The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-10-11

ALpERMANIC HYPoCRIsY.-No one who has
read the proceedings of the Board of Aldermen
in their session of Thursday evening, and who is
acquainted with the character of that august
body, can fail to be impressed with sense of its
shameless hypocrisy. A resolution was intro
duced, and referred to an appropriate committee,
reciting the depressed condition of trade in this
city, pointing out the strong probability Of there
being much suffering among the poor during the
coming winter, and suggesting that the Common
Council should do all II could to afford relief by
giving as much employment as possible in the
opening of the Central Park and the carrying on
of public works How stupid and gullible must
not the enlightened inhabitants Of this mezopo-
lis appear to be in the eyes of our good city
fathers, when IL is expected that they can be
caught with such chat as that Do these Solons
of the City Hall believe that the people Of New
York do not know why 1t is that the work on
the Central Park had to be suspended? If
they do they are very much mistaken
The community knows very well, and is not
likely to forget that the suspension of that work
was rendered necessary by the depletion Of the
city treasury, and that that depletion was caused
by the frauds and corrupt practices perpetrated
and encouraged by those to whom the interests
of the city were unfortunately entrusted.
Under such circumstances, how grossly hypo-
critical appears the movement on the part of
these pretendedly good Samaritansl II lie not
unlike the action Of Peter Funk swindler In
teresting bimself in procuring for his victims
tickets to the pcorhouse. But for the system of
corruption which has its centre In the City Hall,
there would have been no necessity for suspend
ing the work at the Central Park. No one is
ignorant now of the fact that swindling has be-
come to be one Of the recognized institutions of
our city government The exposure Of tho Low
Der contract and Of the immense frauds attempt
cd In connection with the Fort Gansevoort pro-
perty and the Battery enlargement, has convinced
even the most sceptical that our city legislators
are unworthy Of the slightest degree Of conf
dence, and that moot Of them regard their posi-
tions az simply means OF INDUCING in their
taste for populations
And how know we that this very movement
does not conceal within II some plan to enrich a
fat contractor and his friends in the two boards
It s very natural TO suspect that It does just that
thing. But If IL does not, then il was got up for
the purposes of buncombe, and 10 forward the In
terests of candidates at the coming election
Either one or both Of these motives lie at the
bottom Of the movement, for we are not accus-
toned to see any good thing come from such
quarter as the Common Council. And it is not
unworthy Of remark that in the same session
wherein this resolution was introduced, propo-
siton to pay each Of these Pharisaical legislators
500 year for carriage hire was supported, and
only failed because the vote did not show con-
stitutional majority. IL we had an honest Com
mon Council the city would have today millions
in her treasury, and would be able to employ and
| 10 psy thousands Of workmen in improving the
Central Park, building the new City Hall, widen
ing strcets and other works Of public improve
ment. But corrupt lawmakers and swindling
officers and fraudulent contractors swallow up
the taxes and leave the treasury bankrupt
Messrs. Aldermen, il would I've a good thing to
give employment to the poor, but 1t would he
still better If you had left morey in the treasury
wherewith TO have them paid.