New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-03-24

n,szc mxs tr,es or they may AVOID trial or escape
due pun EhmenS through the inrnenee OF er 9Sn sis
manic judges, who now constitute enner me So1ES
Court majority the bench A. every criminal trisi
IN the City.
n. Let the power Of the appointment OF policemen
he vested in three ssiooers, whose scrcn shA DC
subject TO the approval OF The Mayor snd y. an poSe
me be tried by proper u bunA 20 be created Tor tnst
purpose These commissioners 10 be nominated oy we
Mayer. and sppOInted by council eoosstaS o. tas e
eorier or Chy Judge, or both, and majority ., ene
Judges of The Supreme Court aud OF the Superior Court
and Of the Court of Common Pleas and each cornns-
souer 20 bold he oce for the Of six years except
that the commissioners fret appointed shall hold ther
Offices respectively for two, four and six years 80 tna
one conn ssioner shall be appointed every two years
on the Inauguration of the Mayor The captains OF po
lice to be nominated by the Mayor and appointed by the
Recorder and Police Comm ssioners. Proper prosisioa
should De made for examination OF he physical ana
moral capabilities Of police candidates and ialhcsons
OF high order should be required Liberal salaries
should De given eaptsns OF police, for the purpose OF
securing officers Of energy and ability All appointments
shC ud be made continue during good oeaayior Any
rartcipsron ia the organization conduct Of primary
other political meetings and efforts made 10 control
voters either primary or general elections, should
constitute sufficient cause tcr remoSs from once
The policy of placing the police in condition IN,
dependent of the influence and changes OF political
parties by taking the power Of their appointment aud
removal from elective officers and continuing their term
Of Office during good behavior called for by the most
urgent considerations of public good Much OF the pub
lie disorders snd crimes attributable TO the weakness
OF the politically based system Of our police Rowiies
and despersdoes may be said sometimes in reality 10
have appointed themselves policemen. Many OF them
are the organizers rather diSorgaai:s OF primary
political meetings. They form and carry their owa
tickets and nominate and greay assist in the election
Of Aldermen OF their own choice aud then obtain TOR
their reward places in the police department Alder
thus tempted 70 pledge the sppointmentof men
of whose untness they fully They are thus
often made TO think that such course "a necessary TO
procure their election, TO conciafe clques and
rla and 10 the nrelOnlnRpce of their
party. Thus In some instances, incompetent men sud
persons OF the worst character have obtnned place
among worthy members Of the department Such Of
hcershaye been known TO aid and abet their former ana
continued lswless associates in tue commission OF THEFT
and burglary and 10 connive az acts OF violence and
crime Dependant for their Office and their daily bread
the success of certain candidates they feel the neces
sity of carrying their tickets at primary and general
elections matter what fraud aud violence IL may re
quire Their political opponents they viii arrest aud
hsrrsss the extent Of their power while screening
and aiding their political friends in ssessness and out
rsee This entire dependence the success Of an cleo
ton for their OF living leads even the better mem
bers of the department to sderelcon OF duty and thus
policeman Is too apt TO become politician by PROBES
sion.
The remedy for this evil IL to be sought only in the
above proposed measures-t taking from the Aldermen
all power Magistrates and Judges making the police
independent Of Aldermen and independent OF the re-
suit of ali elections giving the power of appointment
and Trial to body which the policemen have no
control influence; and making it Incumbent this
body to select COMPETENT and faithful men, whose good
behavior alone thall FIX the term of their Office.
IL IL only by removing these influences from the cleo
ton Of Aldermen that succeed in elevating
capable and more honest 10 repI esent the City IN
the Common Council.
4th The two branches otthe Common Council should
represent different constituencies Ii the Board |
OF Aldermen be ef at present. and elected every two
YEAR,, then the other Board should have larger NAM
Der OF representatives elected for year. and each
representing smaller but Distinct district For this
purpose the City should be divided into Districts, WIKI
regard to the Wards, but with view TO embrace
within each District equal amount Of population By
adopting this provision, which prevails in the National
and all the State Legislatures branch OF the Com
mon Council would exercise beneficial check ard
control the other; whereas at present. the Alder
men and Assistent Aldermen, representing precisely
the constituencies, become as II were one body
and of the branches being duplicate OF the other
may be considered nearly useless.
9Th. Let the Board of Supervisors ana the Commits
sioners ofthe Sinking Fund be abolished; transferring
their executive powers TO the Mayor and Comptroller
ana their Legislative duties 10 the Common Council
These bodies without being any antage 10 the
public can more readily than the Common Council be
made TO subserve bad ends. Their business y com
psratvey conducted in secret while chartered proyi-
sion u made for publication of the proceedings OF the
Common Council; and the press and the public can |
and will better watch ono body than three. Be-
sides, the Common Council Is under strict provisions IN
regaru 10 the expenditure Of public money The Board
OF Supervisors Is under none. The Common Council !
is subject to the veto OF the Mayor the Board OF Super
yisors is not Expenditures which have, from their |
Council, or to obtain the approval OF the Mayor have
passed the Board Of Supervisors. Con
tracts, Involving large aud improper appropriations,
have passed the Board OF supervisors which could not
be sanctioned by the Mayor and Common Council. and
especially when reorgansed, contemplated by the |
foregoing propositions THERE'S no necessity OF requr
ing one brunch OF the Common Council to attend to tue
county business when it can, With more benefit to the
public, be performed by both branches. under the ap.
prOya of the Mayor.
9th. Let oil the proposed acts of the Common Coun-
Gil including expenditure OF money, or receipt OF
money by the Corporation be published Immediately |
after their passage by the first Board and at least three
days before the action OF the second Board.
7th Let all the property of the city, when sold be |
sold by public auction, except when preemptiye rights
Or Fl franchises may be injuriousy affected by such mode
81 ssie.
9Th The question whether the people OF this City /
shall continue to employ omnibuses adopt the OF
railroads in certain streets IA that should be left
themselves to decide II conveyance by omnibuses,
any particular street, be preferred by citizens then
he power Of the State Legislature exclude those
hicles and establish railroads in their place should not
be exercised 1t rs question 10 which the residents and
property holders of this City alone have an interest and
eel concern and in which they do not desire 10
srcse any authority Whenever bills regarding the City
81 New York are proposed in the Legislature at Albany
hat BODY always processes 10 act and admits the justice
li acting only IN accordance with the wishes OF citizens
here Why, then, should citizens 20 % Albany 20
lsk Tor a law on mere municipal matte (which
Interests the City alone and not any other part
1t the State concerning which the Legislature
processes not 70 exercise it, own Judgment but 20
vet only in accordance with the ascertained win
II the people Of this City If eur Albany legisla-
throw upon this City the responsibility OF deternin
Dg ia own municipal laws then why invoke the useless
oTn2liiy Of their further condrmationf But, If
% AK the State for one local regulation then may we
sk 70 enscta the details Of our municipal Affairs and
Isnsser the entire City legislation at once TO Albany
The State Legslature, always protesting act In
ordance with the viii Of the people this City has but
Iery Inadequate means ascertainng what that viii is
That body may be, and has been, imposed on. Laws,
ne most nquitous ami unjust have been passed under
epresentstOns that their enactmest demanded by
he whole City, while their passage has been sudiodsy
Iept secret 70 all but au Interested clique OF lobby
members; and, when passed, have afterward been re-
eived with surprise and universal dbspproyal Much
Il the disorgsnizaron, OF the instcieucy and Of the
onilctng provisions Of our municipal government,
lss been produced by special legislation Il Albany,