New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1842-12-24
y0E. III. Mo. 22E.
For The Tribune.
Affairs of the City.

4
ton, of high interest. have at this moment been
led to do this from the presentation Of the plan of
Police, now before the Common Council, though
the evils of our City Government have been with
me the subject of long previous considerations.
| You have, fellow citizens, yosr estates mort
gagged to an amount of Fourteen Millions of Dol
lars, bearing an interest of 81 per cent: with no
productive property worth mentioning, for to emu
merate our prisons, city grounds, squares, bate
ries, markets and slips, (Which do no more than
keep themselves in repair,) property TO be re-
lied on TO pay debts and which probably cannot Be
sold, is absurd in the extreme.
In addition to your debts, you have also 1000
paupers to support, and if you include what Is
termed the outdoor poor, you have four or five
| thousand more, under the care of your Almshouse
Commissioners. Of your paupers, 800 are luna-
tics and 900 are children at school and male ard
female prisoners, including those waiting trial and
in the House of Refuge, little shcrt of 1000. You
have population (of many different na,ions) Of
325, coo to keep norder and make subservient to
the Law. The care and charge of the Prisons,
the Almshouse, Wharcs, the Public Schools, the
Cleaning Of Streets and the health Of the City,
the watching protecting and lighting the City, the
public property, particularly that representing
Twelve Millions Of Dollars, the Croton Watei
Works, City Debt generally. allrcqure regulation,
supervision and laws for their care, government
and protection; and in the executive offices is re-
CURED talent, industry, economy and honesty.
| have enumerated no facts, not known to you;
C.
as you should be, that you have City Govern
ment, with executive officers capable Of taking
care of these great interests ? Are you satisfied
with the management of your affairs Have your
city funds been ndustriously collected, and when
collected have they been honestly paid into the
City Treasury. Have your high officers been
alert in the detection of frauds Is not your sys-
TEN so bad that collector can collect revenues
for more than year, and amounting to more thar
$50, 600, and yet no bedy know any thing aboutit?
In your Police Department have the public the
surety when criminals bailed, or when recog-
nzances are taken, that they will produce the
prisoner on the day of trial7
Are you satisfied az to what has become of the
SGT 900 of fines and penalties imposed by the
Courts-is it in your Treasury or where
Are yeu satisfied that between the magistrates
and marshals and rogues and criminals there is nc
concerted alliance? Are you satisfied to have had
your City for three months without Government,
on dispute between politicians
Now fellow citizens, if you are satisfied with this
brief allusion to your condition, then you should
continue to enjoy 1t; and perhaps you value 1t be-
cause it costs so much, not an unusual mode Of
valuing things. If this is the criterion of value
we have a most excellent City Government, for our
taxes now exclusive of much partial or local tax,
particularly by way of assessment) amount to two
millions of dollars.
That this City Government of ours is good, Is
certain, the only objection is, don't pay enough
for it To remedy this, the Corporation. in then
Police Report, propose to pay themselves S34, ooo
Teach to pocket $1,000 in addition to what they
now get, such as $4 a day attending Court, Boaro
of Supervisors, attending Excise Officers to
grant Licenses, &c. &c. And yet they will work
hard and pay money to get into office. 1t IS SAID
they cam, afford to devote 30 much time from their
private business, and yet, instead of attending to
the duty, and the only Guty imposed upon themb
law the Legislature daty, they boast IN the Police
bill referred to, that the Aldermen and Assistant
Aldermen render moro duty than their officers
that is-they know and do more than their Street
Commissioner and their Comptroller!
And we now.see an examination by commit
tee of the Corporation as to the setting fire to the
prison, thus becoming Police Justices. We adj
nit this is right and only regret in case the ma
sfstrates arc supposed TO be concerned
Bur is i, not an anomaly that the same lndlvid
uals. as a Committee on Public Offices and lie
pairs, build our prsons as Watch and rolice
Committees, arrest and examine us; as Market
Committee, contract for our food ard raiment; Us
Supervisors, tax US, and Common Council men
gudit all tkeir own, rather OUT accounts, make
all City Laws, hold the Special and General Ses-
sions, send us to Blackwel's Island and The State
Prison, and in the Oyer and Termner hang Us
Now this approaches TOO much to one-man power
for Democrats
allow the members of the Corporation. as now
organized, do too muek-more than can be done
we'll, and affirm that the true renedyls to relieve
them from Il part of their dutes-not imposing
more, as the Police Report recommends-and thus
excuse them from doing more than their otticeS.-
And this brings me to the object had In view IN
writing this article.
Our CITY Government has not worked we'll since
the division of the one into two BorFds. lie OBJ
iect of the trainers of the new Charter was mainly
to create Departments, not in name bur IN SAB
stance, who should be the Executive Othcers and
manage the whole business of the city, as the Lee
gisla,urc and Congress manage theirs
Now neic Lei. isidtion is required TO enforce and
carry out this principle.
Tho Committees should have no more power
over the Departments than the Committees OF the
| Legislature have over the State DeParsmenes-
The Corporation will not carry out any such prin.
ciple! they will do nothing TO diminish sheir Ia
| Dor. or to cuttuil their duties and patronage,
whether it be as Binding COMMITTEE, a Market
| Committee, Police Committee, or Croion
! Ao,a3,c, Committee. or as Supervisors, Board o!