HomeMy WebLinkAbout2365.1-2 Two documents concerning the Charles River Bridge, 1860 -9'-n -Qasl-cL o
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to the Honorable Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, in
General Court assembled:
U ESPECTFIILLY show the inhabitants of the City
1L of Cambridge, that there is a Bridge over the
Charles Raver between Cambridge and Brighton,call-
ed the Great ridge,which is much used by the pub-
He,and is supported and maintained at great expense,
but is now in a condition to require the outlay of a
large sum of money to render the same safe for the
traveller,which,as your petitioners believe,and beg
leave to show.ought to be supplied,and the mainte-
nance of said bridge and the draw in the same borne
and provided for by the Commonwealth. And they
offer the following facts for the consideration of your
honorable body,as among the reasons-why such pro-
vision should be made. The bridge was erected by
the action of the Colonial Legislature about the
year 1660,and was.designed to accommodate the trav-
el between Boston and the country lying North and
West of Charles River;it being for many years the
only means of intercourse by bridge across said river.
Sundry grants of moneys and lands were accordingly
made,from time to time,by the Colony and Province,
for the purpose of repairing and rebuilding said
bridge,as the same became necessary; and the then
town of Cambridge was charged with the care and
preservation of said bridge,which town also embraced
the resent towns of Newton,Lexington,West Cam-
bridge and Brighton. And as these several towns
were set off from Cambridge they were,by the Legis-
lature in their Acts of incorporation,specially charged
to contribute towards supporting and maintaining the
said bridge. Newton thus continued liable to such
contribution until released by Act of the Legislature _
in I781;and the then towns of Cambridge sand Lexing-
ton were required to be at the whole expense of re-
ppairing said bridge,until the grants made said towns.
by the General Court should'be wholly expended.
Although these grants have long since been expended
and although no additional grants in respect to said
bridge have been made to them,they and the towns
of West Cambridge and Brighton,into which Cam-
bridge had been divided continued to support and
maintain the same until tie session of the Legislature
in 1860,when the towns of Lexington and West Cam-
bridge were released by an Act of the General Court
from further liability to contribute towards the sup-
port thereof, and the County Commissioners for the
County of Viddlesex were authorized to lay out " �p'�►1 Qi
iindge as a public highway.
Now your petitioners show that,upon it petition to
said County Commissioners to lay out said bridge as
a public highway,the adjudicated that the highway
prayed for was not of
fcommon convenience and ne-
cessity; and,by a decision of the Supreme Judicial
Court it has been settled that the town of Brighton
and Gtity of Cambridge are not released from the
'charge of maintaining said bridge by the Act of 1860.
Wherefore yourpetitioners come before your Honor-
able Body,and show that the burden of supporting
said bridge,considering the uses to which it is ap-
plied,ought not to be thrown upon these two towns;
that it is properly a public Brid&e,designed for public
and not local use,and was originally constructed by
the whole Colony,and was never intended to be sup-
ported by any one town,but by a public charge,—that
no means of relief or redress,as they are advised,re-
main for them,but by application to the Legislature,
and they therefore pray that some provision may be
made,in such manner as to your Honorable Body may
seem fit, whereby said Bridge may be rebuilt and
hereafter repaired,and the draw therein managed,free
from the imposition of a tax upon said towns,and
that the expense thereof may be borne by the whole
n 0 Commonwealth as a public charge,or by those who
a +''w make use o Commonwealth
and for whose benefit it is
maintained,'&in such other manner as to your Hon-
orable Body may seem meet and proper.
And as in duty bound will ever pray.
In behalf of the Inhabitants of the City.
JAMES,D. GREEN, MAYOR,
Joint Special Joax B.,ATWML. Alder-
Committee of FxAwm L.CHAPMAN. I men.
the City Coun-
cil. Axsox P. HooxxR. Common
GxOsaE L CADE. Council-
J. V. WELLINGTON. I men.
City of Cambridge,Nov.3,1860.
Commonwealth!of Massachusetts.
Secretary's Department,Boston;Nov.5,1860.
I approve of the publication of the foregoing peti-
tion in the Cambridgge Chronicle.
0
LIYER WARNER, Secretary.
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