New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1846-03-18
CITY REFORM.
,resentment oil ,he Grand JE

The last Grand Inquest OF the City OF New ORR
having had It's attention called 10 the enormous
abuses connected with our Municipal 4 administration
and the consequent oppressive and increasing lax
alton TO which our people are subjected took me
subiec, into consideration, resolved TO investigate
and act and having agreed on the general principles
of such action appointed a Committee to prepare
Memorial to the Legislature setting forth the facts
in the case and asking reduction Of the TaxBll
for the current year The following is the Memo
rial and we earnestly commend it TO the attention OF
our citizens
To me Honorable > legislature Of e STATE Of e' lorH
in Ssaote and Asse17bg eo7rened
The Grand Jury Of the City and County Of New.EorS
having appointed a Committee with power to request
your honorable body to reduce the amount OF Taxes
proposed to be raised from this County BY the Common
Council Respectfully beg leave TO present the following
Memorial
As ia the duty Of the Grand Inquest toake into con-
alteration matters that the general welfare OF
this County and DESTROYS do what msy be in their
mower to relieve the burdens OF this people and having
for several years observed with alarm the great increase
Of our Taxes until the amount Is so large as to be
serious check the prosperity OF the City, and to aEord
strong ground OF experimenting that unless stop be
mt 10 the extravagant Of expendng these large
an,oupls of money raised by Taxati0n-ruin 70 the
best Interests oil the peop!c ol 'nis OtJ ue' ''ao!
be the result
The Grand Inquest see with surprise and alarm that
the Common Council have asked your honorable body
Cor lcave to raise 50 100000 from this County BY Tax
and this large is asked for the purpose carry
ing on the affairs Of this city for single Year When it
ia remembered that this amount is be extorted from
the hard earnings Of the people OF sing!e County
which amount s equal TO fifty dollars EACH every yo
crit he evident your honorable body that such
an amount be requisite for economical adm in
isratOn OF the affairs oil ths Corporation Inc uranu
Inquest therefore respectfully but earnestly request that
your honorable body will strike the sum Il SoUuUUO
from the amount asked for by the Common Council
We are certain that tie best interests OF the Citizens Will
thereby be greatly promoted-itw induce more eco
noical expenditure OF the peoples money and prevent
in come measure the extravaganza and corruption that
have for years been undermining the prosperity OF our
city. -
protest against the etrava5an manner In which II IS
usually expended We certain the amount that will
remain after the above reduction is more than sufficient
for the annual administration Of municipal aiars
if expended with economy.
Another great evil is that the Common Council, not
usually satisfied with spending all the money allowed to
be collected by the Legislature incur what is called
floating debt ~ which means they are enabled at the
end Of the year TO saddle the people with an additional
burden Of few hundred thousand dollars
This ought not to be, and we ask that law may be
We humbiy rus, and hope that your Honorable Body
and siield us from, these oppreSsioni.
In the Aims House Department it is evident that there
ia great ln!smanagemeat We have the evidence oil THIS
brought to our notice by the reports OF the Common
Council and every citizen may haze this evidence who
will veit this institution The President OF the Board OF
Aldermen has within the last month lifted the curtain
and exposed how regulations are carried on ana why
such large asked for by this Department.
is not 10 support the paupers but that the Keepers AID
managers of the department may have large fund into
which they lruEt their hands. lie (the President OF
,I,ap oor1 ne
are drawn from the city treasury by extra charges In
weights and measures which extra charges appears by
the report above referred to- amounted 10 near NIFTY per
cent on the original proper weight and cost OF the art
Giles purchased for this department This hy per cent
of course went into the pockets OF some oil those CON
nectcd with this department The Grand Inquest feel
assured that the only ccctua way 10 remedy this evil
;-n,ar. Tie Grand Inquest do not suppose that
his incubation has been confined to single year but to
"a seriea years. The salaries OF this department are
charged to The account OF ssares to tue amount oil
$4,000 This formerly included in the Aims HouEe
ependiturc As the above item is so transferred TO an
other account we propose reduction OF ninety thou
sand doar from the amount asked for by this depart
mrpt Amount appropriated is S250,00O
Roads and Ar1nnes-This work should be contracted
for as cnded by the late Comptroller Alfred H.
smith and large saving would De nauc 10 tue 0ltyHt
Iesst five tbouaAnd dollars
Tom,s and Gos-This amount is far too large, being
materially increased what 1t has ever before been
Tho Grand Jury are certain that this department can be
efficiently carried for less than $4,000 The amount
asked for is Sl4 600 deduct $4,000 from the supplies
and the department, will susain no injury The Office oil
LampIightcr was abolished last year when MAKES an
additional reduction OF SAL Coo therefore the whole re-
ducton that should be made Is eightysX Thousand DOL
lars (sS6,OUOD - ooo i, - IL.
sxe amount be reduced account OF Offices that
are abolished The salaries Of departments have here
ofore been charged in the expense of the department to
which they beoDgedthat is the Judges to the account
of Courts &C. but in order the greatest amount OF
money that is possible from the people the account OF
Salaries is swelled up $4,000, and the depart
mepts ask still larger amounts than before. Amount 10
be deducted above referred to- account OF oces
abolished is Sal eos 81 which should be deducted from
the amount asked
P0N;ce-I4ere ia 4 burden sr!evouS 10 be borne We
have here charge Of nearly halt million OF dollars and
which amount will be exceeded If the amendment pro-
posed y the Common Council shall be passed by the
Legislature. which we hope may not be. The amount
naked for ia fSs COO This department. has heretofore
been administered for hundred thousand dollars
less than tho sum asked by the Common Council this
year.
The Grand Jury have the evidence before them of the
efficiency ine.fcicncy Of this department, and being
able contrast with the former Watch and Police De-
psrtmen; administered under the former arrange.
nent compelled to say that no protection equal al all
citizen by the change. Why, then. should these eS-
penses be largely increased The asked for
may be largely reduced and the efficiency Of the Police
increased. Deduct one hundred aud thirty thousand
dollars ard an abundant amount will remain carry
/ the department with entire efficiency.
Printing ard StctioRay.-Thc Comptroller says that
appears that thousand dollars may be reduced and
the supply be sufficient for the City.
Repairs and Supplies is item that the Comptroller,
in his communication tbEt too much is asked for.
Reduce fifteen thousand dollars.
Glazing he Corporation Docks and Slips is set down
BY the Comptroller much more than il usually costs
and more than is needed by four Thousand dollars.
Cleaning Streets is account that is much overchRrs
ed. This should be done by contract The amount
asked is about double the for which responsible
persons are willing do the work 1t certainly can De
d7la
than asked for by the Corporation $4,000 Amount ap
propriaied IS (Sl20000)
Docks and SlipS-There is ought be large reve
from ibis account bat none is allowed By the Comp
rclier. thes exceeded the amount asked for by he
Common Council twenty-four thousand dollars; and
there good why the receipts this year should
not exceed the expenditures Under any circumstances
the amour: asked for cannot be required Allowing the
whole expenditures 10 be charged amount should 10,
exceed twenty-five thousand dollars thirty thousand
/ ai the very Outsidc-$l5000 10 be deducted
Iteresf on Rs-r7ue BoRdS-This is new account not
before opened All the interest City Bonds Stocks
is charged in another accoun: and the account OF Reeve
IL. Is, 49,