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Evening Star, Issue 3816, 18 May 1875, Page 2

The Princes street widening case was. on the whole, fairly discussed at the large meeting held last night in the Temperance HalL The time has gone by, we think, for a discussion of the question as to whether or not the street should be widened. The city is in so many ways committed to this work that it must ultimately be carried out. If equitable terms could have been made with the tenants on the Manse Reserve, it might be desirable that the widening should be done at once. It was with this view that the recent arbitration took place, but the awards of the arbitrators are so outrageously out of proportion to the advantage to be gained by the city in the immediate widening of the street, that we think the citizens Justified in opposing the completion of the bargain; nor do we think there is anything dishonorable in withdrawing from the bargain at this stage. The tenants are deprived of no_ advantage previously possessed by them : the rights of both parties are left intact. The position of the Corporation is this : they de81f® to effect an arrangement with the tenants of the reserve* and are willing to pay a fair price for what they ask ; the settlement of that price is referred to arbitration, and then it appears that what the Corporation desired was in the opmian of the arbitrators of much more value tuan the Corporation supposed, and far m excess of the advantage to be gained by it. Is there anything dishonorable in the Coipora-

tion now saying “We decline to pay this price, we withdraw from the negotiation, and leave things as they are to take their regular course, and will deal with each of the leases on its respective merits as it falls in.” Did the Corporation say, “We will compel the tenants at once to move out or to move back, as the case may be, but we refuse to pay them the compensation awarded by the arbitrators” they would do an injustice, from which the citizens might well shrink. This is not proposed by anyone. All that is urged by the citizens most earnestly opposed to the present carrying out of the Princes street widening is that the award shouli not be paid, that each party should retain all existmg rights in the matter, and the widening of Princes street be postponed to a moie convenient season.