The efforts of the civil authorities to restrain the violence of these lawless men, proved unavailing ; and the Commissioners having communicated to the Mayor their apprehension of damage to the work, a military detachment was ordered on the line, at whose appearance order was speedily restored and work resumed. In the course of this year a difference of opinion arose between the Commissioners and the Common Council, in relation to their respective duties in laying the distributing pipes.

On the 4th May, the Commissioners made a communication to the Board of Aldermen, calling their attention to the subject of laying down distributing pipes through the city, and expressing their doubts whether committees of the Corporation, necessarily

changing from year to year, could execute the work as properly, economically, and seasonably, as a fixed department.

By the law of 28th April, authorising the additional loan of three millions, the fifth section of which is quoted in a preceding page, it is expressly enacted " that no item of

expenditure should be charged against the water stock fund, except the same is approved by the Water Commissioners and the Comptroller." Under this provision, the Commissioners stated to the Board of Aldermen, that they felt constrained to call the attention of their engineers to the subject of supplying the city with pipes, and laying them down.

"The extent of the subject," say the Commissioners, " and its importance, will be readily perceived, when it has been stated by our predecessors, that lines of pipes, to the