The New York herald., 1870-04-22
Tho Arrade Railway swiuGIe.

Railway Company passed the Safe Senate
yesterday, and thus has accomplished on
important stage of its journey. The means
by which il passed the Senate indicate the
danger that il may slip through the Legs'a-
ture almost before the people are aware Of lis
true character. II is the most neiarlous scheme
ever yet presented at Albany in the guse OF
railway bid. lis primary purpose Is not SO
much to furnish tbs convenient means Of trans
porta ion the people 80 greatly ned as to
directly s,roy Broadway as the great central
ayeaua OF city lie and trade. II is grand
speculative game, with the destruction Of
Broadway Tor It's first object. People do not
neod to b. tod The history Of the growth OF
this city and OF the development Of the value
OF property on OR beautiful thoroughfare
when 1t becan, cyid mt that the main trade O!
the city had chosen that avenue as its favorlte
seat; but the spectators have evidently
stldied that sahjoct closely, as well as the
means to divert the great Broadway trade to
other channels, and SO, perhaps, use to
centre elsewhere the value that now attaches
to Broadway property. The first step is TO
para!yze Broadway trade--to compel that
incessant traffic to stand still or go elsewhere
This result the bill, if it ever becomes law,
will accomplish as its first step.
Tais bill givcs the incorporators absolute
authority over Broadway for five years For
that Term the street is theirs to do what they
please with--theirs on the surface and theirs
rJar ~ oplu ho Il IaHica oil tn
the public uses Of the people is theirs, but the
private property at either side also. In favor
Of these men is suspended every general
principle of law that guarantees citizen in
his private possessions. They may so tear
up and Obstruct Broadway that loaded
vehicle can neither pass up nor down the
length of that street for five years and they
may seize any mans house, and proffer in
payment half or quarter the value, and the
pfetence of improving other properly he may
have near by i. to Justify this seizure of pri-
vate property without remuneration. Amy
man with common sense can see for himself
the consequences that must imm 'diately flow
from this power to dig up Broadway. II will
render insecure every house that stands on
either side this of street Of splendid edifces-
destroy every vault-make un certain the tenure
Of property-make traffic impossible and
travel disagreeable and dangerous 1t will
drive trade TO the side streets, and this the
mass of the people might not look upon as a
great calamity, unless they consider that any
such breaking up of the system of trade must
prove disastrous generally to the city.
But not only is this great thoroughfare-
five miles of the most magnificent property in
the world-given into the hands of a railroad
corporation to wrest to it's purposes, but to the
same body is made free gift of all tho small
parks on the line of Broadway, with so much
OF the Ceptra. Park as it may have the temerity
10 seize. Under authority of this law the
Arcade Railway may seize the whole of the
Battery, what is lett of the City Hall Park,
Union Park, Madison Square and what they
want or dare take Of the Central Park ITSELF
All these public places they may cover with
their depots and car houses, and they cannot
be compelled to pay to the city one cent for
these great privileges.
And what is the railway to do finally?
Simply to carry fish to the net of the great
owner OF the Hudson River and Harlem Rail-
ways. Lis main end is to 60 to the Hudson
River Railway, and branch at Union square
is to run up Fourth avenue to the Harlem
Railway. 1t is, in fact, an extension Of these
two railways to the Battery. In deference to
the interest of these railways Broadway is to
be torn to pieces and its trade paralyzed for five
years-that is to say, killed.
One fact is, the history of the bill is charac-
terstic. 1t is pet measure with the young
democracy. Only Senator's Genet and Pierce
of this neighborhood voted in its favor. They
are the young democracy, and they were
backed up by ''the country members"
Excepting only Genet and Pierce all the New
York, Long Island, Richmond and West
chester Senator'S voted against the measure.
The things this bill proposes to do must not
be done. II the bill goes through the Legisla-
ture the Governor must veto it. If the Gov
ernor permits it to pass the citizens must fight
it to the last extremity with all the power
Of the courts.