The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-01-20

The UsURY LAWS The LAST or THE MoHIcANs.
"A movement has been made in the Legislature, at
Albany, to modify, to certain extent, the existing
usury laws. The best movement would be to repeal
them altogeth The usury laws are contrary to
the spirit of the age. They belong to those bye
gone times when 1t was believed to be the province
CT government to regulate every species OF indrv-
dual enterprise and competition, and to allow free
action to no undertaking or business that was not
previously sanctioned and stamped with govern
mental approved.
Why should the usury laws be still permitted to
remain on the statute bookl The Legislature
might as well put prce upon eggs and butter and
fix the price of beef by the pound, as regulate the
interest of money or Its value between man and
man. All that government has a right to do, is to
legalize the medium of exchange, to coin gold and
silver, to make them of a certain quality and cha
racter, and guard against all attempts to counter
feit them but to leave everything else to the rules
OF trade arr commerce.
Usury laws are species of Old-fashioned social
ism, equally as bad as the new-fanged brand Of
the prese ut day They ought to be abolished alto
gether, and every borrower and lender of money
permitted to make their own arrangements
according to their own wants and lncllna
tons, without the interference OF governments or
legislatures.
The GRAND FANCY BALL AT THE OPERA, A
GRAND FANCY FAILURK.-The grand Charity Ball,
got up by the exclusives of the Opera Committee,
has turned out as we expected-a decided failure.
We find the following curious account of the affair
In the Epenlng Mirror, journal that did all it
could to make the ball bumper
FANCY DRESS BALL AT THE OPERA HousE.-We have
neither the time, space information inclination
to enter into . minute description Of this gay and
brilliant fate may be said generally that It quite
except in important particular. viz. IS to the
number of those who took active part In the fes
vties Of the occasion: and in this respect, must
confess that the grand Fancy Bah had narrow escape
| Of being failure. To speak In business way there
only about two thousand dollars In the house,
barely sufficient to expenses the decorations
having at least afteen hundred dollars But then
must admit that everything so far Is the prepara
the taste and hbsraty Of Mr. Fry TWAS no fault of
his that the house so chilly and thin; but 1t
very grand mistake ON the part Of the committee to
give the whole management Of the affair to the least
popular and most exclusive arstocrAt that could pos
| sibly have been selected from al uppsr-tendom.
IT, instead ofone manager there lad been umites
Of fifty collected from almost many different circles
Of fashion in this, and the neghborng oties though
the tickets had been as high as twenty dollars as
would have been sold the house could mmodste
and then all would have been "merry as marriage
bell" We cannot deny the presence Of great deal
like the cold glitter Of oicss and every ssemsd to
shrink from contact Even the costly jewels. which
sparkled in almost noon day light, had frosty nd
forbddins look. The pageant was as beautiful as
moonlight upon iceberg and just about as cold So
We dismiss 1t briefly.
Who can resist destiny! According to this &C.
count there could not have been 300 persons pre-
sent-others say that only II solitary "lookers on
IN Verona" graced the gallery. This failure,
and public condemnation, arise from the unpo-
pular system on which the Opera, and opera
society, have been constructed and conducted.
No exclusive clique OF fashlonables, pretending to
superior rank, and looking down on the rest OF the
community (Which are as good as I'll , as the
camaile, can exist IN New York. All spectacle
social circles In this city equal to each other.
The Opera Commute have led Mr.. Fry-poor
fellow-sadly astray.