New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-07-05
Tile pLrNnERERS OF 0rR CITY.

We have made various attempts to obtain a
| sight of the Tax-Leyies imposed on this City
and County through the natural depravity Of the
Democratic and the purchased corruption of one
fourth Of the Republican Members of Assembly,
but without success. How much iniquity lies
hidden in the dark recesses of those acts we
are learning by degrees, as the purposes of our
chief robbers render their disclosure neces-
sary. 1t seems that among the villainies en-
acted in one Of these acts is a repeal of that
section of our reformed charter of 1859, which
requires the leasing at public auction TO the
highest bidder of all Piers and Wharves be-
longing to the City. On this fraud, The Eren-
ing Post comments as follows:
The evil results OF the system OF legisating at Albany
for the government OF this CITY, against which have
80 often protested very clearly shown by the pro.
ceedngs In the Superior Court reported in another
column
by the City Charter of 1857 the authorities obliged
70 lease the piers and wharyes at public auction To the
highest bidder This provision, 10 seems obnoxious
to certain parties and so clause was Inserted In the
midnight tax'ieyy OF THIS year authorizing the Commits.
property TO any party they might please. at whatever
rent they might please and without restriction Of
any kind, except that the leases should not be for
Of than ten How many leases have been
secretly made and to whom under this clause No one
knows except the parties Interested What possible OBJ
lection could there have been 10 the previous law which
full publicity TO disposition OF the city property
the best prices to the City We can none
except that too good In the minds OF some for the
city treasury and too bad for the city officers and their
fayorites Over fairness and the public good this objec
ton haa Tiupphed and the wharYes piers ferries aud
real estate OF the Municipality Arc delivered over to the
same ring that has manipulated the Twenty -thrdst
railroad grant and by their action lost to the treasury
"The lease exposed by the litigation was as appeared
by the legal documents made privately without compe
titiOn without opportunity old tenant 10 bid fof It.
aud rental $1,000 year less than such tenant viii
ling TO give for the term"
Comments bv The Tribune.
A shepherd, having intrusted his flock at
night to the guardianship of his dogs. returns
in the morning to find that some of these have
betrayed his confidence by uniting with tho
wolves to gorge themselves on mutton. "The
remedy for this abuse" says The Post, in
substance, :" is palpable. Have done with all
"dOgs, now and evermOre, and let the wolves
GUARD the sheepfold."-We submit, with due
Difference, that the thing to do is to procure
better dogs, and then watch them closely.
Our City authorities are impudent, wholesale
thieves, They are stealing blocks of stores and
squares of uptown lots annually from our tax
payers. They increase their own and their ac-
completes and conveniences' salaries year after
year; they stuff their pockets by levies on gas
companies, street cleaners, offal-men, lessees Of
market stands, wharves, piers, &C., &C., for
money that ought to go into the City Treasury,
or ought to stay there. They elect and reelect
themselves with the money they thus steal. IL
one of them fails to obtain majority of the
votes cast, they count him in all the same, and
then deny the power Of the Supreme Court TO