Now, we do not say a word as to the guilt or innocence of Mr. Branch. He may be guilty—he may be innocent; we are just as far, if not farther, from that point than we were a month ago; and this is the ground of our complaint. If such proceedings be allowed permanently to obtain in our courts of justice, then we say that “trial by jury becomes a mockery, a delusion, and a snare.” ------------------------------------ AN IMMORTAL PETITION. _The Wise Peter Cooper, and his most extraordinary proposal of a Tank on the summit of the City Hall, for the extinguishment of disastrous conflagrations._ [Document No. 13.] BOARD OF ALDERMEN, } February 6, 1854. } The following petition of Peter Cooper, in relation to the prevention and extinguishing of fire, and to give greater efficiency to the Police Department, was received and laid on the table and ordered to be printed. D. T. VALENTINE, Clerk. To the Hon. the Mayor and Common Council of the city of New York. [CONCLUDED.] It must be apparent to every reflecting mind that the great extent of our city already, imposes a burden on the present firemen so great, that we have no right to expect that it will be borne a great while longer by a voluntary Fire Department. It is evident that something should be done at once to furnish the Fire Department, the relief that they have a right to expect from the excessive labor that is unavoidable in drawing their engines to and from, and the hazzard and fatigue of working them at the numerous fires that take place. In the opinion of your subscriber, the plan of placing light carts with hose at convenient distances in every street, to be at the service of a body of police, all interested to use this hose for the extinguishment of fires with the greatest possible energy and effect, is the best that can be adopted. By this arrangement it is safe to calculate that the present Fire Department will be relieved from something like three quarters of the duties they are now called upon to perform. As an equivalent for this relief, I propose that the Fire Department shall become the guard of honor for our city, to be called out as firemen or soldiers whenever their services are required by the proper authorities of our city. This arrangement proposes to continue the present Fire Department with every privilege they now enjoy, and relieve them from more than half the labors they are now required to perform.