MANUAL OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BROOKLYN, for 1858-9, compiled by William G. Bishop, City Clerk, Brooklyn.

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MANUAL OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BROOKLYN, for 1858–9, compiled by William G. Bishop, City Clerk, Brooklyn.

In pursuance of a resolution of the Common Council passed May 17th, this Manual has been prepared by Mr. Bishop,¹ our present efficient and popular City Clerk. The compiler has presented such information, in relation to the various branches of the City and County Government, in a form most convenient for reference, as would be of value and interest to those for whose use the work is designed; also such other matters not properly embraced under those heads, as was supposed would at least be interesting.

The book opens, of course, with a list of the city dignitaries and officials, and then follow the Rules of the Board. Next in order comes "Jefferson's Manual."² Then comes the section devoted to the City Government, opening with a list of salaries received by the various public officials. Then follows a list of the Officers of Departments, with their residences and office-hours duly specified. Then comes the department devoted to the duties of City Officers, in which the ordinance in relation to City Officers and to limit and define the duties of certain of them under the City Charter, is given at length. The section entitled "Local Judiciary," which comes next in order, gives all necessary information concerning the City Court and the several Police and Justice's Courts organized under the act of March 24, 1849.³ Then comes lists of Commissioners of Deeds, of Inspectors of Election, of District Canvassers, of the Metropolitan Police, of the Board of Education and of the Public Schools, with their location, and the names and residences of their teachers. Next in order the compiler furnishes us with a succinct history of our City Fire Department of the Eastern and Western Districts. Those of our readers who take an interest in matters connected with the Department will find the sketch devoted to the Eastern District to be full and correct, considering the meagreness of the materials at hand.

In that part of the Manual devoted to County Government, the names of members of the Board of Supervisors and Superintendents of the Poor are given; then the various County offices, with a list of their occupants, finishing with the Supreme Court and Court of Sessions.

The department headed "Miscellaneous" will be found to be one of the most interesting in the volume. A most valuable and satisfactory history of the Brooklyn Water Works is given, in which everything connected with the enterprise, from its inception to the present instant, is given with a clearness which leaves nothing to be desired. Accompanying the description is a large and carefully prepared map of the line of the Works which enables the reader to take in at a glance all the salient features of the new enterprise.

A chapter on the City Boundaries follows, in which each particular ward is bounded, and the Election Districts pointed out. The returns of votes at the last Charter Election are then given. An interesting account of the Brooklyn City Railroad Co. is then given, followed by our various contracts with the Gas Companies.

The remainder of the volume is devoted to such a variety of topics—all useful and many of importance, that we lack space to refer to them in detail. We congratulate Mr. Bishop upon having given to the public by far the most trustworthy and complete Manual that has ever been furnished to our Brooklyn Common Council. No Brooklynite who feels the least interest in his place of residence should be without it.

We trust that this present Manual will be followed up by a still more extended and elaborate one, somewhat in the same style as Mr. Valentine's⁴ in New York. We have records connected with the City of Brooklyn quite as quaint, curious and valuable as any which New York can show, and there is a rich mine yet to be explored, which the compiler of the present volume is just the man to open up. Mr. Valentine, the present Clerk to the New York Aldermen, who is a permanent institution in that Board, issues yearly a large volume, consisting not only of mere lists of names and dull statistics, but of matters interesting to the general reader. Mr. Bishop has, we trust, entered upon a similar career. There is a general disinclination felt by the Board, as was exemplified at the last election, to change an efficient and useful officer, after he has become fully acquainted with the routine of business, and must necessarily perform the duties of his position infinitely better than any one else can be expected to do, for an untried and inexperienced candidate. We trust that Mr. B. will give us many such Manuals, in his official capacity of City Clerk.

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