New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-01-21
CITY Reform Meeting.


F. TrExass, ESQ was appointed Chairman ana
Msssrs. z. PARMLY. DAsIzL CADr, CALEB .
WoopHuII A. D. WILSON. VIM GALE, THos. n YAK
LEY and D. P ARNOLD Vice Presidents and Asssrs-
R 7 TaALI Morris DEcA1P and NATHAN MOORE sec
reiaries
Speeches were made by Me.srs HrSH NAxrEIL,
JOSEPH Blunt. J. z NAScHEsTER WIZ. GALE sh'
sPHAccE showing the extrsTsgzncs, corruption sno III
efficiency Of our City Government for many years ps'i
and developing the plan Of proceeding eoremPsiea y
the new movement These poins however, are 20 'ai'
IL set forth in the Address and Plan Of Orsa1snon'
which we publish below thsiii i unnecessary TO report
the remarks tie speakers
The objects Of the City Reform Party were nus eH.
planned By their Plan Of oTsaHi-a'l0A Which was reaa
70 the meeting By A. D. WILSON, " D.
Ata meeting Of citizens without distinction OF Fs'y,
held II National Hall the 18th Decsnoe3 $50 tne
following document embracing Flsn ior ofgsn1Is
Party for the purpose Of e-scrns thorongn Reform %
tie Municipal s5sirs Of the City Of New OK Vas resa
and unsn.uously adopted. .x
TISrscs The nature Of all Government the spiflto
the age and the genius Of free Institutions require
.bs, III rower should be 50 divided 70 prevent ~ &C
cumulsdon in the hsnds Of the few and that Interests
merely local are best secured b. each community man
aging lie own interior stars-snd .,
giersqs The connectsn Of state and NanonA! Parry
Politics with the Municipal STAIRS Of the City Of New
York has tended 20 divert the attention OF Us eiilens
from their local interestto increase the expenses o
the City Goyernmont-to produce nesect OF lue HD4
al condition Of IL inhabitants and thus increase Palpei
Therefore. il is deemed night and expedieni for the
citizens Of New York organize independent OF state
and National Party Politics for the purpose OF reform
ing the abuses in the City Government such orgsnzs
/ ton 10 be designated THE CITY reform PAhI1'
the objects Of which shall be
Affairs Of the City Of Eewiork from state and NsuonA
/ Politcs ,..-, -. o,.-
Id To select persons for Office according 20 tue rule
laid down by the uustrous JEFFEEsoN j. nc caPao.e
il be honest and s he so5r and in favor OF me ooee'
For the purpose Of efecting these objects, there
Isl, The General Committee consisting Of three
| rersous rom each Ward whose duty u snsl re 70
carr out the Oh ecs Of this organization, snd nominate
the candidate. for Mayor and such other officers OF the
! City as are % law elected b. General Ticket
I'd. The Ward Committees which ssan cary ou'
the objects Of this organization n each Ard ana noun
! mate the candidates for Ward Officers.
81 The time for electng such General ana Naro
! Committees. shall be in the month Of May Of each
vearssuch Committees 10 continue until the hsy iOio"
! Ing. ,.,.. ..
Of these measures il Is recommended that WArd
organizations. and effective Ward Committees be select
cd Immediately 20 be prepared tor the spring Eec
ton-snd that Executive Committee Of twenty one
De appointed Immediately 20 supervise the whole organ
eral Committee until such Committee be formed
Z. PARALI, Chairman.
| A. GILBERT Secretary.
The following Address was read by Mr. J. r. VAN
/ VLEyT, and unanimously adopted
TO TIRE ELECTORS OF THE CITY OF NETWORK
II is now nearly twenty years since the Munich
pal Elections Of our City separated by several
months from those held for the choice OF the State Or
fcers having previously been held conformity The very
considerable saving OF expense 10 the city and Of effort
nd 10 The eCf VIII
ing National. State, and City Officers, AZ one and the
same time effected utterly inadequate % counter
balance the evils arising from the absorption Of our MI
nicipal concerns In the devouring vortex OF Nstons
and State Politics and the Of the City from
the State Election elected with hardly show Of
opposition. -. H.. 49,. ,...-..s.L.,
separation were realized Thus far is only practical
effect has been add al least million dollars 10
the cost OF eleciionsfar more than this If the time
and expenses Of the electors arc included Ia the es
mate and all for what Our Municipal elections have
been mere adjounments of the State contest from No
venber to April when substantially the same questions
are argued over and again passed upon, that were
prominent, in the choice Of Governor and Legislature
| A Mayor and Common Council are chosen OF this or
that complexion, not with paramount regard TO their
fitness for the stations they are called 10 h but because
the ueope spproye OF dsapprove the acts Of another
/ set OF public servants at Albany or Washington.
The consequences are exactly what every man OF OBJ
serystion and reflection must have anticipated Bad
men creep into responsible stations here "a the friends
or supporters Of those people esteem good men
elsewhere and our City Is often miseraoly served and
pecuated upon because party ana sohcude
Tor party success override all considerations Of personal
fitness and personal integrity.
One OF two things should msniiesily be done either
our Municipal should In essence be separated from our
State elections or the preience OF separating them
should be abandoned Either let City considerations be
controlling In City elections abolish them and elect
all our officers Municipal well State. al once In
| November whereby vast saving OF time and expense
| would be Effected We deem II every way preferable
and desirable to preserve the two elections and give Ell
feet 10 the reasons which induced their separation.
We who address you, have no thought Of decrying
politics nor parties Most OF ohersh preferences for
another party and at proper seasons manifest
and act upon them. We agree, however IN believing
that IL 10 far important to all that our city shall be
well governed than that the Corporation shall be term
ed Wing or Democrat Whenever President Mem
bers OF Congress. Governor shall be chosen we shall
hold ourselves At perfect liberty 10 act upon our pre-
vous convictions concerning National or State politics
while in regard to Municipal affairs we have resolved
10 support the best men and those who will be likely 70
prove the best Magistrates rather than those who be
long that esteem the best party whichever party
that may be.
Standing together on the platform we entrest you
fellow citizens to consider thoughtully these facts
l. That the annual turthen Of direct taxation upon
City IL considerably ever two millions Of dollars 10 be
paid by come four hundred thousand people. or more
than fu dollars pr had In addition 70 the large sums We
contribute through indirect taxation for the support Of
our National and State Governments aud altogether apar
from the heavy charges 20 individuals for the use o.
Croion water or assessed them for special purposes
such as opening or widening streets sc.
That this burthen Of taxation increases out Of al
proportion population. aud s nov more thar
double the amount Of our tsX bill twelve years ago
That the increase Of taxable property By NJ
means keeps pace with that of taxation but has beer
almost nothing for several years past while the rate
taxation 10 constantly increasing.
I That our City now owes over Fifteen Millions o
dollars being much more than half the amount Of GU
state debt annually increasing and with no presen
4 prospect Of dminuuon.
s. That propertyis continually tending from our CITY
to escape the oppressyeness Of taxation many Wit
have made fortunes here carrying them away to BE- ex
Z pended and enjoyed while thousands who continue q
DO business here reside and taxed elsewhere TN
same account Thus while every suburb Of New Norl
rapidly growing and villages twenty and thirty mile
distant sustained by incomes earned here and ex
pended there City has equivalent rspidity
growth, and unimproyed property here is often unssl
Die, ~ nominal price.
D. That pauperism and the bufthen which Il entails
our City constantly and rapidly increasing though
great proportion OF the suffering and desutution
wretchedy net al al provided for. Yet while a AZ
init the necessity Of doing something 70 increase the Ell
cheney and diminish the expenses Of public charities
? nothing efectua il done will be while Al
dcrmen in the majority constrained 10 act for thei
party rather than for the city
= That the City owns large amounts Of Real Estsis
which Is not needed for any public purpose and psy
but small per centsse It's value. yet which %