The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-04-01

ands in tho asesndancy in or national councils
We have At tho head Of this government : President
high hope Of sound and demoeratie policy, and ons
which win meet your approval and the approval Of pos
and Il is peculiarly proper fer to say that wish-
that the Democratic party of this city here in Tammany
haa = nen. ine Pees s,S os me-
that he could do under the peculiar circumstances
that have made for ourselves in this STATE to heal
true democrat who has higher regard for prinsi
ples than he has for men, viii withhold from himHn
me- ns' saa on s ss Sss
Immediately before you to night You have met for the
purpose of considering certain amendments which
main are proper We must all, when we consider the
ischfs that have been visited upon this city within
the ass three or four years by improper and corrupt
gisaton give assent to plan which proposes
legislation and this plan has about 1t certain features Of
good without which it to the affairs Of the
city cannot be well conducted, honestly conducted
benecialy conducted to all the great interests which
are involved in this city government There are one or
two matters however in that bill which will take the
liberty ST dissenting from. listened with great respect
to the speech OF respected and eloquent friend who
presdes this meeting
VOICE. wish to hear the first resolution read.
The CHAIRMAN read the resolution.
The same voICs-very wei. Ny name is Bright. sub
scribe to that resolution. daughter aud cries Of hes
Mr. 81 proceeding to mention one or two posi-
tons in which do not agree with the bill pending before
which think is called in the Constitutional Convention
ride and tie provision. If understand that section
it provides for the election OF aldermen in half the wards
one year. and of other aldermen in half the wards next
year 1t to that that provision il calculated to
corruption in the exercise OF the elective franchise
70 nave genera. e,ecion ,or an .ne
ZANE an half Of the
aldermen should go out of Office annually see no
teal way in which that could be accomplished except by
a selection Of two aldermen from large district
6e Of s e an tine at AL
might De no danger OF criminal voting by those who
across the street. could not ticpate in election tina
was going on in their neighborhood. Another thing
would Like to accomplished by the city charter is
representation upon the basis of population applause
know there are great interests in this city opposed to
ihat principle; but it is democratic principle. and
if it were adopted it would avoid serious evils
That Ina could only be accomplished by reorganiz
them without reference to existing ward lines That
sooner or later it seems to me, must be done that
every men, who votes in city election shall have equal
power, as near as may be, with every other man who
votes in the same election because it Is anomaly in
our system that the vote of in the selection of
an alderman in one ward is equivalent to the vote Of
three men in the selection Of alderman in another
ward. That Is wrong, and ought to be changed. How
ever is duty practical men to get out of this
improvement in favor of REFORM Instituted by the Demo
cratic Union Club all the practical good that
ccmplish CCheers) We must go as far go
with the democratic interest in order make work
practical and not upon the vague idea Of bringing out
perfect measure and sacrifice all those good things which
Of establishing different constituencies for the Board Of
Aldermen and the Board Of Councimen it is called is
an excellent idea for that idea every State
men and the national government organized 1t has
worked practically well in all those cases. and it has be-
firmly established provision Of the constitution and
is inter closely publican government wher
ever such government existed Our city larger than
third OF the cities in this Union it, does not
conform to democratic principles in any very considera
BILE degree Now another thing il conceived, which is
the proposition contained in the bill to give the Mayor
the veto power as given to the Governor of every
States, which is most excellent proposition And what
real service Is the veto in the hands OF the Mayor
at the present timer Why, he returns an ordi-
cisely the vote that passed it before The Mayor
continually trodden under foot, for he in that res
scrutiny and pointing out to the public eye the
defects contained In any particular proposition which
the Common Council may have adopted. change of
that in high degree is important Upon other points
that designed to speak my learned friend who has
gone before me, has addressed you fully and
few words in reference to another part this bill The
city of New York you know, stands in double relation
1t is great political body it is what is called public
corporation; and it is also private bodya private cor
powers for the benefit Of the ct
zens as outside of its duties as
contracts entered into by this city entered into by
the corporation in that capacity and the great evil
which has arisen has out Of an abuse 1 the sys
been alive TO their own individual interest rather than
looked to measures, as they benefited themselves
s mot as
provisions Of the bill in respect to contracting
seems to be very full very carefully drawn and very adj
mraby adapted to guard against return of corruption.
1t is true that human ingenuity frame no Law which
will constitute perfect shield against the ingenuity Of
those who upon the watch to deraud but the sys
tenn be framed, and expedens must be devised
to eyade the new provisions. New ways sought for
to introduce fraud and thank God at last penal prov
sion is proposed SO stringent that man who has the
cowardce to perperate fraud viii dare counter
to these provisions (Cheers) For frauds not per-
petraed by the children necesssy-they are not per
by the VIII
not perpetrated for the purpose of
saving te or OF Iescung dear from want but they
pockets are groanng With plumber, Who have been
giutted at the public crib and Whose apprehen-
be wrested from them. (Cheers) Against such men
as these q penal provision such as that bill con-
ains, is protection To SUCH wretches prisons are
fearful things. end exposure dreadful calamity
To such wretches who controlled by their cupdty
and by their fears these penal provisions offer restraint
and barrier which those who steal from necessity
never know knowing, dare to encounter (Applaase
Fellow citizens have detained you longer than expect
cannot but repeat the qualification that feel to
see the democratic party here assembled in such
upon some new issue-an honest ISSUE true ISSUE
and one that proposes unfy-one that proposes entire
support OF every honest man in the community, and Of
every lover of democratic principles (Cheers) There
yours 10 the legislature Let them protect us,
Will protect ourselves cloud applause) Frauds
posed but that game Of fraud has had its day. II is
played out. is at end and all that remains to be
done 70 provide for the future against similar
others who may power without penal provisions
before their eyes Fellow citizens thank you for the
kind attention with which you have heard me, and
yield the stand to others who better able
10 explain this matter eoquenty and more graph
cally than can do. (Applause) Mr.. Arcularus then
came forward, but gave way to
MIR. BARsrow, Of New Hampshire, who said When
first announced by the chairman that from New
Ham pshire, l sorry that the announcement was
made but consoled with the reflection that If
city has come to what IL Is said TO be, may well
claim to hail from New Hampshire instead OF New
York. | did not come to speak this evening" but to
listen; and as | know there other interesting
speakers to follow, will ask you to accept a very
few remarks from apology for speech instead
Of speech have listened with the utmost attention
TO every word which has been said this evening and from
it all draw this inference that long of public
plumber has brought the most fourshng city of the
wodto the abyss Of disgrace and would have placed it
upon the Of bankruptcy had 1t not been that
great external OF prosperity have buoyed and
kept aoa in spite of the corruption that ting
the vitals within heers The steamship the ele
graph the independent press and California goda great
external causes OF prosperity have served kind of
extornal influence to this inward deprayy and corrup
ton 1t has served antidote to the poison that has
been playing in the veins OF the city government like
poison in the human body But these great external