The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-12-26
The battery Eniargement-More Taxes
Change OF Government.


Change OF Government.
Two of our cetemporaries, who are stepped to
their eyebrows in all kinds of speculation and
trading, calling vociferously for the enlarge
ment of the Battery, and threaten to osracise the
members of the Common Council if they do not
pass the measure immediately. Ii seems that
these spectators, not content with an increase Of
the taxation, amounting to three hundred thousand
dollars during the last year, making the enormous
aggregate Of three millions of dollars for the taxes
OF the coming year, want to saddle the unhappy
people of New York with another half million of
dollars at the end of another year. Is there, for
goodness sake, never to be an end of this base,
bare-faced, impudent corruption and public plunder-
ing! We expect no relief under the present Or
ganization Of the city government. All the vast
and extravagant expenditures of the city govern
ment are made by the respective committees Of
both boards of the Common Council, and the per-
feet recklessness with which they are authorized,
prove at once that we need an alteration In the
form of our city government-such a one as will
make each individual connected with 1t, RESPONSE
BILE for his doings, and amenable to impeachment
and punishment for malfeasance in the discharge
OF his duties
We need not tell our readers that we have, for
Years past demonstrated this the root of all the
evils which we suffer from extravagant and reck-
less legislation, backed up by extravagant and
reckless taxation. 1t Is apparent, that 1t is the
want of system of government similar to that
the several States of the United States that we
need, and that we must have, If we wish to stop
the foodgates Of corruption and extravaganza that
have been so long open upon our unfortunate clt-
zens; and the tide OF which has finally reached a
volume of such magnitude that 1t threatens, if not
reduced, to Overwhelm US completely. Our clti
zens, from the Oldest to the youngest and of both
sexes, the sufferers. The taxes are In the first
place laid on property, but the mechanic and the
working man have eventually to pay them Hence
arises the extravaganty high rents and the annual
migration to Brooklyn, Jersey City, Williams
burgh, and other places contiguous to the metro
polls, of thousands who find their means INSULT
cient to pay the high rents demanded for tene-
ments in this city, and at the same time support
their families in comfort This Is a serious injury
to New York. What, we would ask, has been
the cause of the increased and increasing value Of
lots and houses on the line of the New Jersey rail,
| road, of the land in Westc hester county, and in
Kings county, while land In the upper part of the
city, in the vicinity of Harlem, remains the same
1t the increasing amount of taxation that Is an.
nualy imposed upon us. The best portion of oul
population, our honest and hard working mechan.
les and tradesmen, are thus driven away from the
city, because their means will not allow of theil
paying the high rents demanded. The increase
of taxes for the coming year is nearly three hun.
dred thousand dollars, the greater part OF which has
to be paid by the industrious poor. A still create,
increase may be levied next year. Is it any won.
der, therefore, that there will be this migration to
places where there is relief from this overburden.
ing taxation?
The only remedy for the abuse, the corruption,
the extravaganza, and the wlful waste of the public
moneys which characterizes the government oil
the city, is the establishment Of system OF
government, the members of which, from the
highest to the lowest, would be responsible and
tangible. In order to show this more concluslveiy
we refer our readers to the following table which
we have compiled for the purpose of showing the
population of the States therein named, and the
expenses of carrying on their several govern