr immense freight aud passenger
tralc from tile Pacific coast, ard from the West and
the East all must within few years, centre near
the Harlem RIVER, within the present town OF Nor
~ The lald contained within this Old tOWH