New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-02-28
RICHMOND COUNTY.


Upon the facts of the case, so far az they ar.
Known to the public, it is difficult to conceive Of
any good reason for such legislation in regard 20
Richmond County is proposed by the bill reported
at Albany Cd Saturday, and published in the letter
of our correspondent yesterday morning. What
private arefs there may be TO be gratied thereby,
of course we know mott but that some such exist is
natural suspicion for it is not easy on any other
suppositiOn to account for the proposal OF such
measures as here indicated. How " little bills''
get reported We all know, and the most rational
conjecture in regard to this act is that it is some
body's " little bill"
One of two things may be taken for granted,
without the fear Of any contradiction, successful or
unsuccessful namely: that for the destruction of
the Quarantine Hospitals Richmond County either
is or is not guilty. A second position also, We pre-
sumo may be assumed as incontrovertible, and per-
fecty just to all parties-that if she is not guilty,
she ought not to be punished The converse of this
proposition the County, if it committed that
act should suffer the peDalty--coyers every ques-
ton that can by any possibility be brought to bear
upon the subject.
Whether the County is guilty or not is question
we do not propose to examine. But as she IL ar
ragned az a criminal, for which she ia to suffer- Ii
this bill become law, in sum not less than three
hundred thonsand dollars that question should GER
tainIy be submitted to judicial examination rather
than be preudged by Legislative enactment. There
ia already law enough to convict and to punish her;
and under that law there are, at this moment, pend
inc against her no less than eight suits four brought
by the Commissioners of Emigration, on behalf OF
the State. ard four others by DIR. Thompson and
hi. associates, who claim damages for the destruc-
ton of their private property at the time OF the
burning the hospitals And these suits, it should
be remembered are not brought In Richmond
County but in the Counties of New York and Kings;
and nobody has ventured to advance plea, 80 pre-
pcsterous upon the face of it, that in those counties
the cases will not be fairly tried, OF that It Is posi-
Bile any malign Influence can be brought 10 bear upon
them there. IF there were 10 other objection TO
this BILL il is enough that it takes eight cases now
before the Supreme Court of the First and Second
Districts to be sdjudcated upon by the Legislature
at Albany, and that Legislature representing the
principal plsintiff-the State. We make here two
points, the Importance of which, we think, we do
not oyerrate First, that there is here an utterly
unwarantable interference with the Judiciary; and
second, that the State, through the Legislature
ventures to usurp the place Of judge that it may
adiudicate in its own favor and find the defendant
guilty without trial. 1t is worth while for gentle
men at Albany to consider whittier legislation of this
sort may lead US. Such a precedent in the hands
of corrupt and urscrupuleus Legislature is capa-
bic Of infinite mischief
If the ends of public justice ever can require leg
slation of this Sort they certainly do not in this In
stance. As it is quite absurd to suppose that the
whole 90, 600 people of Staten Island participated
in or were even cognizant of the acts of few in-
cendiares so is taltogether gratutous suppOsition
that they intend to escape, that it is possible for
them to escape, if they disposed, their legal
responsibility for the acts of mob. Indeed If we
may believe the Staten Island paper of last week,
they do not even ask to be convicted of that respOn
sibty but are quite willing now to settle all just
and fair claims against them without the formalty
of trial Surely, no extraordinary legislation is
needed for q case of this Sort 1t may be safely
left to the ordinary course Of Judicial procedure, for
there s nothing in the circumstances surrounding it
that entities any of the plaintiffs to any privileges
which are not accorded by the laws to other citizens
of the State.