Year: 1870

The Arcade Railway bill proposes TO legalize
the grandest piece of rascality that ever raised
Its head even in the Legislature of this State.
1t concentrates in one act roguery and rascality
enough for twenty ordinary sessions, aud plum
der enough to plate with gold all the men that
might vote in Its favor during all those years.
It may give hint even how pitifully your
grand railway jobber uses his law-making
tools. The men who vote for these laws in
the Legislature, and the men who want the
law made bear about the same comparative
relation to one another as the aftinent shop
keeper to the poor seamstress in the song Of
the shirt. They give FIVE, ten, perhaps twenty
thousand dollars for vote, and the vote gives
to them law with six hundred million dollars
In it. How contemplate is the proportion
for the poor rogue who betrays the trust OF his
constituents and perjures himself by the direct
sale of what he has sworn to use only with
conscientious regard to the welfare OF the
whole people!


This great scheme to plough up Broadway,
to excavate and tumble down The greatest
retail trade of the city, and to destroy the
most extensive business that is anywhere in
the world concentrated on single street, has
come to sudden standstll in the Assembly.
| Only one Senator from the city, it will be re-
membered, voted in its favor in the other
house. That one Senator was Mr.. Genet.
Mr.. Genet is the party known as the young
democracy" All the votes of that party,
therefore, were cast in its favor in the Senate,
and that is party that is not very strong in
the House. The fact, therefore, that the bill
to send great steam plough down Broadway
was a pet measure of the young democracy
did not give it a favorable start in the AS
sembly, and the other fact, that wholesome
and extensive expression of popular indgna-
ton made itself heard, was, fortunately, not
without its effect. The bill, therefore, was
not rushed through, and we are at q period in
the session when delay itself has promise for
good. If, therefore, the bill is not taken out
Of its Course Il Cannot pass, and members
must fight its farther progress with every
technicality of legislation that secures delay.


Some pretty good sense has been spoken in


the Assembly on the subject of this bill. One


member said: * desire to gay further that I
can appreciate and do appreciate that proper
regard should be had for the citizens we re-
present, and there is nothing that gives more
qualification than to see representatives acting
the part of the watchdog around the gates Of
the Treasury or around the other interests Of
the citizens. But say there are times when
/ g.,
are appeased by bone" Now this is ex-
cellent. A member actually appreciates that
"a proper" regard should be had, for the in
terest Of the citizens, and knows thft there are
times when the watchdogs are 't heased by
a bone" Now who would bell Lpp\ hat this
honest watchdog was actgaf5eve thing in
| favor of the bill when he used these words
| Who would believe, in fact, that he had the
very bone referred to in his mouth at the time
| Another member spoke as follows: ''The
Arcade Railroad bill is one of the most i'm
portant bills ever introduced into this House.
have not read one word of it. don't know
| whether to vote for it or not, and want to
know" Here is the whole subject in three
short sentences. The member wants time to
read the bill before it passes, and if the time
is given we may be sure the bill will not pass.


WHAT BECOMES OF THE Ho4FLs ON BROAD
WAY if the Arcade abominatiS becomes a
law? The rumble of the cars, las they run
beneath the foundations of the principal hotels,
will remind occupants that California has been
transferred to Manhattan Island, and that an
earth or sand quake may be expected at
any moment. What Californian will occupy
quarters in hotel on Broadway in such a
crisis, unless it be in hotel established upon
such sound foundations as the Metropolitan
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WoMANs RIGHTS IN MASSACHUSETTS. The
lower house of the Massachusetts, Legislature,
by vote of 1873 to So, has rejected the pro-
posed amendment to the State constitution
enabling women to vote. Queer people, those
Massachusetts Puritans! They Gil the land
with their women's rights notions and womens