The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-02-13


tdy them, notwithsl anding the experience Of
the past few years.
| This being the case, II IS hardly worth While
TO put the public on lie guard against these
sham concerns. Still, lest say Ahoud go wrong
from want of due information ne repeat that
with enthusiastically few exceptions all such
concerns are swindles got up scFely 80 sell
| stock to greenhorns They are the offsprfnA- Of
mock auctions, contrived by Peter Fuukr. ana
sold to simple cOuntrymen No mining is In
| tended by the prOprietors of these enterprises.
beyond the mining in the pockets Of their
dupes They get no ore save what they fiick
from purchasers of their scrip and the only
blasting that is done in connection with their
enterprises is uttered by the victims when Ne
trick lie found out
We earnestly recommend all persons with
money, and especially those from the country,
to eschew all such concerns as these.
MUNICIPAL CORRUPTIONs.--The increase of the
taxes already, since the Last estimate for the
year was made, is half q million of dolars they
are now to be eight and half millions and BY
| the time the year ia out, we have no doubt they
will be nine. To add that the city or the tax
payers derive no benefit of any kind from this
| regular Increase in the tax levy, is superfuola.
1t is well known that of late years misgov-
eminent and discomfort have increased pre-
| ciseay in proportion to the increase in the
! amount extorted from the people in the shap.
| of taxes New York is fast becoming the
most heavily taxed and the worst admins
| tered city in the world.
II anybody feels curious as to the destinA-
| ton and employment of the millions which ara
paid every year in the shape of taxes, let him
| read the debates in the Common Council, the
! reports of the various investigating commit
tees now sitting, and the reports of the several
| other committees which digest the work for the
municipal government. There he will learn that
| from the Commissioner of Police, whose friends
| try to extort sixteen thousand dollar house
from poor policemen, down to the very messeu-
| gers Of the departments, almost every one, in
| side and outside, seem to have no sort of re-
| gaed for the welfare of the city. Nearly every
one in, at, or around the City Hall appears
to have his hand in the city purse, Such q
pack Of thieves as the late few years have let
loose upon this city, in the shape of decayeA
and hungry politicians, has never been wit
messed before.
Robbed, plundered, ravaged and sacked as we
are by these municipal banditti, one turns with
a feeling of positive disgust toward the imbecile
official who occupies the Comptroller's Office
and who ought to protect US against these
| thieves He il worse than useless While
making tremendous pretence of virtue aud
| economy, he has never yet contrived to defeat
| any great scheme of plumber, and under bis ad-
ministration the increase in the taxes has been
unparalleled. So long as he occupies bis present
position there seems to be every prospect of
the taxes continuing to swell, and the plumber
to become every year more extensive.
THE STATEN ISLAND FERRY CoMPASY-The
revelations which are being made in relation to
this ferry company will lead to the settlement
OF the important question -
| Who governs New-York, the people thereof,
| or George Law?
There are two ferries to Staten Island One
of them is run without the least license or war
rant OF law or authority from the city. George
Law got hold of a pier on pretence of charging
",
incomplete and imperfect manner in which Il
has been done, is proving not only useless but
highly detrimentaD, and straightway, without
| leave from any one, he started his ferry. The
| other ferry is also run without license. In this
case the ferry franchise was sold at auction to
Jacob l.. Smith, Councilman, and. an
agent Of George Laws; but as the lease
imposed certain conditions on the lessee rs to
the strength of the boats and the number Of
| trips to be made, neither Jacob l.. Smith, nor
George Law, nor any one else ever signed II.
So, In point of fact, neither ferry is now run
under authority from the city.
Proceedings were taken some time since to
turn theferry company out Of the slips which
they occupy without warrant of law. But the
parties in interest backed down when money was
wanted; and the lawyers boggled the case 20
that nothing ever came of it, aud George Laws
Ferry Company piled Its two unauthorized fer
ries as pleasantly as ever.
II may be interesting TO some Of the hungry
politicians who hang round the City Hall to
know that the profits Of these ferries are not
less than sixty thousand year, including the
amounts Of which the city Is now defrauded.
Sixty thousand year is good deal Of money;
it might be got by any one strong enough aud
skilful enough to turn the present squatter
company out Of its berth, aud run the ferries
with proper license.
A. for George Law and Jacob /. Smith the
exhibition they mad of themselves on their
eNaplnati""::i oeiore the investigating committee
is crushing enough without comment.
LIVE IN THE FIFTH AvENrE-A butchers
bill of seven dollars a month. Picty and huo-
ger, Opera cloaks and empty s.omachs cheek
by jovl.