The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-04-02

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ton, the higher rises our opinion Of its merits
That it is not perfect none of its trainers viii
deny. Time and experience alone can produces
such law as will Obviate all ills and cure al
grievances. Some of its provisions may turr
out to be inexpedient-one or two may fal
short OF the aim sought may become pru
dent to relax the stringency Of others but
even admitting all this, it is impossible to con
secrate an hours honest study to the bill with
out becoming thoroughly convinced Of its i'm
mense superiority to all the other projects that
have been proposed and to the existing city char
ter. 1t is certain that it would operate as pow.
erfully as any law can to put an end to the
corruption that has reused SO many complaints
It is more than probable that it would ensure
to the city sound, upright, and economical
government 1t is fair to believe that, II
honestly administered, it would check the per-
nicious practice Of rewarding INSCRIPTIONS
electioneering agents with appointments to
posts Of trust
! In this view we believe that most of our
contemporaries concur. The Tribune is a
solitary exception. The structures it publishes
on the bill afford very fair criterion both of
the honesty and the intellect which are display
ed in the management of that journal. It states
that is ''far more complicated and less eff
cient than the bill reported by Mr.. Russell
Smith" The readers Of the Tribune will be
surprised to learn that the bill reported on
Tuesday actually contains every reform en-
bodied in Mr.. Smiths bill. (save only that alter
ing the time for the elections to the spring
which the delegation very properly rejected,)
and comprehends besides, judicious provisions
on almost every point that Mr.. Smiths COM
mittee had overlooked
Such, for instance, is the clause limiting to
ten years the time for which the corporation
may grant leases. Those who believe but half
what is laid to the charge of our present alder
men, cannot but see how liable the power Of
granting leases for longer or an indefinite
period is to be abused What more convenient
opportunity for indulging ones corrupt propen-
sites than the power of letting for two or twen-
ty years, according to choice? Yet Mr. Smiths
bill says nothing on the subject.
Another provision, no less judicious, is that
providing that no person who is 8 in arrears to
the corporation, upon debt or contract or who
is defaulter. as security, or otherwise, upon an
obligation" can bid at the auction sales of city
property. Mr.. Smiths bill did not interfere
with the present practice according to which
defaulter or debtor to the corporation may con-
tinue to have dealings with it and perpetrate
new swindles on the city.
Nor is the section prohibiting the granting of
extra allowances to contractors less important.
1t is notorious that politicians Of both parties
have been in the habit of rendering for con-
tracts at prices far below their real value, in
the hope-too frequently realized-of obtaining
an extra allowance" in consideration of the
sums Of money they had expended. It was
time that such an absurd practice as this should
cease. Of all parties to contract, public
body is the one from which the least favor or
indulgence ought to be expected. Contractors
will know, under the bill now under review
that they will be held to their bargains with
the city as strictly as if they had been made
with ;-5::s, oniitus DILL
the old system of fraudulent tenders, fraudulent
contracts. and fraudulent extra allowances
would have been carefully preserved
1t might have been expected that the defects
Of the system of police appointments would
have attracted the attention Of legislators at
the very outset Of their labors. Enough has
been said about political partisanship and neg
lect of duty on the part Of the police, to APP
prise the whole city of the defects of the exist
ing law. Mr.. Smiths bill, however. scrupu-
lousy avoids the subject. The bill reported
on Wednesday radically cures the evil, by
comforting upon board of three commissioners
the power Of appointing the police This pro-
vision alone ought to ensure the passing of the
bill. We would like to see added to it. how
ever, q provision for a uniform for the police.
which we deem to be absolutely indispensable.
Leases, under Mr.. Smiths bill. might have |
been granted, not only for an indefinite period.
but without any security on the part of the
lessee. The bill now before us requires the
essee to give adequate security, and empowers
me corporation to revoke ferry leases, in case
u mismanagement. or neglect on the part of
ne lessee to provide proper accommodation.
low these points could have been overlooked
~ the committee the fruit of whose. labors
vas reported by Mr.. Smith we are totally at a
oss to imagine We must suppose that they
ave never heard of the complaints which have
'een made, from time to time, of the conduct
# the lessees of ferries.
Finally-for our space does not permit as to
all the points which are omitted in
Dr. Smiths bill, and embodied in that of the
'ew York delegation-the latter opposes as
rm and substantial barrier to bribery and
eruption as it is in the power of any Legis-
ature to erect. IT, while it remains in force
n alderman receives bribe he does 80 at the
eril ofhis liberty and his fortune. If a con-
ractor tenders bride. he runs like risk. and
9th parties have the pleasing certainty before
hem that the chances of detection are far more
umerous than the chances of escape. Each is
the power Of the other. and may rest assured