The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-02-15

would be broken M by its provisions. In 1910 q
ether effort was made TO correct abuses, and the pol
er OF selecting the heads of departments was takj
from the Common Council and given to the electi
of the whole city; and the prohibition against u
exercise OF executive duties by committees was 4
mistakenly designed, as shown by extracts from d
charter il another part of this report. The char4
ter Of the expenditures for last year will show I'll
even the plain and stringent provision OF the chart
OF 1S49 has been disregarded, and the city treasu
thrown wide open, Notwithstanding the double qua,
provided frt, by the act (chapter l22) Of 1880, a
second, 10y the act (chapter 1870 oflS49.
In the case Of Hodges Va. The City OF BaflaI
q Denio's Reports, p. 100 the ground was takt|
and aI maintained that the Common Council OF
city Of Buffalo have 10 authority TO furnish emit
tainment for the citizens and guests OF the city at
public expense And it was held by the court, tn
an action would not lie against the corporation, at
suit OF one who had provided an entertainment
independence day, upon the employmens Of co
mittee, authorized by the Common Council to q
tract for it." As the principles of the Declsrat1
OF Independence would operate on the courts and
guardians of the public treasure to 70 as far rs id
would allow, and as there is nothing in the char
of New York, as have discovered, to change 4
the case, il is impressed on my mind that the
cisions before referred to conclusive against
claims Of Mr.. Howard. And the doctrine Is equal
conclusive against the allowance Of the SIG, 0S5|
actually paid from the treasury, from December
1851, to March s, 1852. The champions Of nonI
ISrVeullOn SDOulu nave given luc ClLy NJ
benefit OF their doctrines. The just administrat
Of our municipal government is of grl
importance in solving. and carrying out
o successful result, the great problem
self government. No professions of devotion
liberal principles should induce us to remove /
barriers from the doors Of the city treasury, and
use the means which have been wrested from
hard earnings Of labor and the savings of the frud
in giving banquets, which, in cost, ifnOt in spend
would rival those given by royal governments
foreign countries. The true method OF having
magnificent city and a contented and rich pop1
laton, is TO have simple, honest, and frugal m3
cipal government. Any reasonable tax for sucI
government will be cheerfully paid If expenses
crease, and the taxpayers are satisfied that they
actually caused for works for their use, and heal
and comfort, they will bear the increase with chd
fulness. But they will exact what is reasonable
if we charge them with gas and oil we shall 4
them an equivalent in light; if we charge Their
great sum OF money for cleansing the Streets Il
shall have the dirt removed as economically al
would be done by an individual; if we pay 81
thousand dollars Of their money for removing q
animals and other nuisances, the atmosphere on
not to be polluted by the neglect of the contract
And the taxpayers have right to know that
necessary service could not be done for less 81
And the same rule should govern in all cases VIII
the public officers act as trustees and agents for
people;
man as Stephen Allen, in regard to the intentl
of the convention which framed the charter of II
and the decision Of the highest court in the State
to the right of a municipal corporation to expI
the peoples money for refreshments for themseI
or guests, / respectfully submit to the Conn
Council that the expenditures in the "tea rod
have no justifiable basis to rest on.
The disbursements for the year ending on the
Of December last, through the Bureau Of the City |
and Park, were as follows
For refreshments consumed by the Common
For Carriage hire for the Common Council %Ss
Total. -. .sla, 9a}
ment, for Committees on Streets, Roads,
Lands and Places, Wharves, piers and Slips,
during the year 1852
For carriage hire ................ 81, l07 90
For refreshments. ................. 67 %2-l,654
Total.... Observation-Disclosures. $l5, 500
1t has already been shown that the expenditure
refreshments, amounting to sl0,220 AZ Of the al
sum- is not authorized by the charter, and is in !
fict with decision of the Supreme Court, in :
similar in principle. l cannot, therefore, draw I
rant on the treasury for the payment of any bill
this character, unless required to do SO, by deci
OF the courts, under our charter. In regard to .
rage hire, SO much as is necessary for the public
vice, on being properly authenticated as required
he resolution of 1912, may be allowable. The
counts for carriage hire, which have been presel
to me, do not conform in any respect to the reql
ments of the resolution adopted by the Com
Council in 1912; and as for the accounts for refr
head of bureau in the Finance Department, they
a novelty in the history Of auditing accounts for
bursements of public money The last account
before entered on the duties Of the Office, for ref
ments for tie month Of December, was stated .
verified as follows -
Corporation of New York, to James Taylor DR..
To refreshmeuta furnished Common Council, for mo
Of December, 1859. viz:
Beef pork, vegetables, bread butter, tea, coffee,
milk, sugar chickens, oysters, eggs cake, pep.
per, mustard, salt, vinegar, and help. ....... ST.
To this an affidavit was annexed, stating that
amount was just, and that the articles named
purchased for and consumed by members of the CT
mon Council, and others, by their authority"
THE EFFECT OF TAXATION.
From the fact that ours is a system of tsxatior
property, an opinion prevails with some that he
taxes are burden only on the wealthy. There
greater falacy than this. 1t is the great midd
class-those who are engaged in an endless varet
business pursuits, whose severe industry witha 81
capital enables them to support their famies-
are actually burdened by taxation, and who pa
large share Of the taxes. These are estimated
thousands, whilst those Of large estates are estim
by hundreds. The exact number on the assessn
rolls OF the several wards cannot be ascertained n
out counting the names, and there has not been
to do it. But the receiver Of taxes has furnished
number of lines on the several books on which
lots are entered. The aggregate of these wa
ls44, fifty thousand; in ls4S, sixty-one thousa
and in 1852, sixty-six thousand seven hundred.
many cases whole pages are occupied with the
OF single taxpayer, and the deputy receiver
mates that there should be deduction Of one.
from the number of lines, to get an estimate Of
number of persons on the tax roll This would
1888 as the number of persons on the tax roll
the city. The number of persons taxed in 1850
81 500 and upwards, is shown, bya statement
lished in 1851, to have been only 3,42l wi
leaves the number Of taxables under $l7, 500,
eighty eight less than thirty thousand.
There are thousands of the industrious classes
have families, and must have dwellings, and som
them stables for their horses. To all these per
excessive taxation is felt as real burden, eithe
direct assessments or an increase of rent. But Il
is very numerous and needy class of persons,
are not on the assessment roll at ALL on whom
taxes fall with crushing weight. This class is m
up Of helpless families, crowded.in small rooms
monthly tenure, and the rent, perhaps, exacte
advance with 10 resource but the labor Of the b
of the family, at dollar day, and often thrown
of employment at that These persons have
poor mans protection of exemption from the 70
the assessors, but taxation reaches them notw
standing their apparent exemption, through t
monthly rent. The landlord, whose mind is occur
with the collection of his income and it's re-inv
ment, has access to the sources Of official infor
ton, and can form tolerable estimate Of the rat
the next levy, many months before the heavyh
nf fba TOW fbaror 10 foIt in bot un ur