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The same act embraces a revision of the powers and duties 

 of the Commission, which are extended, in some respects, be- 

 yond the scope of the original law under which they have 

 heretofore acted, and, in connection with the other act just re- 

 ferred to, has much increased their duties and responsibilities. 

 Among other tilings, it confers upon the Board authority to 

 perfect the boundaries of Prospect Park along the Ninth avenue, 

 which had an unsightly extension jutting out into the avenue 

 opposite the park, near the main entrance ; and also along Fif- 

 teenth street, which was laid down in a curve line, to correspond 

 with the park boundary, until it reached the Coney Island road, 

 and which required adjustment. These two operations seemed 

 necessarily connected with the improvement of this park ; and 

 the Board was, therefore, directed to institute the legal proceed- 

 ings required for their accomplishment. The Commissioners of 

 Estimate and Assessment, who were appointed by the court 

 for the purpose, have completed their task to the satisfaction 

 of the Board, at a very moderate cost to the parties in- 

 terested. 



The Commissioners regret to say that the bill which was 

 introduced into the Legislature last Spring, for the laying out 

 of streets and avenues throughout the county of Kings, beyond 

 the city of Brooklyn, failed to become a law. Their views on 

 this important subject, — the advantages municipal, financial, 

 and sanitary of properly adjusting and connecting the streets 

 and avenues of this rapidly growing suburb of the city with 

 our own thoroughfares, and the great inconvenience, loss, and 

 confusion which must arise from a neglect of this work, — were 

 stated in a former report, and need not here be repeated. They 

 take this occasion, however, to add, that the evils of delay are 

 becoming every day more apparent, in consequence of the large 

 amount of property in the country towns which is being mapped 

 out into city lots, and sold for purposes of improvement. Every 

 proprietor who brings his lots into market, and cuts up his farm 

 for sale, seems to lay out his streets and avenues, and arrange 

 his property according to his own fancy or supposed advantage, 

 without reference to the public convenience, and without know- 

 ing, in fact, what the public requirements really are. The 

 Board has always, even at the risk of sometimes appearing to 

 step beyond the exact line of its duty, been solicitous to point 



