The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-11-26
TIE New CRY G ovERNMENT-WHAT HAVE WE

SeIneu uS ~ 10 LoW. III is III worse OrueT uhucr
the system lately introduced, called reform,
than it used to be under the old regime. Take
the streets as an example. They are constantly
in state of the most horrible filth If the wea-
Their is at all wet, no lady can cross any leading
thoroughtare without being ankle deep in the
nire, and having her dress destroyed. The less
fequented streets are filed with garbage Of
the most offensive description, and no attention
appears to be paid to the cleansing of the high.
ways in any part of the city. New York is pro
verbally the dirtiest city in the world, when il
| ought to be the cleanest. Nature has afforded
such facilities for its publication that il at al
assisted by art, they would keep it perfectly
clean all the year round. The natural fall from
Broadway the backbone of the city. to either
river, offers an easy drainage. In other cities
the authorities have to overcome difficulties In
this respect, and to remove by art the natural
defects of situations yet the streets are always
clean. In London and Paris every street is
cleansed between twelve o'clock at night and
the dawn of day, and no one ever sees the ope
ration. In this city the streets for the greater
part, are swept probably twice OF thrice in the
year.
| Every other department in the city govern
ment is equally neglected. For ineance, the
| lighting of the lamps. The irregularity with
which this duty is performed is known, unfortu-
nately to all who detained by business or re-
| creation. return home late at night Nocturnal
assassinations may be perpetrated almost any
where in the city with impunity for want of light
For one-half the night the principal streets are
in darkness; others are either not lighted at
all. or the darkness is made just visible and
during the time the moon is stated in the alma
mac to shine, there is no light in any part of the
city, no matter whether clouds and tempest
hide the face of the luminary Of the night or
not The philosophers who have the regulation
of this matter say the moon ought to shine, and
if she does not, it is not their fault. The pave
ments. too, are kept in a most shocking state of
repair-yet there is such constant repairing
going on, that the streets are INSTRUCTED all the
time by contractors ever mending and patch
ing. but never making decent, permanent job,
with the exception Of the Russ pavement. The
lie money, and to steal it. Every other con-
sideration is made secondary and subordinate
to that.
The cause Of all this misrule and disorder is
the multiform character of the city govern
ment 1t is a many-headed monster, and the
responsibility is SO divided between the heads,
that nobody knows exactly where to fix it.
There is Department Of Repairs and Supplies,
comprising bureau of roads, q bureau of pub
lie buildings, bureau of street paving bu-
reau Of supplies for the fire department De-
oartment Of Streets and Lamps, embracing
bureau Of lamps and gas, bureau of cleaning
streets, bureau Of markets. and bureau of
inspection then there is Street Department,
(Which is quite different, it seems, from the De-
partment Of Streets) subdivided into bureau
of assessments, bureau Of the collection of
assessments, a bureau of wharves, bureau of
lands and places, and O bureau Of surveying
We have also the Department of Finance, with
It's bureau of taxes, bureau of the city revenue.
bureau Of deposit and disbursement and bureau
ofthe City Hall and Park-a Police Department,
with it's bureau-an Almshouse Department,
Croton Water Department. City Inspectors
Department, Board Of Health, Board of Su-
pervisors, Tax Commissioners, and a Comptrol-
Ter; and all this complicated machinery, as might
be expected, Earring and conflicting, because
the parts do not depend on each other and on
one handspring, like the works Of watch
Between the whole Of these departments and
bureaus, and boards and commissioners, and
other officials the city government is kept in
state of confusion, verifying the old adage, that
too many cooks spoil the soup. The movements
and operations Of these executive officers are
all independent of each other and of the legis-
lative power, and the Mayor is but a head
policeman. He is no check even upon the le-
gislative power; for, after his veto, majority
of wo-thirds can carry any measure, no matter
how corrupt There is no concentration, no
unity, in the system. The heads of departments
are under no control, either Of the Mayor or the
Common Council. With salaries of two or
three thousand dollars they are making fortunes
at the rate Of twenty or thirty thousand dollars
year, and may be seen riding about in their
carriages, and enjoying the fat OF the land.
These men control our city elections, and are
continually immersed in party politics, instead
Of attending to their duties.
The city government, we repeat, is in
worse condition than ever it was; and to expect
that it ever will be better under the present
system. is absurd. 1t will be growing worse
and worse every day, till there is q complete
change, and it is modelled on the plan of our
federal governmental house of representatives
and senate to pass bills, chief magistrate
to approve or veto and to carry into execution if
these bills become laws the chief executive
officer to make nominations of all the officers Of
the government, to be confirmed or rejected by
the senate, and to be liable to dismissal from
Office by the appointing power. Thus would
the responsibility be narrowed and its pressure
be felt by one individual. The result would be
that the people would know where to look for
Il IL rblxo A. C.