The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-02-16

PRorosxs LINE OF STEAMSHIPS AND RAnso.D
TO New ORLEANS There are 20 many railroad
and steamship companies projected from day to
day, that II is really difficult to remember them
| all While examining into one, and specuiAtlag
| on the benefits which will accrue from II 10
| The country, as we'll as to the stockholders,
We are startled by the announcement that an
| o,her railroad, or another line OF steam
ships 10 proje cited; and while in like manner Ia.
ouleipg in the results that will flow from it, up
comes another. Thus it 10 from week to week,
and month to month. and thus il will be, until the
| country IL Iniersected with railroads, and we have
a fret OF steamships equal to any in the world.
The latest project OF this lind that has come to
! our knowledge, 10 one for bringing New Orleans
within five days Of New York, by means Of 4 feet
Of s,esmsl ipa from New York to a point on this
side Of the peninsula Of Florida, and another from
point on the other side to New Orleans-the two
points in Florida to be connected BY rairosd
across that peninsula. An act Of incorporation
has been secured by the parties who originated
the scheme, from the Legislature of Florida, aud
the title of the company which is about to enter
| upon this great enterprise, 10 the Atlantic and
Gull Railway Company. The preliminary steps
have been TAKEN and the survey of the route will
| be made as soon as possible. The same company
conem plate building twenty steamships to ply be-
tween New Orleans and the southern side of the
peninsula on the one hand, and Flew York and the
northt IN side on the other. At first the commu-
nication will be weekly, afterwards semi weekly,
and oftener, until all of their vessels shall have been
constructed and then vessel will leave each port
daily
The advantages that would flow from the COM
pletlon of this enterprise is obvious. The rail-
| road across Florida would obviate distance
of some six hundred miles Of the NEST dangerous
navigation. On the whole Of our extensive At
lant,c coast, there Is not a more dangerous part
Than that In the neighborhood of the terminus OF
the peninsula Of Florida, known as Cape Florida.
1t repete with els rocks, and bars, which are
the dread Of all mariners; and until that cape il
safely weathered, NO coasting vessel can be con-
sldered safe In addition to this, there will be
eavlDg OF fully one hundred per cent in the time
occupied in transporting the mails between New
York and New Orleans. 1t now takes ten days TO
convey them from that port t. New York, while
by the proposed route 1t will not take more than
five. bare .ra..
Aims HOUSE RHFoRM-We have before US an
address by the committee In regard to the abuses
in the Aims House Department, which deserves
the serious attention of the citizens OF New York.
brief statement OF only few OF the mos. glaring
abuses, Is given in this document. They are,
however, such as are sufficient to startle evon the
dead. For example, one man IN thus city, as the
paper before states, has the expenditure OF $780,
eco year, cithout the exercise Of adequats super
v,s,om or control oper him" 1t also appears that
81, asa 90 per annum 10 expended to sapply wines,
ales and brandy, to "Paupers, prisoners, and luna
tics" The expenses of this department, 1t il
| feared, will soon reach million year. No one,
| we think, can hesitate to come to the conclusion
that they, whoever they are, who thus expend the
public money Of the citizens Of this city, in this
| wild and extravagant manner, are morally, before
the world, guilty OF breach OF trust towards their
fellow citizens. This address also points out the
| crying want OF reform in the prison department,
and shows that disorder, confusion, favoritsm'
idleness, want of discipline escapes, and improper
| commitments, exist to a deplorabe extent Ia this
department The remedy proposed Is to separate
the Aims House and Prison Department from the
party sifes OF the day For this purpose, 1t Is pro-
posed to make application to the Legislature to de-
wise remedy. The document concludes with .
memorial for this purpose the Legislature, pray
ing that provision be made by Legislative enact.
ment-
For the election Of Board Of Control aud Manage
nspt Of the Aims House Department Of this city, en-
eiaeins the City Prison the Houses OF psssnson sue
grants III one be estabu.hed) the Lunstic Asylum,
and The City Nurssss so DO independent Of the City
Councils, and constituted ~ to BIZ free from political
ii That the Common Council, by duly authorised
committees Of Its body shall ut least twice In each
wear inspect the condition Of Gil the iost
tutions under the Of the Board Of Control tt.
minutes, proceedings, and oil other omcn ao!, ana
for maifsasance in ONCE before the SupIsms Court
| who shall have the power Of removal from Off Sc
III That the tenure OF offce OF the Keepers aud
others employed In the various Institutions DO for
time sufcien mt the services Of capable and
By thus Withdrawing these institutions from the
arena Of party politics, and subecins their msu.ss
neh' 70 .ns h,, th., ,h. sbssS ",uss ~ .rist
ing sbusss will be removed.
The prompt and tborous action Of the Legislature
in this behalf, 10 therefore urgently solicited.
We shall return to this subject at some other
opportunity II il one of the gre atest importance,
when we contemplate the vast expenditure made
of half million year for the Aims House De-
psrtment alone We think two hundred thousand
dollars, TO which the committee propose to reduce
it, ought TO be the utmost limit of the expenditure.
LEGISLATIVE LIrrLRNKss.-The most contempt.
bls piece Of ittlenees that have ever heard OF,
10 that recently perpetrated by tho Legislature OF
Rhode Island, which, IN our opinion, is now 4
sm.ler State, in every sense Of the term, than we
ever thought it was. With the view OF healing old
sores, and modifying subdulng old animosities,
bill was recently introduced into the Legislature
OF that State, having for it's object the restoration
10 Ex-Governor Dorr of his civil rights, which he
forfeited few years ago by engaging In the ia