Brooklyn Legislation at Albany

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BROOKLYN LEGISLATION AT ALBANY.

Our Albany correspondent has sent us copies of all the Brooklyn bills which have been printed. Several of these we have already printed, either in whole or in synopsis. Among them is the Water Bill, which we published yesterday in advance of our contemporaries, and which we shall remark on at length when occasion offers. Among the remaining bills are—

By Mr. Tuthill—to reduce River street to the width of 80 feet.

By Mr. Christie—exempting "Long Island" and "Staten Island" from future quarantine location.

By Mr. Wilson—to increase the capital stock of the Brooklyn Fire Insurance Company to $153,000.

By Mr. Spinola—authorizing the city to borrow $29000.

By Mr. Sloan—to incorporate the Dime Savings Bank of Brooklyn.

By Mr. Spinola, changing the name of the Williamsburgh and Cypress Hills/Plank Road to the "Cypress Hills Macadamised Road."

By Mr. Spinola, terminating the Williamsburgh Local Improvement Commission on the first Monday in May, and authorising the Common Council to appoint sundry assessors to conclude the work.

By Mr. Spinola, incorporating the Mercantile Library Association of Brooklyn, with 14 directors to be elected annually according to the by-laws.

By Mr. Moore (who thinks it will pass)—allowing "Ira Buckman, Jr., Tappen Townsend, S. M. Ostrander, Epenetus Webster," and their associates

To run over the Brooklyn City railroad track, from he intersection of South Seventh street with First street, at Peck slip. In the city of Brooklyn; thence along First street to Division avenue; thence upon the track of the Broadway railroad company through Division avenue to Eleventh street; also to run over the tracks of the Broadway railroad company from he intersection of Eleventh street with South Sixth street; thence along South Sixth street to its intersection with South Seventh street; thence along the said South Seventh street to First street, the place of beginning; also to lay a single track from he intersection of Eleventh street with Division avenue across South Sixth street; also to lay a double track in Eleventh street, from its intersection with South Sixth street, to and cross Union avenue to and through Montrose avenue to the city line, between Brooklyn and Newtown, Queens county, where Flushing avenue intersects the same; thence along Flushing avenue to Mount Olivet avenue; thence along Mount Olivet avenue to Broad street, passing through the village of Melvins; thence along Broad street to Hull avenue, passing through the village of Maspeth; thence along Hull avenue and across Fisk avenue; and thence in an easterly direction to the village of Newtown, with the privilege to lay rails, and run horse cars upon the same, in Bushwick avenue from the intersection of the same with Montrose avenue; through Bushwick avenue to Grand street; thence along First street, and upon the tracks of the Brooklyn City railroad company, to Peck Slip ferry, with the privilege to make all the necessary turnouts.

One only of these bills calls for remark. All of the above bills have been reported favorably already, and nearly all of them will probably become laws. With regard to the Montrose avenue railroad bill which our correspondent informs us is likely to go through, we cannot imagine how this scheme can stand for an instant against the competition of the Grand street scheme, the former being urged by men in those pecuniary ability the people have no confidence, and who do not reside on the proposed route, while the Grand street bill is unanimously approved and urged by the population of the route, and its corporations are the leading property owners on the street.

The water bill which we printed yesterday demands longer notice. We believe that its passage is a foregone conclusion, but trust that it will at least be amended in several particulars.

The Commissioners themselves, or the better portion of them, object to section 3, which defers the appointment of the salaried permanent Board of three until the works shall be finished and tested. It is right, they say, that the present board should finish the oversight of the contract work until its completion; but if the permanent managing Board do not organise before that time, all the weary duty of overseeing the introduction of water into private houses will fall to the present unpaid Board. The act ought to be amended, so that the permanent Board can be organised at once, and proceed with the management details. Of the distribution of water while the old Commissioners hold over, simply to complete the construction of those parts which are not yet finished.

The 1st section gives the power to allow Welles &Co.,¹ half a million for changing the canal into a conduit, and the inference of the casual reader would be that only half a million would be added to the originally estimated cost. But section 2 provides that "all incidental expenses"—to an unlimited amount—shall be met by the issue of bonds. Why is not a definite sum name for these extras, so that the public may have some idea of what the total cost of the works will be?

The 4th section is open to the objection urged by Mr. Barnard. It is a farce to make the Mayor a party to the appointment if he has no veto on the nomination of the Commissioners.

The power given of spending money to repair the works is far too sweeping, even for elected officers—much less an appointed Commission—to be entrusted with. "They are authorized from time to time to expend such sums of money as shall be necessary." Why the Common Council itself has not such power as this. They cannot expend moneys for repairs, unless such sums shall have previously been appropriated by the Joint Board of Supervisors and Aldermen. This Water Board seems designed to be elevated into a position of higher and more unquestioned authority than even the Mayor and Corporation. They ought at least, like the Common Council and Board of Education, be made to go to the Joint Board for their money.

We object, too, most decidedly, to paying the member of the Water Committee of the Common Council. We have had some Aldermen that worked for pay and some who have worked without it; and the latter have given most satisfaction to their constituents. It will be time enough for the Legislature to offer payment to the Aldermen, when either they or their constituents ask for it. Besides this the paying of one committee, while the rest are unpaid, is invidious, and would soon be made an argument for paying the rest; and the morale of the Common Council would not be improved by the change.

Section 18 we should like to see amended by adding "and drinking fountains" after the word hydrants. The extensive use in the streets of the drinking cups attached to the public pumps, proves that the establishment of drinking fountains is a necessary power to confer on the Water Board.

Section 19 provides that "water may be distributed from said works for any use in Kings and Queens counties." Why the water of the city of Brooklyn should be "distributed" in the county of Queens, is more than we can conceive.

We suggest these criticisms on the act, believing that it will certainly be passed by the Legislature, and therefore that the interests of the city lie in having it made as perfect as possible. The meeting of citizens to protest against the bill stands adjourned to Thursday next, when no doubt a good deal of denunciation of the principle of the bill will be uttered; but for our own part we should prefer to see its details remarked on, amendments suggested, and improvements pointed out. Our delegation may give heed to these, but we are very certain that no amount of buncombe will avail to defeat the bill itself.

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