The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-06-06

Governor Fenton and the Tax I.cvics.
Some of the papers are making great deal
OF noise over the action of Governor Fenton in
signing the city and county tax levies, and ap-
pear to regard his approval Of those bills as
very heinous offence. This is all balderdash.
The city tax levy of 1867 was larger than that Of
1868, If we deduct the increase of the State
tax this year, amounting to nearly two million
dollars; but the republican Legislature last
year had embodied one or two remunerative
party jobs in the tax bill, and il was therefore,
suffered to pass without comment. The people
are now plundered to the extent of eight or ten
million dollars every year over and above the
Legitimate cost of the city government; but as
they continue to elect those who are instru-
mental in plundering them by increased MAORI
ties, election after election, il is evident that
they do not object to being subjected to the
phlebotomizing process. If Governor Fenton
had vetoed the tax levies, instead Of signing
them, he would only have added some three or
four million dollars to their present totals. A
statement made by radical organ that the
city tax levy contains q clause repeating the
provisions OF all laws relating to the raising
and expenditure Of city revenues except those
contained in the present levy is incorrect
There is no such provision in the law, and the
statement is either wilful Misrepresentation
or shows an entire ignorance of the text of the
bill as signed by the Governor.
Subsidies tn Auericnm Stenmship Lines.
A bill is before Congress authorizing the
Postmaster General to contract with the
Commercial Navigation Company of the
State Of New York for the weekly or semi
weekly conveyance Of all European and for
eign mails Of the United States--between New
York and Bremen, touching at Southampton
(England), or Liverpool, touching at Queens
town-in first class seagoing steamships, TO be
constructed in the United States. The autho-
rizing Of the Postmaster General to contract
with the company aforesaid 10 carry the United
States mails at a certain stipend is only
another form for the institution of the system
Of subsidies for steamship lines, against which
our people object. II we have not the means
or resources to compete with foreign bottoms
in transatlantic traffic the sooner we become
aware OF the fact the better for our own in
terests. Furthermore, If we do not at this
moment build iron steamships fitted to COM
pete with those constructed on the Clyde or
the Thames, that fact becomes matter of con-
sideration with VS. as shpbnllding nation.
No subsidies that Congress may grant--they
are always . sop which any jobbing sponge
can speedily wipe out--will build up substan-
italy national line Of steamers between this
port and Europe. The men Of enterprise and
capital constitute the fulcrum upon which this
lever of commercial progress must be moved
When private capital fails TO- assist Ia these
commercial enterprises New York may con-
slider itself fading before the grand emprises Of
the age. The bill before Congress is Of no
more account than the bids Of a Peter Funk
| auctioo ia New York