The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-11-02

MoRE Deeply IMPLICATED. publish to day
a remarkable and highly interesting letter
from our special correspondent at Peterboro,
that quiet little village In Madison county, the
patriarch whereof is Gerrit Smith, tho most
alnable and charitable OF abolition fanatics.
who has disbarsed fortune in doing all kinds
Of mischief, under the unfortunate delusioa
that be was doing good, and whose completely
with the uarper's Ferry rebellion has become
notorious. Our correspondent found Peter
toro' In fever Of excitement about the Har-
per's Ferry affair aud Mr.. Smiths connection
with it. The possibility of his arrest for treason
is looked upon there as certain to create
an outbreak, for the good folks Of
the village vchemenuy assert that he
si,ail not be taken FROM among them to be
delivered up to the vengeance of Governor
Wise.
As TO Sir. Smith himself, he is represented
as greatly alarmed at his position, with uneasy
manner and bloodshot eyes awaiting the re-
suit He refused to speak with our corrcspon-
dent on the matter, repeatedly saying - am
10 be indicted, sir; am to be indicted, and
cant speak word about the business"
But it appears that Mr.. Smith is really
anxious to make clean breast Of it by pub.
lie statement OF the whole affair, only that his
| prudent friends have sealed his mouth, because
they say his disclosures would show many
others more deeply implicated in the conspiracy
: than himself. Who are they! Is W. II. Sew
ard one of them? What are the facts CLEANED
! by our correspondent as to the connection be-
1 tween cold Brown" and Gerrit Smith
/, 1t seems tina, last spring Brown spent some
( tine on visit with MIR. Smith, and while there
was repeatedly called upon by several leading
| republicans of this State, and the inference is
that during that visit, aud at those interviews
the Harper's Ferry rebellion was the subject of
discussion.
During the previous spring very leading
republican Of the State-its Senator and ex-
Goyernor-W. II. Seward, made speech at
Rochester, declaring the existence Of slavery
and freedom incompatible under the same
government "Old Brown" attempted to carry
that sentiment into practice at Harper's Ferry
W. II. Seward predicted an irrepressible con-
Hict" between the two forces of the North and
South; and odd Brown" began the conflict
with guns and pikss at Harper's Ferry. At
Rochester and Peterboro and other republican
| strongbolds throughout the North, East aud
West, this conspiracy seems to have been
Matched, which the premature action Of poor
Brown defeated.
| 1t is evident that Gerrit Smith is fully aware
| of his completely with the treason, and perhaps
! would chivalrously avow his share of the respon-
sibility if he were not silenced by the certain
| knowledge that his disclosure would Involve
| others more criminal than himself
| 1t remains to be seen whether the Governor
| of Virginia will issue requisition to Governor
Morgan for the body of Mr.. Smith and all others
concerned in this conspiracy against whom any
proof may be obtained II "Old Brown" the
tool, is to suner, what should ha done with those
men who concocted the scheme, and bounded on
poor Brown and the other victims into q rebel
lion against the government, and the certain
tate which now awaits them?
ASSESSED VALUATION or New YoRK.-Our
State Legislature passed law last winter
creating Board of State Assessors, whose duty
/
counties The State tax used to be computed
on the valuations made by the respective
Boards Of Supervisors but it was found that
in very many instances these valuations were
considerably lower than they should be, and
consequently the counties in which that was
the case paid less than their fair proportion of
the general tax. 1t was to remedy that con-
l A. To-
of State Assessors was passed. That body
made report recently, in which the frauds
thus committed are pointed out In some coun-
ties the assessed valuation has been reduced,
but in the majority of them it has been in
creased In the county Of Columbia, for in
stance tax was paid on less than ten millions
Of property ($9,999 ,970), whereas the valua-
ton is now fixed by the State Assessors at over
thirteen and half millions ($13,665, 43O). In
Duchess county the difference Is about two
millions, in Erie three and o half, and in Oneida
over eight and a half millions. 1t was princi-
pally in relation to this latter county that the
necessity for the law made itself most obvious.
The assessed valuation was only $13,72l, 1888.
| The State Assessors fixed it at S22,496, 1922.
| This shows that it was full time to stop this
sort Of cheating.
There was but comparatively triding in
crease in the figures for New York county.
That is the sum was increased from $36S, 373,-
94S to s370,054,782. This is Independent Of
personal property, which Is valued at nearly
one-half as much as the real estate. We see by
a communication received by the Board of Su-
pervisors on Monday evening, from the State
Comptroller, that the aggregate valuation of
real and personal estate in this county is now
fixed at 32,9O3,476, on which the sum Of
s1,332, 25S is to be paid as State tax. This is
at the rate Of two and half mills on the dol
lar-one fourth Of one per cent-and is con-
siderably over one-third Of the amount raised