Year: 1873

back to the barbarOus ages. The state OF
affairs which makes possible the loOting OF
| carload of passengers in q public street is
amazing. The chapter of metropolitan crime
which we print to-day is dscouraging when
we consider that science has done much and
is doing more to detect crime and protect
property. Here is Wall Street flooded with
fraudulent railroad bonds. Highway robbers
attack street-car as though they were imi-
tating the exploits of Dick Turpin on
Hounslow Heath and heavy thefts in various
ways are reported. So far as our own city is
concerned, something must be done for the
protection of wayfarers, or every man must go
| into the streets prepared to defend himself
against violent assault.


| Another OF President Grants peculiar letters
of Endorsement and cOngratulation is published.
The circumstances of Secretary BoutwelPs re-
| tirement from the Treasury were so different
| from those of Mr.. Thomas Murphy's with
drawal from the Custom house, and Mr.. Col
| fax's departure from public life that the rea-
sons for the Presidents writing him so cordial
a letter are not quite apparent; but he shows
a very warm appreciation of the retiring Sec
retary. and cordial approval of the policy of
| the Department under his administration.
The appointment of Mr.. Richardson is under
stood to mean that the Administration is COM
mitted to a continuance of MIR. BOutwelPs
financial policy The President, 1t is said, de-
sires to have the people so accept it. Mr.
! Richardson is the gentleman who on his own
responsibility issued some five millions OF cur
rency during the late campaign.


The action of the last Massachusetts, Legis-
lature at the extra session early in the Winter
| censuring Mr.. Sumner for introducing his So
called "battle-hag resolutions has had on the
whole good effect. The present Legislature
having reOpened the subject upon resolution
expunging the former hasty resolve, the
subject has had a more free and thorough dis
cussiOn through the press OF the country as
well as before the Committee that had the
matter in hand, and the consequence is much
clearer understanding on all sides of the merits
of ofthequestiOn, and the strength of the argument
in favor of Mr.. Summers proposition. The Mas
sachusetts Senator will renew the motion at
the assembling of Congress next Winter, and
! in the wiser and clearer view of the whole
subject which the discussion of the hasty and
passionate action of the Massachusetts, Legis-
lature has brought about, there is some hope
that Congress will adopt the resolution and
by so much hasten the day of forgetfuness
of old differences and real substantial brother
hood and peace between the sections.


| We print to-day the text of the amendments
to the State Constitution, as proposed by the
Constitutional Commission and now reported
to the Legislature. Some of these amend
| hut Of
are of the very first Importance. The pro-
visions relating to elections, reorganization of
legislative districts corruption in office and the
definition and limitation of executive powers
will be warmly discussed Before the sug-
gested amendments can become part of the
fundamental law of the State, they must be
approved by the Legislature now in existence,
that of 1874, and by the people. Some OF
the new provisions are framed with special
reference to the progress which, In spite of
many discouragements, the Civil Service has
made There is an unmistakable demand by
the people for more carefully guarded bal
lot and an hOnester administration of Office
To some extent this demand is met in the
! schedule of changes which the Constitutional
| Commission have submitted to the Legislature.
| The work is before the citizens, as well as the
lawmakers. 1t should be carefully and can
| didly examined.


We are inclined to place little confidence in
! the rumor which comes from Trenton that the
Monopoly agents have purchased a majority
in the Assembly for the purpose of securing
the passage of their bogus Senate Railroad
bill. We prefer to believe that the members
who have acted so manfully during the preced-
ing weeks of the session have honesty and good
sense enough to continue that course to the
end. They have heard and obeyed the voice
of the people on the Anti tiMonOpoy bill and
on the General Railroad law, and it can
not be possible that they are 80 dishonor-
able and 30 shOrt-sighted as to stultify
themselves now. Their action, last even
ing, in refusing to postpone indefinitely
the Senate bill which was 30 clearly shown
to be illegally before them, was, however,
very suspicious. Perhaps they prefer it should
come to fair vote on its merits, but the bet
ter and more summary way would have been
to postpone it at once as entitled to no con-
sderation. 1t is plainly dishonest and
fraudulent, and as such is not en-
titled to the vote OF any honest man.
The members of the Assembly may
as well remember that their constituents are
watching their actions closely, and if they
venture upon the dangerous experiment of


= A. II