Year: 1871




The people Of the city Of New York will
wake up this morning and open their eyes
wide with amazement upon reading the report
Of legislative proceedings at Albany yester-
day. 1t will be seen that in Senator Tweed's s
bill, limiting the tax in New York for 1871
and 1872 to two per cent on the valuation of
real and personal estates, the Mayor, Comp
troller, Commissioner Of Public Works and
the President of the Board Of Public Parks
are appointed commission to levy the tax,
instead Of submitting it to the Legislature as
heretofore.


Now, we have the highest respect for the
integrity and disinterestedness of his Honor
Mayor Hall we do not wish people to ina
gine that we fear there will be any want Of
fair dealing on the part of the Comptroller,
Mr.. Richard B. Connolly; we are not calling
in question or impugning the motives of the
mover Of the proposition, the Commissioner
of the Department of Public Works,
Senator William M. Tweed; we would
not utter a word derogatory to the high
character for honesty and incorruptibility
enjoyed by Mr.. Peter B. Sweeny; but
we do say, and say it in tones that we wish
could be echoed, not only in the legislative
halls and lobbies and committee rooms at
Albany, but in every public building, dwelling
house, counting room, factory, foundry, ware
house, store and shop, palace and cottage on
Manhattan Island-that this is one of the most
abominable acts for the oppression of an
already pillaged people that ever emanated
lature. 1t is true that the upholders of this
project may say that it proposes to reduce the
rate of taxation to trihe less than that Of last
year. So it does, upon its face. But what is
the real factp What is concealed under this
specious veil? Where is, not the s'little mig
ger" but the huge ebony Cardiff giant In this
woodpile? This commission will, of course,
fix the standard of valuations, and how easy
1t will be to mark up the scale here or mark 1t
down there, as best may suit personal objects
and purposes2 and, remember, it will be held
responsible for Its acts to no power whatever
Honest as the commission in whole or in part
may be, the temptation will be 80 strong that
there is great danger the spirit Of covetous-
ness and favoritism will creep in and the mass
of personal and real estate owners be made to
pay for the deficiencies Of the favored few.


No, our citizens do not want any more mu-
nicipal power vested in the hands of the few
who now WELD it in this community They do
not want to test the probity of these gentle
men any further. Some of them hold real
estate Of enormous value in their hands, and
they have aided their particular friends In
accumulating much more. Nearly every up
town street improvement, city railroad track,
street grade, sewer, drain, water or gas pipe,
curbing or paving job, is regulated with view
to the present or prospective benefit Of pro-
perty held in the line or under the thumb of
the ''ring." The taxpayers Of New York, we
believe we are right in saying, would submit
to the present rate of taxation at fixed valua-
tions rather than run the risk of having those
valuations tampered with at the whim or
caprice Of any interested parties whatever


Therefore we caution the Tammany leaders
not to ''crowd the mourners" too hard for
if they do they will make capital for their ene-
mics which will tell in formidable manner at
all future elections, not excepting the Presi-
dental contest in 1872.