The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-12-17
Words OF Advice In the Common Council
Elect.

Every memper eject Oh the HeAt Douru ol
Aldermen who shall take his seat on the first
day Of January next will be new member Of
the Board, and, with few exceptions, all the
members of both sections of the Common Coun-
Gil then to take Office are persons who have
never been members Of either chamber before.
1t is to be presumed, from the fact OF their
election, that they are not only honest, but SO
far intelligent and talented, that, by the en-
ployment of propercare and industry they will
be, when they take office, if they are not now,
competent. Yet it may be our province to
make some suggestions to the members elect
that may lead to useful course Of action, and
give rise to a training of mind, by study and
reflection, that will tend to prevent the commits
sion of many errors. A full knowledge Of their
duties and their powers is essential to their use
full and correct official conduct. Without care
full reading and examination this knowledge
cannot be acquired-without serious sense of
responsibility and without great attention it
cannot be properly applied.
The late amendments to the charter Of
the city probably would not have been ne
cessary, had members rigidly, uprightly,
and intelligibly done their duty. The law
of April, l849, would never have been required
| had members of the Common Council done their
duty conformably with the charter Of 1880
| charter which all will now acknowledge rs
being in reality, wise and good one, and al
tered by the subsequent laws only because of
| its violations and not for its demerits-a char
| ter which embodied all that was valuable in the
| preceding charters granted to the city. Had the
| violators Of that charter been held to q strict
account for their conduct, no further laws would
have been necessary. and the increased defects
and their consequences, which the law of 1849
created, would not this day have been the sub
ject, as they now are, Of deep regret-the cause
of irreparable injury
Nearly four years have passed since the law
Of 1Si9 went into effect; for half Of that period
the wings have had possession, and for the re-
naming two years the democrats will have had
possession Of the Common Council, and the va
rious elective public Offices have been about
equally divided among persons Of those two
political parties
1t will be conceded that under both Of these
administrations the intent Of the law Of 18l9
has not been realized.
It was designed by the establishment Of the
department for executive duties, that those du-
ties should no longer be fulfilled by members
Of the Common Council-that each duty should
be performed with economy and eficiency--that
the taxes should be lightened, the public debt
diminished, the city preserved in health, in
cleanliness, in good order and quiet.
Behold the result the debt augmented-the
taxes fearfully increased-the duties Of public
officers are in many respects, indeed in most
cases, negligently, inefciently if at ALL execu-
ted. Executive acts have been, and are per-
formed by the members Of the Common Council
and to restrain the officers of the city from do
ing those things which they ought not to do,
and to compel them to do what they ought to
do. severe and stringent laws have been passed
Have these wrongs proceeded from bad
system, or from bad and incompetent men
To answer this, further experiment is now
to be tried. A new modification of part of the
system of city government has gone into effect
under the administration Of men, many Of whom
claim to be reformers Are they now, or
will they be, after they shall be in office |
be competent to perform the task-will they |
do so? What are their powers? As members
Of the Common Council, they are to legi.late
for the municipal government OF the city.
They are to make such lawful ordinances as the |
good order, health, comfort, and security of the
people and their rights demand.
To understand this well, it will be useful to
read carefully, and digest the Donuegan and
the Montgomery charters, and the laws con.
hrming them, which will be found in Chancellor
40 H. n1,ou r. 4 n. ~.
last laws amending the charter, and the laws Of
the State relative to the city, Qast edition Of the
Revised Statutes,) also the revised ordinances,
and those general ordinances adopted since
then. To ascertain thus the organization Of
the city and the county government, the various
departments within it as now established, and
the duties and powers Of the various officers
thereof; to secure their due administration to
ascertain the condition Of the city as to finances
property, cleanliness, arrangement population
and general order; whether its laws are ade-
quate for the public security, and are duly en-
forced what evils exist, and what improve
mcnts arc demanded requiring city legislation.
They arc er-o6icio officers and members Of
the Board Of Health, and the Aldermen are
members Of the Board of Supervisors, of
Board Of Appointment of certain officers, and
also conservators of the peace. Their several
powers end duties in these various Offices are
important, and the necessity OF ascertaining
them previous to their taking Office, is clear
The members elect take office with an inten-
ton Of reforming abuses, of securing an eco
nomical, honest and efficient administration
Their first steps il right or wrong. will matcri-
ally affect their subsequent proceedings.
Let them, by mutual intercourse, endeavor to
understand the peculiar ability Of one another,
and select the most eligible in each Board for