The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-03-24
THE CRY GOVERNMENT CRuxBLINa no RUINS

THE CrY GOVERNMENT CRUDLINa 10 RUINS
THE LAST Stone FALLING AwAY.-Our mu-
nicipal government edifce has been for some
time in state of dilapidation, and it has al
most been left without one stone upon another.
Even this speedy progress towards dissolution
does not satisfy the great constitutional law
yers of the grog-shops, and they are now very
busly engaged in bringing about the end. They
desire to take away our last safeguard-the Po-
lice Department-by removing the appointment
of the Chief of Police from the Mayor and
Commissioners and making that officer entirely
irresponsible, by giving his election to the peo-
pie.
1t is stated that large majority of the dele
cation from the city Of New York in the As
sembly, is in favor of this new piece of legisla-
ton, and we think it very likely that such is
the case. There are many more points of re-
semblance between the temperance fanatics and
the rum rowdies than the people generally are
aware Of There is every chance, therefore,
that the last vestige Of good government in.
this city will be utterly destroyed, and we shalt
be left without government of any sort.
Thus we 60. We are now approaching the
beginning of spring. Very soon the warm,
days will begin to dawn upon US, and the health
of the city will be the principal element of our
comfort, our commerce, and our prosperity in
every branch of trade. But we have no gov
ernment We have sixty jabbering Council
men in one branch and over twenty Aldermen
in another, who consume the time in idle dis
cussion or votes merely affecting the divisions
of party; but as to efficient government we
have none. A popular movement, commenced
by ameeting in the Park, was necessary before
the streets could be relieved of the accumula-
lions of six months dirt, filth and garbage.
There was no power in any of the departments
to clean the streets, and we were obliged to-
call upon the Board of Health to do an act of
doubtful constitutionality, before the job could
be performed. This job was done in slovenly
manner; and as the Board had only the power
to give the streets one cleaning and one sweep
ing, and the filth one carrying-off, then the
whole city was left to the tender mercies of our
most inefficient and imbecile governments
government worse than useless The people
have begun to see this matter in the proper
light and the inhabitants of Broadway have
held a meeting and appointed superintendent,
who is to see that the street is properly clean
ed at the expense of the abettors. This
is creditable to the gentlemen concerned But
what commentary it is upon the utter inefi--
cheney Of the present charter and Of the city gov
eminent acting under it! Judging from the pre-
sent aspect of things, it will be necessary for
the citizens to adopt plan similar to that of
the gentlemen on Broadway. They must hold
meetings, appoint committees to- raise funds.
and elect superintendent for each ward to see
that the streets are thoroughly cleaned All
this they must do at their own expense, while at
the same time we are paying five millions Of
dollars year to city government the MEM
bers Of which spend their time in making
speeches to each other and dividing the spoils.
To all this we soon will have to add the utter
inefdciency of the police department. When
the mode at present advocated by the grog
shop politicians has been adopted, and the Office
OF Chief of Police is made elective, we shall be-
obliged, for the preservation of our lives and
property, to pursue a course similar to that
adopted by the Broadway merchants We shall
be under the necessity of organizing an indie
pendent police, and paying the expense our
selves, in addition to the selfimposed taxes al
ready alluded to.
For the last fifteen years no city has been
going down the hill of perdition at SO rapid a
rate as New York, so far as the efficiency of mu-
nicipal government is concerned. From one
million Of dollars taxes we have increased to
five, and probably this year the city ex-
penses will reach six or seven millions. As
the taxes increase the government deteriorates,
its corruption increases, and its utility is en-
tirely sunk away.