The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-04-03

Oar Boston Correspondence.
BosroS, March ., 1851
Reforms IN the Legisatme-Ga,. Scott and the Pres,-
deacy-The U. s. Senatorial Qucstioa-Trml Of
Carey for the Murder Of Hayward, &c. &c.
Our Legislature is very busy in carrying out the
great work Of estate REFORM" for which, ostensi-
bly, at least, the coalition formed A law pro-
vidng for the secresy of voting at the polls has
passed the Senate, and will now pass the House.
The general opinion is that the wings will suffer by
the operation Of this law
proposition is before the Senate providing for
a substantial change in the details Of system Of
representation, but rather strengthening its spirit.
II will take two years to mature the measure.
Should it be adopted, the Boston delegation in the
House of Representatives will be cut down about
third-that is, from A to 3O-and other large towns
and cities in proportion No place, whatever may
be its size, is to have than thirty representa-
tives; and each town, however small it may be, is
to be represented every year. The Senate, too,
will be affected to considerable extent, as it is
proposed to cut the State up into forty districts,
each to return Senator Under the existing sys-
TEN, county lines generally observed, and the
forty Senators are divided among them according
to population. Through single districts, the people
will be better represented in the Senate than they
have been under the present arrangement 1t has
often been the case that while the opposition hes
been ten thousand ahead of the wings in the popular
vote, it has not had member of the Senate.
This glazing evil had as much to do in bringing
about the coalition as any other single point that
entered into the affair. The success Of this and
other reform will depend, to certain ex-
tent upon the disposition that shall be made Of the
United states Senator question.
A law providing for the election Of Presidential
electors and members of Congress by plurality of
votes has been passed. This was not . party mea-
sure. 1t was supported by men Of all parties, but
| the wings alone Will gain much by it. They will
save money and secure Congressman by its exist
| ence. The democrats supported it because they
hope that the wings will quarrel over the nominal
tions for Congress-, and themselves profit thereby;
There is but small chance of seeing democrats in
Congress from Massachusetts during the present
generation. Their capacity for governing has not
been so extraordinarily developed at home as to
| render their presence at Washington very desirable.
The Scott movement increases in bodness every
day among our wings. Almost all the old whig
papers III the state either friendly to it openly,
or ready to adopt the heroic candidate at the
first moment they can do so with effect. Alarmed
at this state Of things the Boston Courier, supposed
to be Mr.. Websters organ, threw down the glove to
the 4dtas, yesterday, which that paper has taken
up, and given TO the challenger quite good he
sent. The -4thS has got on the right side this
time.
The work of reform is not confined to the legis-
lature. Ii Is going on in the Boston custom house,
where the first of April appropriate day for the
work., a number of hands are to be taken off. /
have 1T from leading whig, gentleman whose po-
slon enables him to speak by the card" that the
| only reason why Mr.. Greedy himself has not been
removed, is the refusal of the Secretary of the
Treasury to carry out the wishes of both the Pre-
sdent and Secretary of State. This to be
a more probable story than that which represents
the President and the Secretary of State being
at loggerheads on the subject. Dir. Webster is
doing himself no good by the small-potato business
OF taking the printing of the laws from oldfashioned
whig papers, the conductors Of which stood up
stoutly for him when he the object of bitter at
friendship, even ordinary gratitude or decency
among ourpohtieians. Men who are as bad as bad
acks at the hands Of many of those with whom he is
now 80 thick but there sneither honor love-
can be, allowed to hold high Offices of the most
lucrative character, while poor devils of editors
who hardly ever had "crust" such even Bible
Butler would have given away, are visited with the
full weight ofexecutive punishment. The thing istoo
contemplate to be believed any other ground than
that it, There is a sort ofludcrous air thrown
over the matter, by the publishing of the laws being
transferred to religious papers, the ground, it IS
presumable, that the law and the gospel should go
together Il is rather rich, this resort of Mr. Web
ster, in his old age, to the "pious dodge"
Judge Allen will be the senior counsel for the
defence, on the trial of the persons charged with
having aided in the rescue of Shadrach. Mr..
Choatc will lead for the government The owner
Of Shadrach has made formal demand on the
United States Marshal for the value of his
slave. There are Two reports as to the Marshafs
answer. One il, that he told the lawyer that he
wished he might get it, and the other, that he
said he would " see him id first" before he would
pay it.
There has transpired nothing Of consequence con-
corning the Senatorial question. The free sellers
have determined to stick to Mr.. Sumner until |
death shall them part" Several members Of the |
House sick, and very lively hopes are enter |
tanned by their opponents that they will not get
better until after next Wednesday, when another |
ballotng will take place.
The trial Of Carey, who killed Mr.. Hayward, |
teke-master at the railroad station in Lincoln, |
will commence in few days. Efforts are making |
to have the trial held at Concord where court for
the trial Of capital offences has not been held for
many years. The ground Of the request is, that |
all the witnesses reside in the vicinity. There
be doubt Of Carey's guilt. II is understood that
his counsel will set up the plea that the ticket |
master had right 10 arrest him, and that, there
FORE he acted legally in resisting the attempt. No
one believes, however, that he will escape conyic- |
ton, though the prospect is that he will escape the
gallows-not through executive clcmency, for the |
present State adpsnist ration il much more likely TO
hang than to pardon. CoLoSSA.