The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-02-15


YoRK-SALE OF THE STATE ARsENAL.-Mr.
Crocker, Of Washington county, has intro
duced a bill in the Assembly providing for the
sale Of the State Arsenal in this city, situate
between the Fifth and Sixth avenues, Sixty
second and Sixty-fourth streets Mr.. Croker
purposes to remove the State Arsenal to a
small place in Oneida county, called Modern
Rome" by the natives The Arsenal is to be
sold for not less than two hundred and twenty
thousand dollars, which Gum is to be divided
up into nice little jobs in various parts OF the
State.
Now, this bill ought not to pass. The city
of New York is willing to pay more than halt
the State tax and put up with less than one
sixth of the representation; but the city prays
in return, that the Assembly will let it alone.
The laws Of the State in relation to the city,
make big octave volume altogether too
heavy for us to lift comfortably. Many Of the
laws are mysterious and contradictory and
some have been forced upon US through the
petty envy and jealousy which some country
politicians feel towards this great city, which
should be their boast and their pride. We
earnestly and unanimously oppose the sale of
the Arsenal, unless the bill is 30 amended as
to provide for the erection of a new one with
in the city limits. The interests of the city de-
mand that we should have the State Arsenal
1t contains artillery and small arms sufficient to
equip fifty to one hundred thousand men, and it
has been kept in the highest state Of efficiency.
Riots or inyasions are calamities which might
occur at any moment, and to meet them we
might need artillery. We thank heaven that
we have heretofore been preserved from such
necessity; but we should still he prepared for
it if it ever should come. The idea of remov-
ing the State Arsenal from the city Of New
York to small town in the interior
of the State is absurd, and the pro
posal to do 80 can only be accounted
for by the suppostion that somebody wants
fat job The State finances are in desperate
condition, and the ingenuity of spoilsmen is
taxed to the utmost to get finger in the pub
lie crib.
The Arsenal stands within the grounds ap-
propriated for the Central park. We do not
know that it would be any great harm to let it
remain there; but if it is to be removed, let us
have it little nearer than Oneida county.
There is plenty Of room for it this side Of Hsr-
lem bridge.
AS a little sop for the metropolis, the bill
appropriates one hundred thousand dollars for
the erection of an armory in this city. Now,
Webster defines an armory as q place or build
ing in which arms are manufactured, while an
arsenal is repository or magazine OF arms or
military stores. Does Dir. Croker purpose
that the State shall 60 into the manufacture of
small arms, when it owns sufficient quantity
to equip every man capable OF bearing arms
in its territory? Such cannot he the intention
Of the bill, yet that is what it means in Eng
lish. We do not want State Armory a 4
more than we want State tailor's shop, but
we do want an Arsenal: and we again call uI;
on the city members to oppose the bill. They
can defeat it if they are unanimous in opp osi-
ton.