New-York daily tribune., 1843-07-29
Our City Affairs.

Our City Affairs.
We have little hope Of the wise, efficient, eco
nomical Government Of our City by either or any
party. We certainly prefer the ascendancy OF
the Wings. when we can get toicrao!y gooo zid-
miristration, to that of our opponents; we believe
they are, as body less infected with the disease
of office-secking and plotting to live at the e1-
pense of the public, though 1t is shamefnly pre-
valent every where We believe they are not 50
given to pcculating and defaultlng, though "a good
many even of them, are none the worse for good
watching. But we are convinced that the CITY
will never be governed as it should be until those
citizens OF all parties who arc less anxious to rule
than to live under Just and wholesome rule shai!
unite to shake off the influence OF party, and act
heartily together for the reformation Of abuses
and the stoppage of leaks in the treasury.
There is no necessary, there IS no proper con-
nection between the City Government and Ma
tional Politics. The Charter Election was APP
pointed to be held at different time in order that
Politics should not govern the choice OF City Off
GERS. The wisdom. of this is evident. Little
knots of Ward politicians are now enabled to as
sumo control of and parcel out the most impor-
tant City trusts with no regard to the substantial
interests or urgent necessities of the City, but
with an ostcnsbIc view to the interests of this
or that candidate for President, which, when keen
ly scruhnzed will generally prove to be at bot
tom primary regard to their own nasty projects
and plotterings for self-aggrandizcment.
This cannct be endured much longer. Our
City is largely involved iii debt her annual ex-
penditurcs are enormous, and visibly increasing
her Police system is VIGOROUSLY corrupt and inef-
fcient; her Pauperism is all appalling evil, and
lies with dead weight on her taxpayers, nothing
being done to modify or reform it. Three thou
sand persons supported in the Alms-House and
Prisons at the expense Of the City-most of them
abundantly able to do some work-yct they do
virtually nothing, and their whole support is drawn
from the vitals of the City. Yet VIC have not
doubt that the introduction Of Systematic Indus
try among them would reduce their number one
third and the cost Of keeping them almost TO no
thing. Then why is it shutiled off from year TO
year Who will answer?
So of the Street-Swccping. 1t has for years
been glaringly expensive and inefficient. The
late Wing Council put it out by Contract for five
years. The manner and terms of that contract
did not meet our APPROVAL yet the whole thing
was "a great improvement on the old system. The
cost was reduced at least $4,000 per annum--
no inconsiderablc item in these tlmes-and the
work, we arc confident, has been better done uri-
der it than it would have been without it.
We know there have been complaints of un-
faithful performance, probably not without some
foundation Yet they were loudly reverberating
when it was utterly impossible to sweep the
streets at ALL encountered as they were with three
feet of compact ice and SNOW; and it was q
great work to clean them thoroughly when that
obstruction twas removed. Once trying would not
do it, nor twice. Then the habits of our People
throwing all their garbage into the streets and
keeping thousands of hogs there-forbid the nos.
sibility of cleanliness. Sweep every street tho
roughly twice week, and still our City would
be dirty one.
But another Council, of different party, has
come into power, promising to make great Re-
forms; and what is their performance We will
not give oar judgement let the reader consult
secure their triumph. The popular feeling of
wrong and disappointment overbears all party con
siderations and gives expression 10 a universal
disgust.
This Street-Sweeping business has in particu-
lar been horribly mislnanaged 1t was doubtless
within the power of the new Council to obtain of
the alarmed contractors any modification of the
contract they might deem neediul to secure the
highest efficiency in that branch of the public ser.
vice. Instead Of that, the result of two months
wranglmg is TO break the contract aud throw the
whole business back upon the old expensive aud
wretchedly inefficient system!
The beauties of this are two.iod. la the firs,
place, the City will pay great deal more TO have
the work worse done; then the contractors will
sue on their violated contract, and probably reco-
yer 100000 more. And this on the back Of an
Annual TaX,bill which the new Comptroller says
must this year be raised to So, III 600!
Fellow Citizens, there must hc an end TO all
this How it will be reached we do not well sect
yet there seem already TO be Members of the ma
lority i'll the Boards who see that ii is running
the Party as well as the City to RUN, and draw
back. Perhaps they act from higher motive
let us see. Ii they prove to be governed by con.
siderations of public duty no Political consideya-
tions shall tempt us to withhold from them the
meed of richly deserved praise. Perhaps the
darkness of the present is the precursor OF ap-
preaching day.
II Hon. JAMES NJ. PoRrgR, Mr. Tyler's Sec
retary of War, is implicated, on the testimony
of Judge Banks OF Pa. IN false swearing to sustain
the legality OF the appointment of his nephew,
VIM Porter, to the Sheriffalty OF Philadelphia, by