The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-04-27

the necessity Of always watching for quarrels
and wars with each other, will be enabled to
bring all their combined intelligence and indus
try and honest endeavor to the great and noble
work of raising the whole world to the level Of
the highest intellects which II contains
The INFAMOUS New YORK LEGISLATURES or
ls57-The State Legislature which closed its
session some days ago will be long remembered
as the most corrupt, rascally, INSCRIPTIONS body
that has ever disgraced the Capitol at Albany
Sailing under the banner Of philanthropy, repub
licanism and hostility to Southern institutions
they cared little or nothing for any such princi-
pies az these. They were the mere canting by
pocrites of political life, who used this outward
devotion, and put on this pharisaicai garb, to
conceal the corrupt, selfish, aggrandizng motives
which were the handspring of all their actions.
Or if there we're some elements Of sincerity In
the body as probably there may have been some
from the rural districts--they only went to form
blending of fanatics and scoundrcls a comb
nation of Puritans and blacklegs.
Such was the character, and such history will
declare it to be, of the last State Legislature.
IncOnsiderately and without any regard to
the interests for which they legislated,
they passed over eight hundred acts-a large
proportion of which we would undertake to
say will prove to be sbortions, and most, If not
all, OF them violations Of good sense, good policy
and good grammar. 1t is only, however, with
some dozen of these acts that the citizens of this
metropolis have anything to do. And all Of these
without an exception we believe-are either
liable to just criticism or are altogether repug
nant to the institutions under which we live,
contrary to the letter and spirit of our constitu-
ton, subverdve of the political rights and inju-
rious to the personal interests of our citizens The
Metropolitan Police bill, the Excise law, the new
City Charter, the Central Park bill, the City Hall
bill, the Assessment bill, the Quarantine law, the
Port bill, &c, are all moro or less encroachments
upon our municipal rights, and i'll Judged acts of
legislation. As to those Of minor importance,
such as the Quarantine law. the Port BILL &C., 1t
is enough to say that the provisions Of these
statutes are such as should properly emanate
from the government of the city, instead Of
from the Legislature of the State, and that
they are an uncalled-for and impairment In
reference with our municipal affairs But
like those of greater importance, they were
got up out Of that spirit of meddling obtrusive-
ness and desire to pension political partisans
upon the people which have inspired this in
famous Legislature in all that they have done.
The measures taken first BY the Mayor of this
city and now BY the Attorney General Of the State
in the name Of the people Of the State to test the
validity and constitutionality of the Metropoli-
tan Police bill, will, We have no doubt, result in
the complete defeat Of these puritanic- blsckleg
politicians at Albany. 80 far as that bill is con-
cerned. But in the meantime, and pending the
decision Of the question by the Court of Appeals,
it Is doubtful whether there will be any legitimate
head of the police force in the metropolis The
two charters comforting the control Of the police
department on the Mayor are both annulled by
the new charter, which goes into operation next
Friday, and which gives him no such control.
But we suppose be may still continue to exercise
authority over the department under the Police act
of 1853, which makes the Mayor, Recorder and
City Judge police commissioners 1t is more
than propable, however, that If he does continue
to exercise his authority in that respect, Mr.
Comptroller Flagg will refuse to pay the force
out of the city treasury.
Thus We are in state Of complete anarchy
and revolution in this city; and it will go on
probably from bad TO woise, until the police force
is utterly demoralized, and until there will cease
to be any such thing rs protection to life and
property in this metropolis. The Mayor and
Common Council resist the new law, and deny its
force; and we dare ray that nine-tcnths Of the
community will applaud and sustain them In this.
bypocritical puritanic spirit as that which gave
birth to the passage of the Maine law by the
same State Legislature two years ago, and which
the Courts declared imperative and void-will
be resisted with all the energy and determination
that can be brought 10 bear against such an OPP
pressive edict Measures will also be take to test
the validity Of the Central Park bill and other
bills affecting this city; and we should not be sur
prised If. one after the other, the Courts declared
them all invalid. II would be proper rebuke
to the body Of hypocriticsl knaves from whom
this batch of statutes emanated.
We really wonder how, after the exposure and
expulsion Of their political friends, allies and
counterparts- Messrs. Matteson, Edwards, Gilbert
and Simonton-from the Capitol at Washington,
thesc fellows at Albany had the effrontery to
enter upon such q course Of Legislation a. they
have done. If there was spark Of shamefaced-
ness left among them, they would have SUNK
back into that insigni6cance and contempt from
which they ought never to have been raised. But
they probably reasoned and reasoncd-wonder-
full to ay-correctly, that they would never
more have chance OF trying their hands at
legislation, and that now or never was the time
10 make places for their political friends and
partizans With that idea they went to work,