The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1866-11-10 00:00:00

BOW NEW YORK IS GOVERNED,

In the Nnrth American Review for the current
quarter of this present year la an article entitled
The Government of the City of New York." The
North American Review is. undoubtedly, the foremost
literary pnblication of the United States. Its polities
are Republican; but AR articles are distinguished by a
moderation and fairness not always met with in
American periodicals. The London Times founds a
couple of lestlera on this article, and makes extracts
from it, which we give, as also The Tilltfee remarks en
Pasoan,. The Times commence. by saying that—
Agaeric ins boast with much moon of their city of
New York. Isis one of the handsomest, and will be one
day me of the largest cities in the world. Its merchants
are immensely wealthy, and they smnd their wealth in the
city where it has ions made Tie Rig ish commercial- n.ig• •
nate despises LUIIIOO, tie must have a town house, because
he la forced to be in the city every day, or at least *mare'
times a week llut a modest Battelle* him
within the h.st and emote of the metropolis. He to content
with the regu'ation stuccoof Ty burnt& the two, oral most
three, windows in front, anti the unassuming draw-
ing-rooms which a very moderate number of sues
fill to ovei flowing. If he desires rank, and state,
and enjot meet, he looks beyond London, and • his
means are lavished on keeping up a conntry.house, with
the usual appurtenances. The same thing it trim in a still
imager measurg of the aristocratic and landed chwes.
Loudon is not Owl: tome they want a oied is (erre Moira
the few months of the :legation, anti that Is all But the New
Yorker liv,e in New York : it is there he has ma le his for.
tulle, and there he steed. it. House. magnificent In else and
architecture are springing up on every side lit this the real
metropolis of America. The equipages are tasteful, the
toilettes splendid. :4,1 mnch for the wealthy ; but, besides
thee., there are a milliou of humau beings of all sorts of
conditions and for the most part prosperous and enter-
prating. There are great factories, vast and overflowing
warehouses, trammel trading and chipping intereeta, with
all the wealth and posver that belong to them Vet from
this wonderful city there has arisen for years the note of
lamentatton. Every respectable person, whatever may he
iris calling or political qpinious, is agreed that wherever e'se
local sef government may succeed it is in New' York a
tyranny, a corruption, and a curse It is in vain that popu-
lar i nerev has tulle spa city which is one of the marvels of
the wcrld, which has increased In to sears from '200,000 to •
Di Ilion of wads, and from &city of brick le becoming a city
of marble New York is degraded and plandered by its
civic government, and this government, which id going
yearly item had to worse, has become an evil so intolerable
that It seems as If there mush shortly he an uprising
against if.
Thou who have paid any atlention to American polities
mut be aware of the evil reputation which the local nubile
men of New York have achieved But the nature of their
Iniquities has, of course, been .ittle understood on this side
of the ocean. People here when they are toil that the New
York Corporation is very bad Are naturally disposed to com-
pare Ma member, with the year!.s of some of our large
metropolitan parlance, and to fancy that folly, Vulgarity,
vanity, petty ambition, and petty jobbing are the faults to
be imputed to the vvernineuxot the chief American Ult.
We hove an opportunity of piecing brf ore our readere the
principal features of a narrative Which bears the unmistak-
ab'e stamp of truth. Tl' .testimony is unexceptionable ;it
Is for these who hear it t rainy the inference.
lint as we read in the North American Renee, we cease
to wonner that tt e soul or the wrber has been moved ,we
are quoting from The Timex). He has to relate things which
probally could tot be truly told of any other city in
the world, unless some minor, New Yorks have grown
up within the rnicn itself., it ith no little wit ar d
humour he gives um a picture' of the tied bodies which
form the city governroent.namely, the Aldermen and
the Councilmen. The Aldermen nveideen In number, are
elected for too year. the Councilmen, twenty-tour In
number, ore elected for one year; ant each member of
each Board receives no annual salary of tl,tioo dollars. The
writer reminds those who think these salaries high that
it coots these city legislators something Lobe elected. On
this point we who live M a Riau house must not throw stones;
but hi what follows we recognise something that does not
exist in our c.,untry.
We ate invited to enter the Chamber of the Council mee.
"This apsrtmc nt being on the second story of the building,
We pass many open doom on our way to it, through which
we see idle men with their feet upon tables, an... Wog Mbar,.
There are few httil6lors in the world, probably, whereto the
consnmplon of tobacco ILI AK its forms soca on more vigo-
r ou-ly during business hones than the C,ty Hall of New
York. . . . . . . If we cuter the Couteilmen's Chamber a
r. w minutes before the time of beginning the Sell4loll we
oh. !rve many members smokiug. and an soon as there is
pv,wpg‘l 01 &Adornment the aims uentleineu begin to
ferule their cigars, so that when an srj •urnmert does take
pace not a mordent may be lost. Twice we have seen a
Cu, other light his cigar before an adjournment was curled.
The very clerks of this honourable body write out
their notes of the pe cceulugs smoking cigars of a
fl aim beyond that wttch the pursuit of literature
allows." The Counchmetis Chamber, a lofty and spacious
room, Is "furnished with preposterous magnificence, not
ru gangue of expense, an 101Uo have inconsiderately alleged.
On the nontrary, experts was evideetty the first *Neat
sought by the peruse, who tat the weak la ahems. and,
arc odinekt, wherever a thousand dollar thine COUld he pat,
there you beheld ii " The Presideut stet alert in a Utility-
Canopied Reese; below him are feu auks in a Tn.. the
Members Win two senshcircles, in chairs of the most massive
mahogany at desks of solid eleganee. "The windows are
&Wed to curtains heavy with eapease, and die cameo& Is
thick will it " The chandelier Is elanorate awl rational,
the clock of vest es'. splendid with ult aud carving. The
cents* 4s frescoed, and a great gilt eagle spreads his wings
over the President's canopy. "Beanies this gorgeous
apartment the Councilmen have a large arid handsomely
furnish:4 room for their clerks and books, and a private
deusely carpeted, for themselves, where there is •
wardrobe for civil member's overcoat and umbrella. These
wardrob.s are very pr parly provided with lock and key."
The C tuncilmen are sell eupported in their u duo. du, lea.
"To mist this 'honourable body' in the business of halal.
Hon," rays the writer, "there is a chief clerk,' whose
'shay is 3,000 dolt, a year; there is a 'deputy clerk,' at '
P..(CO dela. at ear ; !here it. 'first assis'aut clerk,' at 1,5 0 dols.
ayo ; 'Weed asaiatant clerk,' st the same; • 'general
st 1 21.0 dole. ; an 'engrossing clerk' at 1,250 dole. ;

_ .
there Is a serateme.at- Aries'-et 1,2001 dole, a year.; a 'reader.'
at the tame a 'doorkeeper' at 750 dale, a year: a mei-
Seneee at 1.2 0 dols ; and an • assistant messenger' at 1.100
dole a y ear " Wel' may :he write r say that thero is nut •
gblalve B ody in tie world better provided. Such appur•
I' trances na.urelly ...our expectatiei,s. The palatial room
and the numerous well paid staff prepare us furs most dig-
s fed artem,ly. Here is the description of tnem:—.. To.e
twetat-tone C tracilreen, who have provided themeely. • with
inch arrple at, tits:tee and men costly accomtuodatien, are
.itly very y more men-the majorityavpear to he under tidy y.
Lae. the reader renarneer the pleasant d.eription given
by Mr. Hawthorne of the sprightly yeune barkeeper
who rainbows the glittering drink so dexterouely from one
tumbler to another} 'Poet sprightly young barkeeper might
stand as the type of the yosug men composing this Board.
There are respectable men in the body 'There are
nix who have a., vsr knowingly east an improptr
se".e. There are one respectahle physician, three iewrees,
ten mech 'Wes and oily fur who acknowleoge to be dealer.
In liquors_ But there Is a certain air shoot most of these
young Com:ell-nen which, in the eyes of a Now Yorker,
stamps then. as belonging to what has been ryled or late
years our ruling clese'—butcher- toys who have gone into
politics, barkeepers who have taken &leading part in printery
ward meeting., and young fellows who hang about etoginte
houses and rallisre.rooms." . . . " It we were to print toe
lie not a name would be generally reciornig,d. Honest
Chilstopher Pullman, for example, who leads the honest 1
minority of six who vainly oppose every scheme of plunder,
is a vout,g man of twenty revert, just besprinkle brlf Mere As
a cabmet maker. Honest William B White, another of the
six Is the manager of a prietinx office Honest Slephen
Roberts is a sturdy 'moth, who has a shop near a wharf for
repairing the ironwork of chips Morris A. Ty og, another of
tire honest tie, it a young lawyer getting into practice. We
make no remark on these facts, being only destrons to show
the business standing of the men to whom the Cittarma of
New Yosk have confided the spending of sundry millions
per annum"—of foely millions of dollen, as the writer tell. I
us elsewhere. " Tb• majority of this Board," he contrail..
" snout equal in point of experience and ability to the
menage:lient of en ...ler stand ins market. Such sop?...
slow them law,,' 'sot hoe table,' 'list rlgutent,' and
them arautnents is played out' msy be heart on almost
any Moneay 0 r Thursday afternoon between two and three
o'clock in that sumptuous chamber."
It is interesting to know how this estimable body legis-
lates. According to the writer, Its only idea is to 'trend as
much money as possible, with due care that come of it
shad stick to the liegers of their friends. For instance, a
member proposed to lease a certain building as a City Court
at 2,000 dole. • year for ten years. Honest Cnrietopher
Pullman objects; first, on the ground that rents being now
exceptionally high, owing to well knowe and temporary
mwes, It Would be übjult to the city to fix the rent at pro-
sent rates for so long a period; secondly, that he had been
to see the building and was prepared to prove that 1,200 dots.
• year would he a proper rent for It, even at the inflated
rates. Mr. Pullman moved that the teem be two instead of
tea yesre. " A robust young man with a hull neck end of
ungrammatical habits said, to atone expressive of impatient
Mediae, that the landlord of the budding had 'refused'
1,200 dols ayeur for it. 'Question, question !' shouted half.a.
dorm angry voices. The question was instant y put when a
perft et roar of Noes voted down Mr. Pullman's amendment
Art :yr hearty crown of Ayes Comeornmared the iniquity."
Mich Is the Lower Ceamber ef the New York C vporatien,
and we are assured that the Aldermen only differ from the
emir:lb:nen in being railer more elderly.
The writer of the artinie In the Aorth American Review
SUn sate that when it was tetrad last winter tha, the •bh,
men and Councilmen of the city must nee...lly attend the
ball of the 7th Regiment at the academy of Mum "many
respectable persons who had bought tinkers told them again
rather then jostle those magnates." When we read the
deities of the Corporateerr we are not surprised that other
Web should nbject CYO n to snob association with Its memlers
art would arise from partekieg of tem same public festivity
We feel indeed, we can do but scanty justice to the writer's
exp.-man within the limits of ail article. Every one who
wohre to undereteed the full depravity of the system should
rod the narrative itself, wit:eh we should be glad to see re-
puollshed in a aeparete form. 14 the emnarrassenent of
choice we must be content to select • kw iustsucesof public
plundering.
A reselutlon was lately introduced appropriating 4,000
dots for the purpose of presenting colours to five teem...
of City Militia, each stand af colours to cost 6.40 cols. As
the realm...Me nail very good colours already voted to therm
by the Ste. Legislate., objections were made to this elm
hberelliy. One hones; member observed, "w. oughter save
the city every dollar we kin." Another remarked that he
was .e,ittaloted with the value of each articles, and that SOO
dole. was far too much. Colours 54 she best kind ever wed
In the Peeve. could be proenred for 575 dole. nut opposition
was uselese. The Ayes and N ,es were called; and the re-
solution was carried by eighteen to litre "The learned,
-
says the writer, ‘' suppose that otte-half of this stolen 4 000
dole, was expenced nu the colonn, sad the other Self
talvided among abont forty persnns. It is conjectured that
each member of the Councilmen's 'Ring,' which consists of
thirteee, received about 40 dole. for his vote on this Ise.-
' Senn. Thla stur., adeed to his pay, bleb .20 dol.. per letting,
made a tolerable al ternrxm'a work." AN it requires a three-
fourths vote—that., IS rnetubere—to grant money, it la some-
times Impossible for the "Ring" to get the number together.
But there is a mode of preventing the abtence or opposition of I
member- from defeatiog favourite schemes It Is by way of
irecohsq ,retion. The Moirierr the Chairman pronounces •
tsolutisi hat, the ins other who ha. It in charge moves
a reconsideration, and, as a reconelderati on requires only the
vote or a majority, this le invariably carried The resolution
is then adjourned to any future ni ding which may all old a
prompect of visaing it. The member who Is " engineering "
It watches Ids chance, and his perseverance is enrn to he
remarked Take, fur t :ample, the history of the New York
Courthoure New York City is also a Conuty, and the
County ha. its Board of twelve Supervisors, who have tot
'pending of 17,000,000 tio,s per annum. The Only anti County
Ipaernments, reoreeenilag precisely the eame area and
reevulatoa. might be eovected to clack; tout they do not;
;:etcanee both have in view the same object, and pursue
that &Pet under the direction of a central gang, the
mattere el both. It Is the Board of Seperviaors who, being
,1 eght years ago to build a c inn-house at an
550000.
either. dot to exceed 2.50,000 dots, have expended upon It
2,60),(10) dole; and there It stands to-day, just ball done.
Ills computed by architects professionally employed that for
every dueler spent spoil this unfinished edifice another
dollar has gone eleewitere " it the "gang " has olivided
he years, puldic Ille in New York
.• 7,050,0(0 dots. In eight
Must be far from unprotitaule. Take another instance.
Three years ate a contract was awarded for .weeping the
streets! yr Len y eare, 51495,000d01s a year Since the accession
to power of the tiew Board of Health responsible men have
banded In a written offer to buy the remainder of the con-
tract to 2)0,000 dots.—t e ,to Ch 311 the city for sere. ye...
' 490,00. dols • year, awl give the city 250 eOO dols for the
privdege There are those anout the city °Moes who know,
or think they know, how tote plunder of this contraut Is
11 I.ed. We believe we are MA violating any coelidertee ex-
preeted or Implied when we say that It is the eOnektion Of
ihe Board Ilealth that 100,01 0 dole. per annum of the
-weed& of this contract are divided among certain whit
lawyer who enetheered the project,
.odthatareedyC"i" ruai Wee a salary of 25400 d
"arfrl' r'co'.itract anti that the men
I. 1 I ' dummi who et
131•11 1, ...air LOU cj.dral '4
ao of their names and fur their
0.000 dole a year for she 7.
labour in sppeibitending the work The working men
of Ni-tir York are annually plundered of 200,1/00 dole, by this
strigle contract."
More disgraceful la the plundering of the poorer appll
6t omployinbut. Nothing It too great Or too Small for ttit: