The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-09-12

Ha1lrOo0 EoAomles ana RTohts.
The exactions upon travellers passing
through New Jersey is q species of Algerine
tribute--a kind of highway robbery-having
the sanction of the State, which receives part
o. Il booty. 1t has it's American counterpart
in the career of LATTE, the pirate, who COM
mitted Interpretations upon strangers.
The State, over twenty years ago, chartered
two or three companies for carrying freight and
passengers through the State These charters
were perpetual and exclusive; and it was made
unlawful for anybody to compete with them.
The right to buy the roads at the end of fifty
years was reserved. Afterwards the constitu-
ton of the State was amended so that it could
not loan its credit, or create debt of more
than one hundred thousand dollars. Thus the
privilege of buying was nulliied-rendered
useless, by depriving the proposed purchaser
of the means of purchase.
Thus transferred to the companies, which had
become consolidated into one management, the
nominal State made the best terms possible
with their common masters. They fixed upon
transit tax Of ten cents upon strangers, and
fifteen cents per ton Of merchandise The
companies felt it their interest to accommodate
their protyes. They gave them two thousand
shares of stock and allowed them to collect
their tax Up to 1850, their dividends and
transit dues reached SLOT 900. Meanwhile,
the company made their pockets good by col
lecting one dollar above legal fares upon
strangers.
The concern was an exclusive monopoly by
law, and has grown to be supreme in govern
ment fixing its own rates, and collecting them
without being held to account. Its legal fares
are about fifty per cent higher than in New
England, and over thirty higher than in New
fare in 1850 they carried three hundred and
forty-fve thousand passengers over their roads
The law allows them $500 mile per annum
for carrying the United States mails upon one
road they collect $463 so, and upon another
SAC. They are monopoly, and they are the
grantees of all the highway privileges between
New York and Philadelphia.
Thus stands the case. The recent homicides
at Burlington and Beverly-the inquiry and
verdict of the coroner's jury-the actual ac-
quittal Of the guilty within hearing of the
groans Of their victims, and in the very house
of mourning, admonish us that to enforce the
legal rights Of the injured is difficult, and
the criminal accountability impossible. The
fountains of justice have been poisoned by the
money of public offenders. Not less than two
hundred and fifty thousand dollars is annually
paid to the State by the joint management. 1t
is bride, and the people and the ministers of
the law are silent The jury at Burlington
were faithful to the compact they uttered not
a word Of complaint against their masters
not word about another track-not word
for the travellers. 1t was enough to suggest
that human life was more valuable than time
They could not and dare not assert that it was
more valuable than money. Selfconvicted in
struments Of the monopoly, honest it may be,
in submission they uttered not a word about
double track-not word about that mockery
Of management called time table, though they
acquitted the conductor of blame, because he
complied with its requirements.
The Beverly slaughter has sunken already
into oblivion. Only one or two lives were sa-
criliced. What of that 1t is but the shadow
Of the affair at Burlington. A double track
might not have prevented it, but an investiga-
ton would probably be followed by another
fearful neglect by the management. The axle
broke What was its condition? When had it
been examined and tested? How long had it
been running?