New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1846-12-16
The Amendments to the CRY Charter.

The following article was prepared for The Tribune
by friend in whose statements we confide though
nigh, not agree with him fully as to the wisdom OF all
the proposed Amendments TO the City Charter-Ed-l
The County Canvass shows that the Amend
ments to the Charter were defeated by average
majority OF about 100. the whole vote for and
against being only about 1900. while the whole
vote on the State Ticket was more than $4,000
This is singular result How did it happen
The law having required the amendments to be
submitted to the People separately, the Convention
adopted instructions for the information OF the people
/. These instructions trere uecer p"6iished The
original document mo copy being kept was loaned
TO a gentleman in whose Office it was mis!ald and
could not be found to he published. Ihe ffoP'e
7rers thus uaUtorDied
The evening before the Election the COM
mercia Advertiser a journal justly enjoying the
confidence OF large portion of the people 'rar7'ed
tie rioters agaiast usag any Of the ballots relating
10 The amendments 10 tie Charter, alleging that they
were fraudulent votes intended to mislead the PEG
pie ON the question OF the State Constitution The
People ,ce,r thus mislcd
,. The Convention ordered 10000 affirmative
ballots and 10000 negative ballots TO be printed
and folded and seut ratably to the Inspectors OF
Elections in each district. 1t is said the ballots
were not sent to the Inspectors but To the station
Houses
They were not found at many polls till late on the
morning OF the Election after large number OF
votes were taken and il was then found that the
affirmative ballots had been suppressed or spirited
away and packages marked affirmative ballots
were found to contain only negatives The voters
thus could not get votes and having no doubt that
the Amendments would be adopted. and having no
facilities Tor writing votes in the rain, omitted to
vote The People rere thus dstfaUdsd
4 From the engire ignorance on the subject,
many persons voted negative ballots on the City
Charter supposing they were thereby voting agains;
the State Constitution. The ballots We're however.
deposited in the Charter-boxes. These may IN L
districts have exceeded the l,oo majority against
the Amendments. The Intention Of bsoss rho did
rote IS thus nskH0srR
l; is thus plain that by accident, mistake and
fraud. the Election as 10 the Charter was defeated
There was nothing that deserves the name OF poPu
lar voting on the subject The voice OF the People
has not been taken, and OF the few votes given we
have no satisfactory evidence OF what was me re-
suit We have heard wealthy citizen say since
the Election, he would rather have given thous
and dollars than tina; those amendments should have
been lost Another expressed his opinion that IN
der it the City Debt would be paid of within ten
wears Another that any citizen might better have
given the amount OF lis one years taxes thar have
failed TO vote for those Amendments Is there nc
remedy for such failure
oush, not the Common Council TO order another
ballot Ii not ought not the Legislature TO do SC
immediately on their assembling