The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-04-18

being increase Of ssl7 &c. An able and elaborate
sermon was preached by Rev. Mr.. Neville, after
which collection for the benefit Of the society was
taken up. The report will appear as soon as We can
make room for it.
The Rev. DIR. Hatfield delivered lecture on 1.-THE
Shares Of City Life" last evening, at the Seventh
Presbyterian Church, corner of Ridge and Broome
streets, to a numerous congregation, comprising
large proportion Of young men, to whom it was es
pecaly addressed The crowded state OF our columns
compels us to defer report.
Our columns to-day contain, among great variety
If other interesting matter to which have no room
for partcuar reference full aocout of the destruc
tive fire at the Brooklyn navy yard yesterday; re-
ports Of various meetings Of the trades; court pro
ceedngs; financial and commercial reviews, &c.
The Adjournment of the Lee1slature-The
Questions OF the Day-Are the Democracy
Han moniOus.
There seems to be general acquiescence in
the Legislature and out, of the propriety and
necessity of calling an extra session. The i'm
portant public business, most of which has been
under consideration nearly the whole session,
remains unfinished. The settlement of the
canal question, the consideration Of the code,
making appropriations for the support of go
vernment, the distribution of the canal sur
plusage to the various canals for repairs during
the coming season. are among the most indis-
pensable measures which the last Legislature
neglected to provide for.
Although from the condition Of legislation it
was generally conceded that special session
was necessary, still large majority of the
Legislature was not prepared for proclama-
ton calling the members together on the very
next day after the expiration of the hundred days
The members Of the House, being thus disap-
pointed Immediately upon re-assembling. as
soon as action could be had. adopted resolu-
ton for adjourning on Friday over to the 18th
of May. There was great pressure upon the
Senate to agree to this resolution. But that
body. Upon voting at two different periods, de-
clared by strong majorities that they would not
adjourn. This greatly excited and irritated the
members of the House; and from the commence
ment of the extra session down to Tuesday at
noon, that body was in no humor to transact
public business. AT that hour another resolu-
ton was adopted, adjourning at five o'clock on
that day, to meet again on the 23d day of May.
The Senate, after considerable discussion, agreed
to the House proposition, and thereupon both
branches Of the Legislature stand adjourned, for
the purpose of giving the members little re-
taxation.
That the legislature Of 1853 has disappointed
public expectation is absolutely certain On the
second day of the session. the 9Th of January. a
commencement was made to adjust the canal
question. The Senate was harmonious and APP
parently anxious to make the experiment. and
when the question was taken to the House. the
attempt failed by the casting vote of Mr..
Speaker Ludlow. AS matters turned out: At is now
very apparent that the failure of that joint reso
luton has produced all the evils, and prevented
the Legislature from finishing up all the indis-
pensable business within the hundred days.
The result has proved that a nearly unani-
nous opinion prevailed, before the adjournment,
that an amendment of the constitution. in some
mode or other, was considered necessary. The
only question now seems to be- whether two
million five hundred thousand dollars, or
one million five hundred thousand dollars.
shall be borrowed annually, until the canals
shall be finally completed Not only did
the House. through its leaders of the barn
burning section, Messrs. West. Champlin,
LOOMS, and others yield their first impressions
of tax and toll bill, bat one of them absolute
ly introduced resolutions amending the consti-
tuition. And Governor Seymour, in his message
converting the Legislature, also endorses pro
position for an amendment. Though he has
been known during the winter as having used
all his influence in favor Of the tax and toll bill,
he has now only re-affirmed the identical posi-
tion which the Buffalo Courier and other de-
mocratic papers allege he advocated in his adj
dresses to the people before his election, during
his tour through the canal districts
1t cannot truly be said that Mr.. Loomis in
troduced the proposition to impose tolls on
railroads. When his bill for imposing tax to
finish the canals was under discussion. the bill
sent into the Senate for toling the roads by
Mr. Pierce. was tackled to Mr.. Loomis's bill,
and both were blended together by large
vote sent to the Senate, where it sleeps, and
can never be adopted
Had the joint resolution offered on the Sc
cond day of the session been adopted by the
House, committee of wise and discreet mem
bers three from the Senate and FIVE from the
House. been judiciously selected by the Presi-
dent of the Senate and the Speaker of the
House. report or two reports made, after two
weeks conference and consultation, this whole
difficulty Of providing ways and means for COM
pleting the canals would have been adjusted be-
fore the session was half ended. And. in taking
this view, it must be conceded that the casting
vote given by Mr.. Speaker Ludlow against the
formation Of that joint committee, contributed
in great measure TO procure the continued
embarrassments of the session, created an i'll
feeling between the two houses, prevented har
mony in the Senate in relation to executive
sessions, threw much important business over
board, and rendered it indispensable that Gov
ernor Seymour should call special session Of
10 1~srl