New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-03-09
TIE CITY CHARTER.

Wien the people rose against the late cOulpl Com
uon Council and drove them ANONYMOUSLY from the
Cty Hail. one of The rst steps in the work WIS to pro
cure certain amendments TO the City charter, shutting
the doors upon theft and jobbing, lar as could be
done bv stringent enactment But in doing this, 10
easang to check barefaced robbery serious Obstruc
lions have unwt;iDgy been put ia the way OF honesty
The present Common Council aver their readiness 70
clean tie streets but by the very enactment which
stopped the plcerDs OF last year they deprived Of
power 70 carry their good intentions AMI the ex
pressed Will OF the people. Tie act ordering all sup
pcs or work for Tie City exceeding $3.50 in single
auonpt 10 be advertised and given out To tho lowest
bidder is the particular clause now in the way Arcu
arus taking advantage OF tie fact, 1i,y refused to
move sDl rather than fulfill the duEes imposed upon
him. throws Up his commission aud retires The con
tractors who undertook - perform the work also back
cur To prosecute the sureties OF the latter VIII not
clean the streets anj Arcularius, having right to
.icnis beyond reach HereupOn the Council resolved
TO take tie work into their own hands but here they
were met b. the charter which for6ds them 70 do Any
executive business and by the provision requiring
them 10 advertise for bidders which gives the work to
an, body who viii take j. cheapest What was to be
done, TIE Common Council, acting under City law,
was entirely powerless. As a last, and desperate
ard, perhaps doubtfly legal resort, they abandoned
the municipal law shut up the doors of the Common
Council opened as Board Of Health, and under State
laws have undertaken the work |; is doubtful If the
sanitary laws were ever intended to be stretched TO
such Point but desperate cases require desperate
remedies and if something ha1 not been done il is not
impossible that the people would have broken over all
laws and taken the matter into their own hands
H.. is but single case Of great many that might
be named in which conflicting charters, amendments,
State laws and Corporation ordinances the path
OF tie municipal legislator AZ almost every step OF
charters alone the City reoces in less than six be-
sides any number of special amendments. There is
the Charter of 1856 granted by Gov. DOngan that Of
l7Co reaffrmng Dongan's, and that Of 1852 granted
BY George ii under the administration Of Gov Mont
generic that of $780, b. the State Legislature and
that of Is49 commonly called The Amended Char
ter The radical changes made by The amendments
Of 1853 almost amount 10 new charter which may De
called the seventh Of the lot OF the State Laws there
is less reason TO complain They are either general
statutes tolerably well understood or special enact
merits reaching only particular cases. Az general
rule they supersede all other legislation aud as ap
peal lies only to Albany they Withdrawn from agi
taton here. But the OF enactnents accumulated
in he files of the Common Council under the name Of
Ordinances is quite another matter. Enacted for the
most part without reference 10 preceding Legislation
framed to suit particular IDEAS and intended often TO
rsumn ate profitable jobs for the concoctOrs-they
present bundle of contradictions and moons stcacies
utterly deying comprehension even By the acg,est e
gal professors. In LAS there perfected after i'm
meme labor Revision Of Ordinances, and great pro-
portion of the other trash then existing was thrown
aside. Still an appsllingly large volume was pre-
served, and for short time tolersby understood But
the business ID sporadic Legislation went If paw
ing-stone was displaced, q pump-handle broken,
down came the Committee OIL Ordinances with bran
new enactment for each particular case. And 20 in
the Of nine years we have piled up confused
Of acts twothrds dead and the other third dsre
garded and not one in hundred ever heard Of unless
to head OF some new idea, such as s.reetcleaning.
Amid this chaotic pile of charters laws and or
diDances the citizens and even the lawmakers are
utterly COMPOUNDED. There is nothing certain no sin.
gle act without its conflicting fellow and scarcely
that have not direct opposites that spring into
life the momeL ton is attempted
Notwithstanding all this, we hear of movement
further to amend the Charter of the City of New
York, and application ID TO be made TO the Legsls-
ture for this and that alteration-no doubt with the
beet OF intentions but we fear with doubtful Judgment
There is but jus thing necessary, and that is
NLw CHARTER. Sweep away the entire fabric or
rather ruin OF former legislation throw Dougan over