The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-03-15

George Law Eloorcd at Albsny-The
0ridfren Bm Smashed In tho Assembly.
Yesterday saw lively times at Albany
Thurlow Weed walked into the Assembly
and the Law Gridiron Railway bill, gotten
up in the most philanthropic spirit, and
with view to develope the resources
and plumber the taxpayers Of the metro
polls, was killed without the smallest core
mony. II Law had his Austerlitz, Weed has his
Waterloo. Law will do well to hunt up the
Grapeshot, and start for st. Helena at once.
Weeds movements were Napoleonic. The Com
mittee on Cities and Villages report adverse to
the bill, chiefly on the ground that 1t creates an
enormous monopoly, and gives too much to one
company. They believe in fair play, even
among thieves After very little skirmishing
the House agrees with the Committee by
an overwhelming majority. The vote
is olinched In the thorough parliamen-
tsry gag way, by motion to reconsi-
der, and another to lay that motion
on the table, which latter prevails-and Law
and his suit OF corporators occupy the I'M
pleasant position of number of big dogs
with their tails between their legs That
Is the end Of the Gridiron, and probably of all
the other city railway projects, for this session
at any rate, although 1t is worth while to no.
tice that nothing is said about the outrageous
attempt at plumber upon the property of the
city taxpayers. 1t is only case Of diamond
cut diamond between Law and Weed, who
can sing with the poet
For more true JOY MaroelIus exiled feels,
Than Cesar, sUssA a S1sct at his heels
While the grand result, however, will be
hailed with satisfaction in the metropolis,
and while we heartily rejoice at the smashing
of these city railway pirates with their own
machines, it must be remembered that we are
not yet out of the woods, so far as the opera
lions of the city brigands upon the city property
are concerned. In addition to the city railway
bills of Weed and Law we have a renewal
of the attempt to make tremendous job by
cutting streets through Washington Heights; a
bill to provide for the erection of new City
Hall to cost three millions, commissioners to
be paid ten dollars per day; another bill to
create stock company to remove obstruc-
lions from the East river at Helleate
and empowering them to take toll from all
vessels passing through the river; bill to
increase the fees of the Harbor Masters, at the
expense of small shipping owners, Sound steam
boats, Yankee schooners, ETC., etc., and several
other schemes Of less Importance, but all re.
ported with the sole object of despeiling the
metropolis, in order to create patronage for
hungry rural politicians and city strikers, bull.
lies and broken down politicians If all these
bills should be carried through, the actual Loss
to the taxpayers would be not less than five
millions of dollars, and it might be very near
to double that amount
We say an actual loss, because the Legisla-
ture has no color of right to give away the city
franchises any more than it has to vote the
watch out of a man'spocket Whatever public
property, right of way, ferries, docks, slips,
and all such matters, there may be in the city
or its waters, belongs to the Commonalty Of the
city, as represented by the Mayor and Common
Council. 1t is part Of the security for the pay
ment of the city indebtedness, and its proceeds
should be applied to the reduction of
the rate of taxation. This is after the
manner of q selfevident proposition
and it would hardly need to be stated
were it not for the astonishing apathy of our
property holders, when they must see that the
political pirates ct Albany are plundering the
people of New York as coolly as Fra Diavolo
would take travellers purse. If cur taxpay-
ers stand such robbery on one side and extortion
on the other, without protest, then they deserve
it all.
There should be an indignation meeting of
the taxpayers of the metropolis, great and
small, to express formally the public detesta-
ton of the vilest and most unblushing attempts
at public plundering through the Senate that
have ever been witnessed during the existence
Of constitutional government. The only legis-
lation for the city that is desired is the pas
sage of the Central Park Appropriation
bill; but as there is no job in that-nothing
for number one or number ones friends
it lies on the Senate table, Happily
for the long-suhering and much-abused PEG.
pie of the metropolis, the official existence
of the Legislature is limited. The present
Senate and Assembly have only very few
weeks to live. There will be during that time
series of attempts at piracy upon the metro
polls, on scale which is entirely unprece-
dented in the annals of official corruption.
With Thurlow Weed, Jacob Sharp and other
political freebooters in the Assembly, piece
Of property they have bought like 30 much
fancy stock, and George Law, with his crew, in
the Senate, majority Of which has been made
over to the railway spectators by express
contract, there is no scheme 80 infamous that
it might not pass, and With the same celebrity
that the Gridiron bill was rushed through the
Senate and slaughtered in the House. Let us
have the sense of the metropolis fully and for
mally expressed. The Tribune calls on the
republicans in the Legislature to resist all