The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-06-06

the twenty thousand dollar check that the subject
OF inquiry In the woodn investigation.
. - SPEECH OF AssEABLyMAS EccLKssE
Mr Ihomas T. c. Ecclesine, meuibcr oil Assembly
from the Nineteenth dis,rei. New York county. being
Mr.. CHAIRMAN ASD FELLOW ClrzKxs-An that por-
tion OF The Island Of Manhattan lying north oil Ftyhn
street anu west OF Eighth avenue, In length some eight
ulcs anu IN width averaging mile 10, under Tbs APP
portonment law OF 1866 tine under which ut
present iivingl, known rs the Nineteenth Assembly
uisuict Oh the city and county of Now YORK. had
tue hohor 10 represent this important district In the
LEGISLATURE that has just adjourned. Under a
wise system OF State snd municipal govern
ment II Is destined to be the most beautiful the
desirable, the most important part oil island city Of
tue Aud yet to-day It's real estate ID held ut rum
ousiy nigh figures IN proportion TO iis actual market
value; there are within It's confines nifty thousand
vacant lots that would not to-day, II forced upon tho
mAike oriu9 IN some instances Tho unpaid taxes and
assessments levied upon them. It's property owners.
assessed under the OF infamous laws TO pay
or improvements that the whole city benefits by. are
wen nigh driven 10 despair; It's magnificent water
'front.' some ten miles Ia extent, Is useless for the
through market gardens where comios.aoio and and
healthy homes should be and It's properly, that should
yeu 'ne Guy revenue enough IN ten years 70 pay on
even our enormous debt, - wholly unproduciive OF
anything save evil 10 those who are unfortunate
enough 10 own II. The cause OF all this not lar to
seek What this portion Of the city wants, impera-
tiveiy wants. u rapid transit Is at present prac-
ticaliy inaccessible TO the rest Of tho city.
JERSEY NEARER THAN Tnk NiNkTEENTH wARr.
II found by practical experience easier 10 reach
towns twenty miles away In New Jersey and on Long
Duyvl Creek The extreme length OF the stand dis
TANGO OF some thirteen miles. And hence We Ind
dourshing communities built up in Jersey aud Long
Island, increasing the revenues OF that neighborlng
State and island, and the upper portion OF our
city desolate waste, and tho entire city grooming
our resources aud depete our county Golfers
= THE TiIRKH METHODS.
Now, there wore three modes suggested OF solving
the problem OF rapid transit
fwst--A steam surface railroad. that Is, one running
ON tue ordinary level Of the streets New YORK has
had bitter experience OF this Kind Of ad ATTENDANT
a. u has bceD with serious loss OF lilo aud damage
property was proven to be impract.cab.e and tho
popular cry OF '.snk tho ,rack found realization in
tho present Fourth avenue tunnel and viaducL
SecoM--A depressed road. Various plans OF thus
kind have from timo been suggested and much
Ingenuity ana capital wasted what proved TO
bu impractlcabo schemes. lmpracticabe tor two rca
sons-the expense OF constructing such road was SO
great as TO deter capital from undertaking t. And,
second. underground travel has been proved by cx
peronce 10 be so uncomfortable and unwh olesomo
20 amount 10 practical failure. THIS found 10 DO the
experience oil the London experiment
Ihtrd- An elevated railroad. This plan has been in
most gratifying results, far has boon carried
out representing The district that did, It seemed
natural that should do my best TO the peo
pie ot my district the blessings OF rapid transit
iSJuScroNs MADg EASY.
was found on inquiry that ono Of The greatest Oh.
staces 70 tho successful completion ofthe road already
partially built, or tho undertaking OF projects
OF similar character, was the facility with
which tho opponents OF rapid transit Obtained
lions staying The continuance OF the work. These
injunctions wero Obtained by what Is known among
lawyers as OK purte motions on nfndavits, setting
fortn only one side or tho case and that OF course
from prejudiccd standpoint Under the pressure or
crowded calendar aud under the perncious practice
that permits frequent adjournments on trivial cx.
cuscs, II was sometimes many months before hearing
could DO obtained, aud during that delay irreparaDs
tho Injunction was vacated, II was only to be followed
BY another and another, and SO on almost al in
Gnttum.
A DEFEATED nILL
On the I'd day or March last introduced bill into
the Assembly seeking 10 remedy Tins evil. con-
tanning the following provisions
Fivst-N0 preliminary injunction should be here
atter granted AGAINST an elevated railroad company
until In the frat place, bond of $1U, 600 had been
flied by tho pIaintin answer damages TO The de-
icndant corporation in the injunction was set
aside and tho Anal Determination OF tho action was
adverse TO plaintiff.
iSecond-li the defendant nled counter bond In
Ike amount tho injunction should be vacated once
1hird-This should not apply TO suits commenced Ia
behalf OF tho people OF the State by the Attorney Gen.
eraL
Committee, the onairnian OF the judiciary Committee
having madc determined but Intellectual el-
lori to have tho bii referred 70 his committee.
reputation i0r rigid honesty: and being, AS then
thought, OF some degree OF intel gence hoped
for u speedy report In iuvor OF tho bl. Repeated
hearings HAD the bill the advocates for the
bill being, among others, our worthy friend and
staunch adhersnt Of rapid transit, Mr.. Simeon 4.
resented by General Viele, understood 10
horse car line. About month aer tho bill was IN
adversely. was very Ia at the tIme and rising IRON
"
what fight could against the adverse report
moving to disagree with the report ana send
understand that under tho rules OF the House,
until oil Ia sont to the Commttcc OF tue Whole, II III
printed aud therefore IT'S provisions known
to the general body OF tho House. l ANXIOUS to
have the bill SO committed, In order that might DO
printed and members generally should have cp-
portuuity OF examining It's provisions and deciding
intelllgcntiy upon It's merits.
YRIKNDs RAID TRANSIT
Alter very bitter light, IN winch | was aided by
Mr. 1Nara af fhtac il " Mr. Purnv IF
and Mr. Tigne, oi Kings county, and opposed by tho
Chairman OF the Railroad Committee, tho Chairman OF
tho lower districts Of tho city and many coun-
Try members, my motion to commit TO the
with H. as Il aiserwara provaa Saw or ans
hope for rapid transit, and this, too, without ever
having had an opportunity 10 discuss the merits of
the b without ten members la tho House outside OF
the COMMITTEES beng acquainted with It's provisions.
on the next legislative day introduced another bI
odled respects from the first one, but was
able 10 get hearing Tor this ono from tho
Chairman OF the railroad Committee. II You mo
defeated rapid transit will toll you u At various
causes contributed 70 It's defeat
CORRUPT AND SHAMELESS OPPOSITION
Many members voted against my motion III order to
sustain the Chairman OF the Railroad Committee many
members voted ihnocenty but gnorantly, against tho
bill because they believed the statements or the op-
ponens q ,ne on ~ 70 Us many country
hatred OF tho CITY oil New York, that from city
lind IL difficult 10 realize existing In tho bucolic mind
But candor compels me 70 confess that do believe
that any all these causes would themselves have
been sufficient " defeat rapid transit have no posi-
tive proof that corrupt means were used-corrup
lists know how do their work too VOL TO leave legal
proof behind thcm--but II saw boy coming out OF
sweetmcat closet with his iuco covered with
jam, and that subsequently jam was missed IRON
that closet, ! would be very apt to suspect that
boy Of stealing mat Jam; and when |
well known Albany corruptonists, known to be In the
service of the horse car companies daily and hourly
III conference with certain MEMBERS sitting beside
them In the House. dining with them at their
hotels, s0ndIng notes anu SUGGESTIONS to them
across tho chamber; and when these men
aftcrward boosted that my bill would never be-
come law, and whom tho men that they most
frequently seen with wero aiterward found TO be-
without any apparent reason, the bitter opponents OF
the bill. why, then, don't say that these members
were brbed. but the Jam their faces looked very
suspicious Their votes recorded the journal OF
the House, and they VIII doubtless DO able explain
them to their constituents should thoy ever como be-
fore them Tor collection.
LITTLE JOKER.
"They arc all, nil honorable men," There was ono
man came up TO Albany. who, II report does do