The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-09-06

Japan, the islands Of the ocean, New Holland, are
soon to be near to ms. Our influence will soon be
upon them. Fleets, navies, armies, will not con-
troll, subject, repress, or hinder the progress of
commerce. Commerce will carry civilization with
it, The merchant will be the true missionary, as
he always has been, and as he alone can be; and
the mighty republican empire of the Southwest
will be The Mecca of notions Away, then, with
nonsensical personal diffsrsnces of opinion-away
with party lines, and with those who stick to them,
and let us prepare to enjoy the future, of which
cannot be deprived if we are true to our country.
The Report or rhe Chief Engineer Of the
Fire Department--Thc Corruption and
ImbeciIity OF the present Common Coun-
ell.
We place before our readers to-day, one of the
most extraordinary and important public documents
which ever came under our notice. We allude
TO the annual report of the Chief Engineer of the
New York Fire Department, which is addressed
TO the Common Council, and was sent in TO that
body day or two since II is remarkable docu-
mtnt in every point of view, and discloses more
corruption, imbecilty, and deplorable disregard
10 the wants, interests and wishes of the public,
and those of the noble band of hremen who peril
their lives and expend their time in the service of
the community, than ever came under notice. We
recommend it TO the careful perusal of every man
and woman in the city, of high and low degree, as
a paper which discloses much information concern
ing the utter corruption, and, we might say, crimi-
nal negligence, of those whom the people OF this
goody city, in the innocence of their hearts, elect
ed TO preside over the destnies of this city, and to
take care of their individual and collective inte-
rests.
No one can rise, after perusal of this extraor-
binary document, without being impressed with
the idea that there never was time when New
York and its interests were confded to worse more
unworthy or more corrupt hands The develope-
ments in this report of the Chief Engineer of the
Fire Department, pres ent an amount of corruption,
base ness and vany greater thanwe have ever heard
of. We have carefully watched Common Council
after Common Council city government after city
government, fer more than quarter of century
past and we candidly confess that the present Com
mon Council outstrip, in an infinite degree, all their
predecessors of every party, and of every shade of
politics, from defunct nativism to democrats and
wings, in every thing that is base, corrupt, and
mbecile This is the first time, within our expert
ence, that the two heads of the Common Council
have been publicly and solemnly charged by a
public officer, holding high sand responsible posi-
ton in our midst, with malfeasances In the dis
charge of their public duties, which almost amount
10 crimes-and which are, morally speaking, crimes,
as much so If made such by statute. We certainly
would like to know how Morgan Morgans, GeorgeH.
Franklin, Police Justice MOuntfort, Messrs. Bard,
| Halves, Griffin, Crane, Smith, Alderman, McCar-
thy, and others, will feel when these Developments
| are read and pondered upon by the community.
| Some Of these gentlemen, We derstand, are can
didates for the next Mayoralty of this goodly but
| much abused city, and will, no doubt, use every
exertion TO secure the nomination for that Office,
| he q afterwards. a
they will cut to be sure when the time for election
comes around How will they be able to explain
away the very important and serious charges that
are publicly made against them, IN this document
| In what manner will they get nd of the charge OF
| discharging from arrest rowdies and scoundres
who have been in the daily habit OF assaunng the
hremen OF New York with deadly INSTRUMENTS and
cutting, and dishguring, and destroying the fire en-
gines, as to enable those bad chara cters to
resume their wanton and disgraceful conduct the
next day How will they, as well as Mayor
Woodruff, free themselves from the charge of ap-
pointng inefficient and ignorant men to the impor-
ant and responsible offices of bell ringers, and frem
toerating, we are informed they have done, the
most perfect neglect of the duties which pertain TO
| those bell nngersl How can they explain the i'm
Piled, if not direct, charges Of bribery and corrup-
| lion, made against them in certain cases Those
| gentlemen must certainly make attempt, at all
events to clear their skirts of those serious and
| tremendous charges.
For many wears past the hremen OF New York
have been used, il not abused, most sadly by the
L
| a most important and influential class of our CON-
munity, they are, and have been, matreated by
| the powers that be, no matter to what party they
may belong. This is wrong-decidedly wrong.
| The New York hremen are the real democracy
| of the cty-its very bone and sinew-and the
Chief Engineer whom they elect is their repre-
sentative. With such body OF men IN France,
| or any other European country, there would be no
difficulty in remodelling political institutions, and
! in establishing government like ours. Although
i may not be Immediately felt, the hremen of New
York exert powerful influence over our CITY, and
throughout society, in all It's .yaried ramifcations
Their interests as firemen should he attended 10
by the authorities, and every suggestion thu
emanates from them through their organ, the
Chief Engineer, should be respectfully listened TO.
Instead of this being the case, Eve learn by the
Chief Engineers report, that their representations
are totally disrcgarded--that, in fact, they are
treated as If unworthy Of being heard. We shall
see how all this will end.
NKw YORK UNIvERsrrY-MKpIcAL DEPARTMENT.
1t viii be seen by advertisement in another
column, that the appointments to the vacant chairs
in the medical department of the New York Uni
versity are made. Doctor Elisha Bartlett, PROBES
sor of Theory and Practice in the University Of
Louisville, and Doctor Samuel ID. Grosp, Profess
sor Of Surgery, in the same Institution, have re-
signed their respective chairs, and acce pied The
same in the University Of this city. OF the excel
lence of ihese appointments ii is almost unnecessary
to speak. The medical profession Throughout, the
county, will rejoice at the translation of these emf
nent men from the positions they have so well fill
ed in Louisville, to the more extended field Of this
metropolis; and doubt not that under the Fa-
Gully as 1t now exists, the University of New York
is destined to a cueer Of unbroken prosperity.
Dr. Bartlett has long been known as an eminent
teacher Of TIE bSanch now under his charge aud
his erudite writings on typhus fever, the philoso-
ply Of medicine, NC, have secured him at home
and abroad enduring name DR.. Gross, long
recognized a. the eminent surgeon OF the West,
and whose greet work on pathological anatomy,