The New York herald., 1871-02-04
SLIPPERY PATHS OF POLITICIANS.
How the Legislators Slid Down
Capitol Hill.
Repeal Of the Broadway Widen
ing Job.
PATRIOTISM AMONG THE DRAFTED.

not by any means q pleasant road to travel on for
people who are short-winded; but when cold snap
follows close upon the heels OF villanous storm OF
seet and snow, as one did last night, II becomes
horror that heavy men OF unsteady feet and slip
perry soles can alone appreciate. Probably the
Legislature IS, as q general thing. the hardest
sufferer from this natural result OF natural
cause and effect; for, whether it likes II or
not, 1t Is compelled to walk down the course every
time 1t the Capitol! and it walked down last
night, or rather tried 20 do So in most laughable
fashion, Everybody was In hurry TO get out when
the adjournment took place, and everybody was
equally oblivlous OF the change Old Boreas had
made In
THE STREET CARPETrNG
while the honor2bles were law making within DOORS
Flanagan and Irving were the lrst pair that struck
the portco Richard, before he knew exactly where
he was reached the bottom OF the wooden STAIR
way before Jimmy, who. badly famed as he Is from
rheumatism, had placed either OF his careful feet on
the second step. IL was sharp turn on the tee
to reach Congress Hall; and Jimmy. steady
as a fixed liberty poie with high hat
on, managed to steer round the corner In splendid
style, but it too much for Flanagan. He did his
best. He struggled threw his arms about as balance
poles and called for help but all In vain, for he slid
and tumbled straight through the lower gate OF the
park, and only came to d ad stop when a mound
nant, SIX feet TWO In his
STOCKING soLEs
was the next victim after State street mad been
| reached. Like drowning man he grasped
for straw, and got one. 1t proved
to be Hayes OF New York. The grasp
Ing was disastrous TO both the straw and It's
grasper. Two pairs OF heels left the pavement sud-
denly, and two pairs of pan,aloons dragged two
legislative bodies straight into adjoining gutter
No, Qno haIJa that
there strength locked arms Buck Is heavy
weight and took the middle position. The trio
started. Buck got partly OF his ieet In second,
when his side partners gave him elbow
sounding GRIEF. the impetus he got In going down
whiried Loutrel ahead OF him. Loutrel 1eI the I'M
rectly IN ms line OF nght. out went his arm TO en-
circle It, but OF course he missed 1t by one inch, and
there was another heavy 1all and bran new hat
SMASHED TO SMITHEREENS.
Where Campbell landed Is still subject ofinves.
tgaton, as he has not been found yet PlucKy little
Alvord was In for 1t too. lie got into conversation
with Albernser about the Midland Railroad bill. 81
tell you," said the ex-Lleutenant Governor, "that
road can be run all over the State without'- Here
the little man began sort OF war dance, against his
viii, which ended finally by his cane going
broad OF his back. When he got up, THANKS to
Denny Browns tugging efforts, who. by the way, fell
Nell who was passing along, with too human
trust IN PAIR OF India ruoDers, the conversation
Rhodes, the sergeant-at-arnls, also came To grief,
and lost pair OF KIDS IN bis
sCRAMBLISGs on THE GROUND,
and Wade OF Fulton, and Chambers, OF Erie col
lded in such way as to knock the breath out Of
each other: speaker Hickman, being an old h nd,
Scotch cap for the emergency; but In trying to get
hold OF fence railing to steady himself the cap fell
OF his misfortune completely Even Coineille
Armstrong, who ought to know, II he doesn't know,
Pearl street, slid down TO Broadway before he could
tnd friendly ampposL and when he DID had to
ask New Yorker in which direction the Capitol
was
WIDENING OF BROADWAY.
Whenever the majority OF the members take 10
into their heads to go home over Sunday the Friday
previous Is generally We very dull one. aud tod today
ws So 70 as a rule bills 10 Be
hustled through the Committee OF the Whole
in de double quick tune. % but % the very haste IN
the uppermost Idea In every Assemblyman's mind.
The only thlng Of ANY any very very great importance That
bill to repeal the act which authorizes the widening
OF Broadway from Thirty-fourth street northward.
There not a dissenting TO It's passage Now
this looks all very fine, doesn't itY Indeed, an
sophisticated party wonld DC LED by It to believe
sides. Let us 1T was and II there isn't some
extraordinarily big
Certain very honorable people bought good deal
OF property some time ago. SO TO be benefited by
the improvements that were expected to be made
were to be levied for the job; for be 1t known.
some people are very badly cheated BY assess.
when the whole thing had been nicely fixed
he table was laid and the cover neatly spread Tor
ne assessments on legitimate property owners were
found to be mere drop in the BUCKET to what the
folks Not indeed, tnat everybody who ought 10
cared snap whether the city would be the losers
not; but then II would be awkward, you know. to
THE TAXES INCREASED
several hundreds OF thousands all Of heap. That
was the ostensibe excuse for the repeal,
and OF Itself 1t was certainly good
over $2,sooooo would have peen another liIae
pile the city would have mad TO sta 1d the weight Of
peal to make taxpayers believe that they are
thought OF once in while; but It was by no means
found out that In buying up certain pieces Of pro.
perty they got badly
SOLD AS TO PROFIT
when the assessments were made, because interests
that generally harmonic cashed for once In life
time Then again suppose that In the early future,
when things made "eyen, and new lines are
arranged SO as not to make few parties out Of
pocket II shey see t to purchase certain property.
Now this same widening scheme should again come
up in a different shape and pass both houses. II
this should turn out to be the case where would the
laugh come tnr Probably, nov tnat the ''niggern
has been discovered, wen hear no more OF the
scheme this year. But 1t went hurt anybody to
question.
The Governor. Ia message to-day transmitting 70
bota Houses the number Of repreyes, pardons, &C.,
granted during The year, stated that he had
considered during tne past year more than one
Thousand applications for pardon and COM
mutations, but only eighty-fve pardons, thirty
four combinations and one reprieve were granted.
Among the conyicts pardoned was William Scharf
fenberg, convicted on the 2lst or september 1855,
Of murder. He was sentenced TO i've hung May 19,
1866 but his sentence was commuted to lmprsOn-
ment for life during the same year. The Governor
pardoned him on the 7th OF February last. At the
time OF the conviction OF ScnarLenDerg the crime
OF murder was not divided as 1t Is now
into two degrees. Besides, the Judge before whom
he was tried certified that uader existing Statutes
conviction OF murder In the second degree only
could have leen obtained, and The prisoner would
have been sentenced for ten years. Immediately
upon his discharge ScharEenberg went to his
parents in Germany. Another prisoner pardoned
was Tnonas Luther, who was sentenced to be
hung in 1855. His sentence was commuted 70
life The same year. Yes another was Michael Hagan
VINO had been IN prison for fifteen years, having
been sentenced To be hung IN 1856 but escaping the
Raliows by commUt alton 10 Hfe imprisonment. In