The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-04-16

Our B0stOaA Correspondence.
BOSTON, April s. 1854
Dsms~sxc nfsas-Me Fira District-7Ae legislature
and Constitutional Reform -Radoal Changes Proposed
additional Increase Of Bank Capital = han'c'pds
Erenses- he~s- Raiiroad Improvements Damages
Cla..s.s-An Odd Cast-Eep L,wate Hosp'tcl-fo7
Do,-7ae Hslsemamn Letter, dc.
The democrats here take the defeat of their party with
philosophical GOODNESS that worthy of all prasether
defeats in Connecticut and Rhode Island and First dis
tricl mean One way the other, the Nebraska nag
has 10 bear the entire burden Of them Those who
favor Mr. Douglas rre declare that the opposition ~
received from their party in both States named was the
OF the party's overthrow In opposition to these
eccentric individuals the great mass Of the party
who aver that the msfortunes that have happened
the natural consequences of bringing in the proposition
to repeal the compromise of 1920 They disposed
to extract good from what they hold to be evil and
that is better that the democracy should be beaten
now than two years hence. Perhaps they are right;
but cannot exactly the necessity Of being beaten
at either time. Were the party wisely led 1T
ought to be able to go over one administrative
term without getting into vast bog There never
was such opportunity lost as has been literally
rejected by gentlemen at Washington to place the demo-
cratic party a footing complete in its strength as
was known in Jackson's time However, If Cen Pierce
likes flies in his soup shall not quarrel with him about
his want Of taste.
The small majority received by Mr. Eliot in First
district-small compared with that received by Mr.
scudder in 1s52-shows what might have been effected
by the ant wings" had the Nebraska question been out
of the way Mr.. Eiots vote will be against
tie BILL the district has hitherto been unrepresented
The Legislature has again commenced 'tnkering the
constitution" There has been reported proposition to
the House Of Representatives BY the Committee on Con
stutona Reform divide the State into forty districts
each to have one Senator and the numbers OF
appor onment to be the number OF legal voters This
involves complete and summary change Of the prn
cples Of Massachusetts government ii revolutionary
constituent assembly sitting for the purpose Of i'm
promising new polity 1t involves, in the arst
place, total departure from our system of
representation which has existed for than two hun
cred years. and which has worked admirably. 1t is
proposition to substitute the district system system
wholly unknown to New England such-or the ancient
and wered and satisfactory system of town corpo
rate most democratic mode known to
the world and worthy Of especial oommendaon for the
part which it performs in the political education of the
people, and because its maintenance is incompatible
with the application Of the party convention dr to at
least branch of government In the second
place the substitution of legal voters for population
the basis for the construction Of the House and the Senate
would be great change, and the effect would be quite
remarkable should it be adopted The wings have, by
reporting these changes shown that their for
the old constitution which but two years ago they pro-
nounced unimprOvabe by human hands, has departed
They would leave few of its principles unquestioned
its provisions undisturbed there left Of Lears
knights They have given special offence to the Irish to
whose assistance they much indebted for their
ascendancy in two for that class of voters to
both the legal voters basis, and to the cutting
up of the great towns-BostOn Lowell &C., Gc-into
preventative districts, whereby their power Of COM
bination from being distinct people in race AMI dis
tnct sect in religion will be greatly lessened am not
sure however, that the main why many people
favor the district system who opposed to it six
mont since Is not owing to the evidence which the
events of last November Afforded that the town system
affords great advantages to the Catholic voters to band
together for the accomplishment of certain purposes
control entirely the character of the delegations from
such places, which would be state of things repug
nant to the ideas Of the of party to that OF
any all Others though tho wings from having lately
received much valuable aid from the Catholics just
elled to be little deferentia TO that class
Of voters than they usually They have humbugged
them finely the subject of the convent indemnity
thus far; but that game can't e played much longer.
It is ~, not possible to say what is to be the fate
the postIonement Of any discussion on the
subject until next Tuesday the 1lth by majority of
thought by some to indicate its defeat, two.thrds
must vote for to its passage The original pro-
position has been already far amended to make the
number of representatives $40 instead Of 240 and this
may its rejection, great object with certain
reormers is to reduce the number Of representatives,
and $40 would form greater House than has been the
average of the last years The House of this year
has but 800 members and that of last year consider
ably smaller
The Legislature seems to be in the mood OF increasing
the amount Of bank capital beyond the amount
mended by the committee the subject Several bills
not recommended by that committee but positively
opposed by its chairman in debate The profits that
arise from banking supposed to be large that there
is sort Of mania the subject that may lead TO evil
The committee adopted plan for moderate increase; but
il seems that that has not satisfied the Senate.
The City Auditor estimates municipal expenses for
the year ending April &c. 1855, at 81 1856 000 of which
81 500 must be raised by taxation being increase
Of s2l1 SEQ on tie amount raised in that way last
when the estimates proved erroneous and money
borrowed to meet the deficiency As property has large
ly increased this additional taxation will not amount to
=
only that people always apt to grumbe at tax
paying when they we'll able to meet it than when
they not So what Lord Catlereagh used to call
an ignorant mratence Of taxation being especial
vice Of the wealthy classes Some of the principal items
of expenditure for the years lS54-'55 follows
For schools, 1897 coo; works 1891 0OO Streets
1926 Geo. widening and extending the same 500, 900;
Watch Department 500 GEO. police, $4,000; salaries
$4,000; interest sl250C0. Fire Department $S7 500;
houses OF correction, industry, reformation, and Deer
Island, 1872 500 lamps $685. 900; city debt, 100000;
county of Suffolk $3.50 000 Lunatic Hospital $40 000
Overseers Of Poor $50 Geo. and and drains $685.
O00. The difference between the expenditures the
water werks including interest and the income there
from, is put AZ $1400 900.
The Eastern Railroad Company will commence running
their trains into the city on Monday next April TO- Their
bridge over Charles river is mile long, a.i twenty six
feet WIDE and has double track 1t has strong guards,
which are intended to prevent the from being thrown
into the river, should they r. thrown off the track The
draws are on new Plan invented and patented by Mr.
Ross the builder Of the bridge They swing to side
and aie easily managed by few men, and in short
time. The station house on Causeway street. i'm
mediatey opposite to the bottom Of Friend street II has
three tracks and is 800 feet by so The track made
necessary by this change of entrance is FIVE and half
miles in length, and the trains will upon the old
track in Chelsea but the real increase OF distance is but
two miles which will be made up by the avoidance of the
ferry Some troubles likely grow ont of the change
to the company action for damages laid at $4,000,
having already been brought against them by the Cary
improvement Company for passing through the latters
laais in North Chelsea.
The supreme Court this forenoon gave n decision of
some Importance TO gentlemen in the horse business.
Sometime ago Mary Ann Hastings brought an action
against Calvin Aiken to recover the penalty provided for
keeping stable within 10 feet of house of religious
worship Mr. Aiken had altered old building in Essex
street, into stable, the plaintiff residing in Brimmcr
place, which adoins Essex street Her first action
for obstructing Brmmer place, which she won. She
then brought another under statute passed forty four
years ago being that on which decision given this
morning by shaw c. j., and which provides that for
every month stable, situated shall be used, the
sum Of one hundred dollars shall be forfeited As Mr..
Aiken bad used his stable eleven months he east in
Tie sum OF 81 leo.
lie new state lunatic Hospital ~ Taunton in Bristol
county - completed This institution Il 10 be reserved
for insane persons from the counties OF Ranstable Brs