I, William B. Richardson, of Boston, in the County of Suffolk, and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, holding a lease of a house and land adjacent thereto, situated on Albion Street, in said Boston, between Chapman and Dover Streets, and numbered eight (8) in the numbering of said Albion Street, do hereby agree with the City of Boston, that if the said city shall, before the first day of January next ensuing, raise the grade of said Albion Street according to a plan made by James Slade, City Engineer, and approved by the Committee on Paving of the said city, I will relinquish, for the sum of one hundred and fifty dollars, any and all claims for damages in consequence of the said raising of grade, and will indemnify and forever save harmless the said city of and from all claims, demands, and liabilities, of or to any person for damages or compensation, by reason of any injury to my said estate as lessee of the premises as aforesaid, by such raising.

Dated this third day of July, A. D. 1861.

W. B. RICHARDSON.

SIR: We hereby propose to relinquish all claims for damages from the City of Boston, in consequence of raising the grade of Albion Street, whenever the City shall cause our houses to be raised to correspond with the new grade, and pay us the sum of eight hundred dollars ($800) per house; the City guaranteeing that the houses shall be raised without cracking the walls or otherwise injuring them, and we obligate ourselves to do all necessary masonwork, carpentry, plastering, plumbing, painting, &c.

BOSTON, July 3, 1861.

JAMES COLGAN,

SAMUEL PAUL.

J. E. FARWELL & Co., CITY PRINTERS,

No. 32 Congress Street, Boston.

CITY OF BOSTON.

In Board of Aldermen, July 15, 1861.

THE Committee on Licenses, to whom was referred the petition of Powers, Cook & Co., and others, for a remission of the license fees heretofore charged to non-resident truckmen, have considered the same, and beg leave to

REPORT,

That, after hearing all the arguments adduced by the nonresident truckmen for the remission of fees heretofore paid, and for the abolition of the distinction between residents and nonresidents, they are not convinced that any injustice has been wrought upon the petitioners, and therefore cannot recommend the action desired by them. They remain of the opinion that the discriminative policy now in practice is proper and just, and that its discontinuance would operate injuriously upon the interests of the City of Boston and its tradesmen. If any class of persons do business within our limits, competing successfully with residents and tax-payers, and choose to consult their personal interests by residing out of town where they can contribute nothing, or at best but little to the support of the Municipal system, either as tax-payers or consumers, it is but equitable that some compensation be made for the privilege of occupying the streets of the city. Even for the wear and tear of the streets, and for the litter of the streets which causes the city a considerable expense to remove, no other equivalent is received aside from the charge for a stand. Without extending the argument, the Committee submit that these briefly stated

views establish the propriety and justice of the principle involved. Evidence has been brought forward that the amount of the charge as at present regulated is disproportionately large, and the Committee have no doubt that in some cases the exaction of so large a sum operates with hardship. They are therefore prepared to recommend a reduction of the amount of the charge, and they trust that the non-resident truckmen will deem it satisfactory. The Committee have no disposition to hamper or restrict the respectable persons, who appear as petitioners in this matter, in the very useful business which they follow. Their only desire is to make such a discrimination that our own citizens shall not be subject to an unequal competition, and to secure a proper compensation for the privileges enjoyed in the free use of our highways by inhabitants of other places. They therefore recommend the passage of the accompanying order.

For the Committee,

JOHN F. PRAY, Chairman.

ORDERED: That the Superintendent of Trucks be, and he is hereby authorized, to collect from non-resident truckmen and .wagoners who have stands in the streets of this city, the sum of three dollars, to wit, one dollar for the license, and two dollars for the privilege of a stand in the street.