The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-02-10

ANOTHER ALBANY LOBBY LEVY ON THE COR
roRArIoN PRorERTY.--The Albany lobby dis
play degree of ingenuity in plundering the
city which, if exercised in good cause, would
challenge admiration. The State spoils, proper,
are, as our readers must be aware, very email,
beggarly and pitiful affairs, quite unworthy
the attention Of fnanciers of extended and
liberal ideas. The canals have been pretty
we'll used up, and, with the exception Of some
petty operations in the prisons, more congenial
than profitable, the lobby can find nothing to
steal from the. State. The attention of the
Albany philosophers is, therefore, confined to
exploration in the city, and they have lately
struck some rich placers. They have to 60
through considerable moral mud and filth be-
fore they get to the gold, but they don't mind
the wear and tear Of conscience so that the
thing stands them in we'll at the end.
One of the latest and best placers found in
the long suffering city is exposed in the West
Washington market property. The State set
up claim to this property, which had been
used for market purposes by the city, and
leased it for a nominal rent to some Of the
lobby spectators.
The question Of the title to the property is
one altogether apart from the merits of the
transaction. Whether the State or the city
own the property, the affair is a job gotten up
for the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT of private persons. 1t
is claimed on the part Of the city, that if
the State has any title to the property,
such title has been fraudulently obtained
for grossly inadequate consideration. If the
State has no title, then the city is defrauded by
q false pretence. However, the State gained
the cause against the city, and the Corporation
has been ordered to vacate the property, pay
over the back rents, and permit the land to be
sold for one-fourth Of its actual value. lift
goes for quarter of million, somebody will
make three quarters Of million by the ope-.
ration The new Counsel to the Corporation
has distinguished himself by contesting this
claim of the State, OF rather the lobby, and
there is still some hope that the property may
be saved. The lobby has shown its spite
against Judge Bronson, who is endeayoring
to reopen the judgment, by introducing
a bill to deprive him of three-fourths of the
emoluments Of his office.
Pending the.final issue of the West Washing
ton Market case, the lobby has greater thing
Of the same kind on hand. 1t is the enactment
Of law, already introduced into the Senate,
authorizing the sale by the State of all the space
of ground and soil of the Hudson and East riyens
which has already been in whole or in part
reclaimed and filled In, either by natural accre-
ton or otherwise, and which lies outside of and
adjoining the grants made to the Corporation
Of New York under the Montgomery charter of
1880, or by any other charter or grant to the
city from the State, and giving the Commits
sioncrs Of the Land Office power to sell said
lands in the city of New York. The City
Comptroller may pay for the same by loan
and issue Of real estate bonds the lands in
question to be pledged to secure said bonds.
This bill is part of Scheme to deprive the
city of very valuable property which has been
reclaimed for slips, piers and other purposes.
The value of the property sought to be thrown
into the hands Of the lobby is immense,
amounting to at least six or seven millions of
dollars, and the bill trenches, as well, on the
rights Of Congress to regulate commerce. If
the State had right and title to land beyond low
water mark, as is claimed in both these cases,
it might extend New York TO New Jersey, ill
up the river and bay, and block out commerce
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