The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-09-03
lie as.lst,ve russrferenoe with Msaiclpa

Rights.
The action Of our State Legislature within
the past few years has been OF character that
Indicates design to destroy the franchises, the
vested rights and privileges, belonging to our
municipal corporations. The question arises
whether this legislative interference should be
allowed to proceed without at least . vigorous
protest from the municipalities affected by
the change. We would create no unnecessary
alarm, but oalm reflection On the subject i'm
pels the enuncIatou Of the idea, that whenever
municipal corporations, under our form of
government especially, permit either the State
or the federal power to exercise an authority
over their vested franchises, then and from
that moment liberty is In allegiance and the
freedom Of the citizen Is menaoed. In feudsl
times the only refuge Of liberty was the num-
clpality. The emperor or the king might issue
bis ediots for the government of the State at
large; but any special Internationally
order affecting municipal rights and In
tsrests-ws sure TO meet with the condemns-
ton Of the masses. When the will Of the en-
peror became law, when the imperial sdlcs
was made the rule by which the people should
be governed, the simple enunciation Of NUM-
Opal privileges ofttimes checked the power OF
imperialism. The Apostle Paul prided him
self ON being "Roman oitizsn''-not Of the
empire especially, but Of the city. Back in the
gloom Of the German forest the municipal prin-
clple was born. Ages sfterward II found its
way to BritAiu's shores, and the sturdy barons
Of those days wrung liberty from reluctant
monarch-liberty as belonging to the munich
| pal corporations. The Magma Charta came
thence. The principal Of trial BY jury itself
was one Of those which, In the progress Of ages,
had been transmitted from the Justinian era to
the days Of King John. These were, from the
FIRST OF municipal origin, and pertainsd
smphstically to the citisen-to him who from
birth was vested with municipal rights that
not even the sdict Of the emperor could
override. When the Roman people, inflated
With the power Of the empire, slackened their
watchfulness over the legislation pertaining to
the city proper, then and from that moment
the decay Of their gigantic Imperialism may b.
dated. Added to intestine wars came the
whslming Of the Mortimer, and, even before
the time Of Alsric the Goth, Rome, the once
proud mistress OF the nations, had taken th,
primary step In decadence.
The municipal rights pertaining TO our most
important cities have antedated the powers o
either State or federal government Lore
Baltimore, after having made his settlement Il
Maryland, applied TO the crown for charter
not for the colony especially, but for the Cit
which bears bis name. He obtained II, ant
. the old vested rights OF the Monumental GU,
to-day are owing TO this municipal charter
> Boston Is the lsgstss Of the Plymouth colon.
: Before Andres demanded the charter Of Cor
: nscticut 10 be delivered up to him old Ply
e mouth bad formed it municipal corporatio
= and wss In the full enjoyment Of It's city fran
a chises. In New York-our own Manhattan
r the Dongan charter was intended to NAL
|. forever sacred the rights Of this metropolis
. and 90 II has been throughout all our nation
g history. Oglethorpe at Savannah but e
T. lowed the example Of the Mynhssrs at Ne
4, Amsterdam. City governments - municip
y corporations the origin Of Americs
q liberty. Let she people look 70 II that I
governing principle Of that liberty be not TAX
u pen I1sn, s'shsr sy State pr federal s6w.r