The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-12-04

our readers by informing them that they would
vanly seek the noble singleness OF miad and
dsinterested patriotism of Washington in the
heart Of the soldier who is now clirbing the
steps of the Mexican throne.
Comptroller FIaggs Economy
From the Comptroller's report which we
| published few days ago, the reader must have
| observed that there was a good deal OF cheese
pairing ON the part OF this official, and that Sc
| veraI small matters were disallowed. on account
of which the old fogies had given him vast
amount of credit for retrenchment and reform
But it never seems to have entered the heads of
these wiseacres that, while they make SO much
| fuss about the rejection of 10 few minor items
on the ground of illegality, and are in ecstacies
about the saving effected to the public, there is
no value given for the large sums Of money
| that are paid, and to which the Comptroller
| does not object Little branches are Topped off
the tree here and there, but the worthless
| trunk itself is allowed to stand. The men who
make most noise about the curtailment of ex-
| pense pay no taxes, but cheat the city revenue
| by living in Brooklyn or some other adjoining
| city, while it is in New York they have their
| place Of business and make their money. The
| people who pay the piper, no matter what tune
the Corporation may think proper to dance do
| not object to the amount of taxation. but they
| do object to getting no value in return. They
| would willingly pay twice as much if they only
| got the worth of their money. The expendi-
| ture is not excessive, if the streets were only
kept clean and freed from distractions, and
the city we're well lighted and paved, and the
| citizens protected in their property by vigi-
| liant and active police. Five millions year is
not too large sum for the expense Of this
great city-it is as nothing 10 this wealthy
metropolis. Paris, with population of only
one-fourth more, costs ten millions of dollars for
its municipal government. But the Parisans
get good value for their money, and they are
contented.
great cutlery was raised at the enormity
of the expenditure when the Croton Aqueduct
was established, and no doubt the amount was
large. But, so great is the value received that,
if every taxpayer in the city were polled,
there is not one who could be found who
would not gladly pay five times as much, rather
than be deprived of the Croton water. The
people despise penny-wise and pound-foolish
economy; but give them what is good and
they never object to pay handsomely for it.
They object because they do not get any thing
good, with the exception of the Croton water
and the Russ pavement.
1t is idle, therefore, for Comptroller Flagg to
be nibblng at this small item, and that while
the great mass of the tax is consumed without
any benefit to the people. Ambitious dema-
gogues and Peter Funk journals may try to
make political capital out Of these things, but
the citizens are too wide awake to be deceived
by such transparent humbug. The Streets
with few exceptions, never were in worse
condition, and almost every department under
the city government is marked with equal
| neglect and disorder; nor is there the slight
est prospect of any improvement. Indeed,
under the new system which is to come
into operation on the first OF January,
there is every probability that matters
will be worse than ever, and. to use a
homely adage, it will be out of the fryingpso
into the fire" 1t is impossible that it can be
otherwise. Instead of one city government we
have twenty, and the chances of misgovern-
ment are therefore. increased and multiplicd--
for they are all Independent Of each other, end
of all creation besides
Instead of improving, the city government is
every day receding further and further from all
chance Of Improvement There can be no good
municipal government till the present system
of heads of departments is altered, and the
whole authority is concentrated in one execu-
tive head. As it is now there is a government
for schools. government for streets, govern
ment for wharves government for this, and q
government for that, and the nominal head of
the whole has no more power than we have
perhaps net half so much-to interfere with, or
control any of these multifarious governments
1t is not wheel depending upon wheel. and all
depending OH the same motive power. whether
it is spring OF steam; but each wheel running
independently of every other, and its action
neither controlled nor regulated. Nothing but
confusion and irregularity could result from
such a system and, before there can be any
improvement, the system must be abolished and
better one substituted in its stead.
Catering PATRIors-Does the world know
that Martin Koszta passed through this city the
other day route for Washington, in charge
Of an express, like parcel Of leather or case
of hairbrushes That no one turned out to meet
him? That not a single hat was thrown in the
air. and not voice raised to welcome the illus
trious patriot to the shores of free America
That If he had been bale OF goods or a frkn
Of butter, instead Of noble Hungarian whose
name has filed the civilized world, his recep-
tion could not have been different? Our Hum
garian friends must surely be asleep.
Where are the Kossuth.ites, and the Kin
kettles! Where are the splendid fellows
that used to live on air, and spend their
time in shouting liberty, democracy and
the other hspiritiDg cries of the intervention