Year: 1867

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD BILL LOsr-DEFRAT


OF THE wHARvEs AND PIERS COMMISSION BILL


BILLS SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR.


ALBANY, April A. 1867.


The two bills the passage of which would have re-
deemed this Legislature by showing adopted some
very good measures il inflicted upon the people many
bad ones dead refer to the bills for underground
railroad and Metropolitan Board OF Wharves and Piers
The former has yet been considered in the House
Committee the Whole, and at this late day never can
be- Two be found for thisthe lack OF mar
mony in the incorporators Of the bill, ana
tho conflicting interests which worked against
It, The Senate, instead Of giving the most mer1-
torious party the right to build an underground
took the ncoporators of three bills and forced them INTO
one with the hope that they would harnonze and thus
all get share OF the franchise. The honorable Dody
might have well attempted to mix oil with water
Ever the bill passed helsenate these parties nave
fighting among themselves, some wishingto change
the the road woud be up Broadway and others
denouncng the whole bill because they thought some
ones interests had an advantage over another. When
they could not agree among themselves 1t was hard for
rival interests TO do so with Them and thus between the
two NewYork will have to wait at least another year for
an underground railroad.


The last stain which has been affixed npon this
Legislature is the defeat Of the Wharyes and Piers Dill
1t meet that such good measure should nave re-
ceyed its death blow day which noted Thurlow
Weeds second arrival in this city during the present
Legislature OF course many say the Father OF the
Lobby" had nothing whatever TO do with IT, and that he
was here other business This may be so but the CO.
incidence / have stated seems strange, especially
when I remember that IL was during MI Weeds
first visit to Albany this Winter the Board
OF Public Works bill met its defeat in the Senate In my
dispatch OF Saturday stated that the vote by which
Wharyes and Piers ordered into Committee OF the
Whole Thursday night, some indications OF the
success Of that measure The original opponents OF the
bill thought so too for all day Friday and Saturday they
were busy beavers and 20 successful that IL was
known yesterday morning in all the Obbes and on the
floor OF the House that the bill would be defeated The
Democracy, with three exceptions, voted sody against
H. for some Of those who intended originally to vote for
the bill were forced 10 obey sachems OF ram
many Hall, who were here all the week. and whose
efforts TO defeat the measure not concealed.
They were materially assisted by delegations from your
Common Council and Board OF Aldermen, whose advice
your Legislature thought better than that OF the
merchants OF NcwYork and Association composed OF
the distinguished men of both parties Early and late
these parties whose integrity virtue, and knowledge Of
the wants OF the merchants aud business men OF New
York il even greater in the estimation OF our lower
branch Of the Legislature than the Chamber Of Commerce
and the Citizens Association, composed Of the best men
Of all avocaons aud political parties, worked 10 defeat
this bll aud last night thoy went home TO tell their
masters of their success.


The bill up in Committee of the whole yesterday
afternoon and was ably defended by Speaker Pitts, Mr.
Roberts Of Oneida and Mr.. Oakley OF Kings Mr. Little
John IN proposing amendments saw III TO attack what
he called political commissions, and was answered by
Mr Roberts who denied that it political question:
hut on the contrary 1t commercial one, ana woud
benefit the merchants Of NcwIork ana the woilu more
than ANYBODY else Mr. PITTS who had charge o the Dl
acuucsrcd In all amendments, with the nope that
it would finally be adopted by all parties ~ was OF ho
.e however: the opponents OF the measure had an the
cards I'm their own hands and they played them Not
single argument delivered in the committee showing
why the h should not become alaw. Those VINO OactNcy
oposrd did nothing but attack Coninlssois ana ul
hstifnby n,.a the Citizens Association, because thcy
cudcnyoryd to have this one established. Oh the CON
tra II WAS shown from many sources that your wharVes
and piers were anything but good condition, ana the
of the SENATE special committee mat
Board established p take charge of them we're READ
hut All 10 no purpose Every IN the House had made
up hs mind how act upon the bill before single aTgu
Inrnt had been made For this time In the session, and
especially when Il known that this I'M
portant bill would come up yesterday afternoon
! The attendance slim. All the Democrats
who In the city wero present and-let me do them
the Justice ~ sayiug-met the issue sluarey IL was ei
10 number of Republicans to do Just the opposite sey


ra of the latter faith were legumaely absent by sick
other good hut the majority oi thOse WRo
were not present had not the manucss 10 give vote
either FOR against the bill There two or three
Republicans who honestly have reason 10 believe
was political c0mmi,siOn hut there were others WIG
either actuued 10y personal spite against the gentle


men who nrncpay adv Ocated H. or they could not resist
the logic and Establishments Of your Board Of Aldermen
and Controllers Of Street Departments. send you the
vote Mr. Pittss motion that the bil be ordered 10
paired with Mr. Dcyln, and Mr.. Roberts with Mr Robert
son. The vote was-Ncds, 80 Nays, %.