AN ORDINANCE Concerning the Public Lands. Be it ordained by the Aldermen and Common Council of the City of Boston in City Council assembled, as follows : SECTION 1. In the month of January, in each year, there shall be appointed, in the same manner as joint standing committees are appointed, three Aldermen and five members of the Common Council, who, together with such other persons, not more than four in number, to be selected as is hereinafter provided, shall constitute a Board of Land Commissioners. SECT. 2. In the second section of the Ordinance concerning the Public Lands, in the second line, as printed in City Document No. 65, of the year 1856, the words "Committee on Public Lands" are hereby stricken out, and there are hereby inserted, instead thereof, the words " said Commissioners." SECT. 3. Section 1 of said ordinance above mentioned, and all other ordinances and parts of ordinances inconsistent herewith, are hereby repealed. ON THE SALE OF THE CITY'S NORTH WHARF, SUITABLE FOR THE CITY'S USE. 1857. In Common Council, March 19, 1857. Laid on the table, and ordered to be printed. Attest, W. P. GREGG, Clerk. CITY OF BOSTON. In Common Council, Thursday, March 19, 1857. The Joint Special Committee on the sale of the City's North Wharf, to whom was recommitted their former Report, with instructions to ascertain if any other wharf of like area, and suitably located, could be purchased for the City's use, and also to consider the expediency of selling the Charles Street Wharf, belonging to the City, submit the following REPORT. Your Committee, after considerable inquiry and labor, have found but one wharf, suitably located for advantageous use by the City, which is for sale; and that is the wharf owned by the Eastern Railroad Company, at the foot of the Eastern Avenue, so called, where the City's steamboat, "Henry Morrison," now lays. This wharf has a total area of fifty-four thousand eight hundred and forty-seven square feet, (54,847;) 26,712 square feet of which, somewhat less than half, is under a lease for nine hundred and ninety-nine years, to the East Boston Ferry Company, at an annual rent of sixty-five hundred and twentyfive dollars, payable monthly; in addition to which income of $6,525, the City of Boston pays at the rate of $600 per annum, for the "Henry Morrison's " berth, and for the building used as an office by the Harbor Master. Thus the total income is $7,125 per annum. Of the remaining portion of the wharf, not leased to the In addition, the Railroad Company own the fee in the avenues leading to Commercial street, subject to the conditions annexed to the grants of the adjacent estates, and in an open arca of 3,339 square feet next easterly of the Hotel estate, to remain subject to the use of occupants of that estate. The dimensions of the part of this wharf remaining unoccupied by the Ferry Company, are as follows: Front line upon the Harbor, about 80 feet 8 inches. Length upon the Dock, from Sea wall, 276 feet 4 inches; without the right to use the Dock. Rear line upon the sea wall, 55 feet; the solid wharf, inside the sea wall, has a depth of forty-five feet. The Eastern Railroad Company offer to sell this wharf to the City of Boston for the sum of $120,000 in cash, or $125,000 in City 5 per cent. scrip redeemable in twenty years. Your Committee deem it unnecessary to add anything to the foregoing statement, except the single consideration, that it seems highly expedient and proper that the City of Boston should own some suitable landing place for the steamboat "Henry Morrison," as long as they continue to employ her in their service, and should not be, as they now are, dependent upon sufferance for these necessary accommodations. Besides affording these, and an office for the Harbor Master, this wharf seems well located and adapted for the ordinary purposes for which the City need a wharf. Upon a full examination of the question, whether it is expedient for the City to sell their Charles Street Wharf, the Committee come to the conclusion that it is not expedient to sell it. |