The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-03-21
THE STATE CAPITAL.
The Railroad Committee Arraigned
by Mr.. Eastman.
The Pneumatic Underground Humbug
Reported to the Senate.
Important Bill Regulating Street
improvements.
ALBANY, March 20, 1874.


ALBANY March 20, 1874.
when the opportunity offered itself to-day In
the Assembly Mr.. Eastman rose to a question OF
privilege, and event for' the Committee on Rail-
roaos' winch does the bidding OF powerful corpo-
rations with so mucn complacent alacrity. Mr.
Eastman Is tan, thln nervousy organized man,
very IKE the ideal Uncle Sam In modern cos
tune lie Is full of electric energy and OF the faith
that moves mountains he has been three
times Mayor of Poughkeepsie, and his go-anead
spirit has lifted that sleepy old town
into the path OF progress and enterprise No
better man could have taken holl OIL the question
OF rapid transit Tor New York CITY, His character
stands high and his capacity Is unquestloned.
Finding his well meant project Ior gvlnv the
people OF the metropolis the only favor they Of
the Legislature in peril from the curious action of
the Railroad Committee he determined
to take the bull by the horns and
when ne rose to the question Of privilege he
commanded the attention OF the House.
OF course many OF the members OF this Legislature
speak signtingly OF Eastman aud his bill The
reason Is very obvious He has nothing to give
away. There Is neither money nor patronage in
the measure ne advocates. The Governor appoints
the i've commissioners on whom the work de-
wolves OF selecting the plans for rapid transit
!
Governor will select politicians Tor this pur-
pose, that from beginning to end this scheme Of
Eastmans has little attraction ior that numerous
class tnat lives and thrives the drippings OF
legislation. Eastman has no lobby at the back or
his b aud II passed at all 1t must be on Its merits
THE PRIVILEGED QUESTION
he called attention to the TACT that all the news
papers OF New York city contained articles reflect
ing upon him on account OF the delay upon his
RAPID Transit bill. He SAID that six weeks ago he In
Z q
endeavored to get MS bill reported, but failed. He
had received 400 letters from leading citizens Of
New York approving his plan. More taan sixty
columns had been printed IN the New York
papers approving 1t. 1t was. indeed, universally
conceded that MS scheme was the best one yet
proposed; but last Thursday MIR. Vanderblt had
sent bill here, and his (Mr. Eastman's) bill was
He wished to say that he had not sold out Ind did
not intend to sell out. He thought, as chairman OF
Just as good right to have his bill reported from
the Committee on Railroads as Mr.. Vanderbilt or
anybody else. The monOpOles sent In their bills
at the beginning OF week and had them re-
ported before the week was over. At the proper
time he would offer resolution calling Tor q
report on his bill.
Inc chairman Of the committee Mr. Lincoln.
thinking over the subject ol rapid transit and try.
ing TO harmonic the different plans. They had
decided to report one Tor each side OF the city and
one Tor the centre, and the centre one was agree
ably harmonized; and as 'the last shall be hrst"
| the centre was reported, and Vanderbilt, OF
Fourth, and Squires Of Third avenue, were made
The sponsors of many other railroad bills will be
apt to camor for some action by the committee,
Tor they are indignant az the way they have been
treated, and they want to know the reason why.
MONSTER HUMDUG REPORTED IN THE SENATE.
In tue Senate to-day Mr.. Madden, from the Rail-
| road Committee, reported lavorably an act cnang-
| ing the name oil the Beach Pneumatic Transit Com
pany to the Broadway Underground Railway Com
pany, and extending Its powers and au thOrlzlng
its bonds In the CONSTRUCTION OF said railway.
Mr.. TObey submitted minority report against the
passage OF the bill, saying the company had been
~ q
toward solving the problem Tor which II was
Incorporated. The bill also directed the city OF
New York TO tax Itself Tor SIS, 0O0,0 v0 to be given
to the proposed Underground Railway company.
MIR. Wood moved the adoption OF the minority re-
luIly considered and ought to become a law. Mr..
Selkreg said the committee mad carefully con-
sdcred the Dill, and in obedience to the demands
OF the citizens OF New York Tor rapid transit mad
! agreed to report the measure. Al this point the
Of LOOKING over the proVisloms p Vi this Inn
! posture before being called upon to vote.
Madden. VINO must nave known ne mace an enor.
presented asking for the passage oil the DILL Sena-
tors Gross and Ledwlth warmly denied it. and
claimed the petitioners were bogus. MIR. Ray, who
squats away comfortably in the rural districts,
favored the city OF New York being taxed to carry
out TINS scheme. Mr.. Wood argued tnat the Sem
ate had spent some hours OF It's session discussing
the Town Bonding BILL and yet this new proposition
asking that the city OF New YORK may tax itself
for S5,000,OoO. He favored the adoption or the
minority report presented by Mr.. Tobey. Senator
Ledwlth, who has shown himself a jealous and
faithful uphoder OF the interests OF New York city,
| renewed the motion to adopt tue minority report
rejecting the DILL and, Though the delegation from
| New York were unit IN their opposition TO this
monstrons humbug to swindie $4,000 900 out of the
people, 1t was defeated by vote OF Is 10 II, which
| would indicate the ultimate passage OF the bill
through the senate
The retainers OF the Department Of Public Works
aud OF the department OF Parks still lniest the
enough that there IS more IN this Riverside Park
bill than its simple title indicates. The discussion
upOnlt WILL 1t is thought, be resumed on tuesday,
and those interested are figuring as anxiously ON
the result as II their salvation IN the other world
depended omit
Somebody who has been studying the defects OF
the New York charter, especially where 1t applies
to the Improvement of streets, has sent bill
here, whicn was introduced to-day in the Senate
by Senator Gross, and aims direct blow at the
system Of days work. IL provides that all the
work in regulating. paving, sewerlng curbinR.
gutterlng or improving any street or boulevard
YORK, whether by the Department OF Public Works
or Parks, shall be done by contract, after due
All the heads Of departments, with the assent Of
the Comptroller, may reject all bids made for per-
forming any part OF the work II they deem II Tor
the best interest OF the city SO to do 1t shall not
be lawful for any board or the Common Council or
the Mayor OF New York to incur any liability in the
tering, paving, seweTing. fling snhken lots or
other improvements, the expense whereof Is to
and Tor which authority now exists to raise
money bv the issue ana sale Of bonds or stocks
10 enape payments TO be made IN anticipation or
the collection OF assessments therefor, when such
liability would exceed, under existing contracts,
the sum or $4,000, 900 over and above the
amounts the city may be liable to pay for assess
ments. In each succeeding year alter 1874 1t snail
De tue duty OF said Mayor, Aldermen and branches
thereof so to regulate the liabilities In the matters
before mentioned that in each succeeding year the
amounts OF stocks and bonds so issued snail 0e de-
creased at the rate oil $1,0O0,OO0 annually. me
Board OF street Openings formed by section los Of
chapter 1886 OF the Laws OF 1873, shall hereafter
have vested In them exclusive powers relative to
CURED for street openn gs public squares or parks
In New York city,
THE CROToN wATIR DEPARTMENT..
Senator Ledwith introduced bill providing for
the Appointment OF commissioners by the Mayor
and Common Council oil New YORK for the purpose
OF having the exclusive care and control OF all the
affairs connected with the Croton Water Depart
men at an annual salary OF $1,000 each the COM
missoners 10 hold office for five years, and give
bonds in the sum Df $4,000 each for the faithful