New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-03-16
Nrw.yoRK DAILY TRIBUNE WEDNESDAY, MARCH I6 1881.

the same time. Upon the latter subject Mr.
Smith expressed his belief that he could at
tend TO the duties Of both positions. lie had
consulted with the trustees, he said, before
taking the Congressional nomination. The
vote of the congregation in his favor showed
the strength of their confidence in him.
The State Senate sustained yesterday, by
vote of II to IS, the action OF Senator
Bakers Committee in refusing to approve the
bill authorizing three-tTack railroad TO DC
built on the bernie bank of the Erie Canal
The bill empowered the New-YOrk, Albany
and Buffalo Railroad Company to build the
road, one track to be used by a locomotive
to tow boats in train and the other two for
freight and passenger traffic. The bill author
lied the Superintendent of Public Works to
make rules to regulate the towing ETC., Duf
gave the GOmpany's directors the management
of the road This scheme, which the COMMIT
tee has been strangely criticised for rejectlng'
was, in short, proposition that the state
should give graded road-bed three hundred
and fifty miles long, which has cost 1t MILL
ions of dollars, to railroad company IN re-
turn for the possible benefit derived from having
boats toWed by locomOtives-an experiment at
the best. The Committee did wisely in acting
adversely upon the bill, apt the Senate also
in sustaining the Canal Committee.
The call for inass-meeting at Cooper
Union on Friday evening to demand rehet
from the filthy conditions of our streets, is a
mournful commentary upon the inetfciency OF
municipal government Here is work which
should be so we'll and so systematically done
that the citizen ought never to be aware that
it needed doing. The dirt of great
city ought to disappear silently and IN the
night, so that the ordinary citizen might sup
pose, for all the actual evidence of his VISION,
that cleanliness was the normal condition OF
cities. Instead of this, the state Of our streets
is such an offence to comfort and such
danger to health, in spite of the heavy annual
expenditure, that hundreds OF our best clu-
zens-physicians, lawyers, merchants, clergy
men. bankers, etc.-must needs hold public
meeting to see if they can in some way get
the streets clean. This solemn request to the
city to keep itself decenty tidy Is comlch
enough from one point - of view-traglcal
enough from another. as the death rate shows.
1t is a question whether even this demand
will effect much. But as a rule, if the people
of New-YOrk call loud enough, they can get
what they want even from the Legislature.
1t is now believed that the Democrats OF
the Senate are ready to abandon their contest
against the inevitable-and just. The Senate
remained in session only twenty minutes yes
terday Mr. Pendleton called up again his
reorganization resolution, and was met at
once with opposing motions by the Republicans
After several of these had been put, Mr.. Pen
oil, ton sadly remarked that it was evident no
vote could be had on the resolution, and
moved to adjourn. In the eternal AFTERNOON
of the Senate the motion for the previous
question is never heard, and it Is IN the
power Of minoritics to postpone action IN
definitely. There are occasions when such
resistance is justifiable. Surely one Of them
is such an occasion as the present, wien n
virtual majority is converted into temporary
minority by unexpected causes, and Is only
standing ont for it's rights. 1t was little
surprising, however, that the Democratic Som
ators, after struggling lercey against this self
evident truth, should suddenly and meeky
accept it. They met in caucus after the adj
iournrlent, and, with much pickering, virtually
acquiesced, it is understood, in the Republican
programme of committees. 1t was short
campaign, with nobody hurt-but Ben HILL