36 HISTORY OF THE 



right oi" taking private property for public uses, and that 

 in all cases where property is so condemned against the 

 will of the owner, either by municipal corporations or 

 by other parties, a fair, equitable compensation, if not a 

 liberal one, is always allowed to the owners of such 

 property, instead of the mean spirit shown in under- 

 vakiing my land to less than bankrupt prices, and then 

 seizing it without the exercise of justice or mercy. 



In setting your own prices upon my property you do 

 me a great wrong, if you allow yourselves to be gov- 

 erned by the forced sales recently made by the poor 

 victims who were obliged to submit to dictation because 

 they dreaded an action in Court, and could not afford 

 the expense oi' defending their just rights. 



I am informed that the rights of private citizens are 

 always respected in such cases, eitherabroador at home, 

 especially when they yield unwillingly their property 

 for the public good, but I find no such recognition in 

 my experience with the Park Connnissioners, but that 

 my sacred rights ai'e trampled upon without mercy, and 

 my wishes are entirely ignored. 



We are supposed to be living in a christian commu- 

 nity, Avliere a just regard for individual rights is held 

 sacred as the real safeguard of our liberties, and securi- 

 ty of private property. Who could believe that such 

 bare-faced injustice as has been perpetrated upon my 

 rights could be done with impunity? 



As a merchant of Boston, I have always been a law- 

 abiding, tax-paying citizen, and can not recognize the 

 right of any corporation to seize my private estates, or 

 in other words, to confiscate them, for luxurious public 

 uses. Am I not entitled to honorable treatment? Then 



