The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-03-29

barracks to provide suitable safeguards fci
tbeir much abused tenants. OF course every
body piaes these poor people, but that Is as'
sufficiently practical Pity and sympathy are
the cheapest things going. What Is wanted ID
law like that drafted by the Counsel To the
Corporation, giving tho Common Council tho
power TO regulate the tenant houses. That
simple bill ought to pass The other, In which
are inserted the names Of various persons-ar-
chitects, and so on-is humbug, and ought to
be killed.
Then we want a good FIRE escape; several
have been shown here, and they may answer
the purpose. But in London Gre escapes have
been in use many years, and have saved many
lives and much property. The president of one
of our insurance companies (see correspon-
dence elsewhere) has sent to the Earrings for q
model Of the escape which is used by the Lon
don Fire Brigade, and its arrival may be ex-
pected within few days. The movement is .
very creditable one, and we suggest to the in
surance Offices that the escapes should be
placed, as in London, under the charge of q
special force of reliable men, charged especially
with the duty of saving lives and property.
The fremen have enough to do in their own
work Of fighting the flames. The insurance
companies could afford to pay the expense of
the brigade twice over. The saving Of insu,
rance upon light, valuable goods would do it.
|
PROGRESS OF THE RAILROAD SwINDLEs AT
ALBANY--THE SIX. GRrDIRoNs ORDERED TO A
THIRD READNG.-The whole batch of railroad
gridirons were reported complete in the As
sembly yesterday, and ordered to third read
ing without any amendment; and there seems
very little doubt that they will pass. Thus the
coalition of Law and Weed against the rights,
| privileges ard franchises of the city of New
York appears complete, and pretty certain Of
| reaching successful issue. The compromise
between the interests of Laws mammoth grid
iron and the interests of the six small gridirons
would seem to have been brought about by the
embodiment of Laws Ninth Avenue bill with
| the Others.
| BY this outrageous job the city will be rob-
| bed of an annual income of several millions
which should be devoted to the expenses of the
| government, nearly all Of which, with an eco
nomical disbursement, that sum would cover
if the corporate authorities had the right to lay
| down the tracks and license companies to run
the cars as they do the omnibuses under the
present system. A railroad on Broadway alone
| could bessnade to return the city treasury be
| tween sixty and seventy thousand dollars q
year, and leave handsome profit to the com
pany besides. Forty thousand persons now
ride daily between the Park and Fourteenth
street in omnibuses at rate of six cents.
Three times that number would, undoubtedly,
ride in cars at o fare of three cents; and by
levying, say two mills for every passenger, IS
the price of the license, the city would receive
an income Of s240 day, or about $4,000 a
year and thus with all the other roads, In pro-
portion to the travel. But II these bills pass,
as they undoubtedly will, this overtaxed city
will be deprived of all benefits arising from the
city railroads, the immense profits Of which,
amounting to millions per annum, will be
enjoyed by parcel of hungry and unscrupu-
lous incorporators.
They manage these things more honestly in
England 1t will be seen from the proceedings
of the Liverpool Town Council, which we pub
lish to-day, that an American has proposed to
that body to lay down tracks through the city
and run cars on the New York plan; but in.
stead of going to the Imperial Parliament to
lobby his scheme through, he is obliged to ap
ply to the local government for license. Why
should not great city like New York, under q
republican government, be able to conduct its
internal affairs and control its own resources
as well as the city of Liverpool under a mo.
narchy? The answer is, that they have no AL.
bany lobby in Lancashire, and that makes all
| the difference.
ABOLITION OF CAPITAL PCNIsHMENT.--A bill
has been introduced into the Legislature to
abolish capital punishment, and we are sorry
to say it has passed the Assembly. All the
burglars, garroters, and other criminals who
infest New York city, will have fine time
cutting their victims throats and knocking
them on the head. seeing that the punishment
will not be much, if any, greater than for rob-
berry.
This bill is supported by two classes Of
men-on the humanitarians, whose false phi.
lanthropy is disease and the other the muir