The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-01-25

| We present to our readers to-day compre-
hensive resume Of most Of the plans proposed
to reach that much coveted desideratum, the
relief Of Broadway. 1t will be seen that the
variety Is so large that almost any taste can be
suited. Only one of these numerous projects,
we believe, has had legislative (but not execu-
| tive) sanction, the Underground Railroad. The
bill for this enterprise failed of becoming law
at the last session in consequence of Governor
Fenton Withholding his approval. A new bill,
| calculated to meet the Governors objections,
| has just been introduced into the Legislature,
and is now the subject of lobby management
and bargains. We present to-day number
of reasons showing the impracticability of the
project, and now we will take another view Of
the matter.
1t is well known that the capitalists Of New
York very rarely donate money for any public
improvement in or for any grand ornament to
the city. There Is not monument commemo-
rating any great Revolutionary or other Ameri-
can historical event erected by their subscrip.
tons within the city limits. It is true rich
ecclesiastical corporation, to which, perhaps,
many Of them belong, built within their church
grounds spasmodic affair called monument
in honor of certain Revolutionary victims to
British cruelty, and collected the bones of the
patriots and placed them beneath the fabric.
But 1t Is shrewdly believed this manysteepled
tomb was not erected as testimonial in honor
of those Revolutionary heroes, but as sacrifice
TO the Mammon of selashness; for it prevented
the city from cutting street through that pre-
else locality, and thus preserved the church
grounds intact. Therefore our capitalists of
speculative turn deserve no credit for this
affair." Some have obtained notoriety by
subscribing twenty or twenty-five thousand
dollars for this or that charitable institution;
but otherwise they have done nothing practi-
caIly for the benefit of the city, aside from pay
ing their taxes. We now propose that these
specializing capitalists have chance to spend
their money in this grand scheme Of an under
ground railroad. Some of them may get
swamped in the undertaking; but that is no
matter; there are plenty more to take their
places; If not in the city, no doubt the rural
districts will furnish the necessary number, for
your rural specializing capitalists generally
have an itching to get involved in some mon
strous metropolitan humbug. Say these capt.
talists spend five or six millions of dollars in
This prsposterous scheme. So much the better.
1t will be thus much drawn from their pie
thoric Golfers and distributed among the COM
muniiy The employment for laborers will be
immense, labor will be In demand, and II
will be kept here. Say few buildings crack
their sides, a. II shaken by an earthquake,
and tumble down? So be It. These capl-
talists can pay the damage, and the greater
the. destruction the more employment for our
masons, carpenters, laborers, &c. Suppose The
missma arising from the vent-holes necessarily
opened during the excavation Of this tunnel
should breed . pestilence; still, alas 90 much
the better for our physicians, who cannot ind
sufficient employment with Eve hundred deaths
weekly on the City Inspectors record as EVIL
dence Of the sanitary condition Of the city. In
short, lot this, like all other speculations that
unlock the money chests Of the rich and sea :
ters the cash abroad, thrive. Aside from the
sickness likely to be produced from this up
heavsl Of the elements Of disease that lie in
the substrstum of the city, we thus see that
this whole JOB Of an underground rai'rosd 10
likely 10 result bens6cially for some one. II
will keep capital a. home, give employment 10
| hundreds Of laborers and artisans aud make q
lively time generally all along eta route on
Broadway. So go ahead, Underground Rail-
road directors. Bring out your dollars, spend
ihcm literally; and If you do smash up you
| 10 .sr, ii
who have less money. but, perhaps, more judg-
mcnl.
| Seriously, We are in favor Of the relief of
Broadway whenever proper plan is sug-
! gcsted. We have none of our own; but we be-
| lieve that in the end the real relief Of the
thoroughfsre will be found either in an over
ground railroad or in two broad avenues con-
| structed on each SIDE Of the great highway. In
the meantime we invite orr readers to examine
The numerous plans suggested In another part
OF this paper, and select one 70 suit themselves.
The CAsg or THE SUPPOSED CHILEAN PnIvA-
TEEr.-The seizure Of the steamer Meteor by the
United States Marshal on Tuesday, on suspicion
Of being Chilean privateer, bound on maraud-
ing cruise against Spanish vessels, shows the
magnanimity OF this country In remarkable
light II vessel fitted out to prey upon the
commerce Of England or France were thus
arrested IL might be said that the conduct Of
this government WAS In some degree, induced
by fear Of these powerful nations; but in this
Instance our love Of justice alone lie the mani
ies, Inspiration Of the act. Spain is weak
natioi. We are noy the most powerful nation
on the globe; AID Jss We " can nov suly afford to
be, but we give practical evidence that we are
magnanmous. II is Of little moment 10 us
whether the mercantile marine of Spain be
totally destroyed by the privstesrs Of her