The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-06-21


secure wing nomination to Congress, and ne cares
more about that than he does for /" city reform
and the reduction Of taxes. We regret 10 learn,
however, that his Congressional prospects are
Now we come to the great gum of the re-
formers Alderman Chauncey, who boasts OF his
position in the Peter Cooper COMMITTEE, and OF his
efficiency in hepi to concoct that greatest IF all
abortionsLthe amended charter of 1858. Chauncey
is a champion of the new charter, aud contests
brskly with Mot. and Lord for the leadership OF the
"reformn forces. He WAS s0rely disappointed in
not reaching the Presidents chair, upon the organi
cation of the Boad but he consented to 60 into the
coal hole Of the Bowery Bank-entrance in Broome
street-alonr with the whig tricksters and then he
suffered himself to be sold out for the Craftsmanship
of the Committee on Finance, with no more power
to help himself than Joseph of old when his brethren
sold him to Egyptian bondage. Now We should like
to know what reform" measures Mr.. Chauncey has
introduced during his six months service. We look
in vain to find mention OF them upon the record.
His pretensions as reformer,' when sifted, will
be found like those of his more modest colleagues
all CANNON He may fully understand the science
public affairs of this city he has much to learn be-
fore he will be of any practical in the city GO
vernment. He doubtless means well enough, but he
lacks knowledge and experience, and the people
the wings and refOrmers-of the Fifteenth ward
missed big figure, and sacrificed the best in
terests of the city when they threw overheard Isaac
O. Barker and picked up William Chauncey.
Alderman Christy, of the Sixteenth ward, is the
next reformer' in order. What has he done for
the relief OF the tax payers? Where are his re-
form" marks during the six months he has been oc-
cupying big armchair in the City Hall? Not so
ltary thing has he introduced towards retrench
ment-not single movement has he made towards
securing those great blessings the people were led
! to anticipate from the advent Of reform" power
| in the City Councils. He, too, is an honest, mo.
dest, conscientious gentleman--a man of great
purity Of character but not calculated to make
any energetic movements towards meeting the refor
matory expectations Of the Peter Cooper Commit;
| fan to 10 1ooo fod hof HAM and
| Lord, and the three invariably vote one way.
Mr.. President Ely is next in order. Although he
was opposed by the /" Reform Association" before
the people, his whig friends successfully entrap-
ped the reform Aldermen elect into eecting
him President of the Board. As q presiding
officer, he is about as impartial as we could rea-
looking for the highest honors Of The polit
col organization to which he belongs. He Is not
very square.toed in the expression of his opinion
upon any of the important matters before the
against any measure, until after the vote is de-
c1ared. We look in vain for the record Of any re-
form measures introduced by him.
Alderman Daniel D. Lord, Of the Eighteenth,
when the gentleman of the Twenty-frst gets off the
track, and this was quite frequent until the ire
form" committee. delegated Isaac Fl. Bailey and
Aaron yanderpool to be in constant attendance to
keep him straight. Mr.. Lord is quite fluent mem
Der Of the illegal profession" man of amable
disposition, and o well bred gentleman. He was
counted "a big un" in the reform" camp, and in
cleansing the Augean stables in the City Hall, Pc.
| ter Cooper and his tribe expected him to perform
the labor of q Hercules. We have waited patiently
for his reform" demonstrations for the full period
of six months, but as yet we have neither seen nor
heard Of anything from Mr.. Lord which encourages
| MS to hope that any good will have been
achieved through him, for the city or any one
else, after he shall have served out his full
J term of two years. Like the gentleman from the
Ninth, he sees great many foxes tails, and is on
the constant look out for traps As chairman of the
| Committee on Ordinances, he has been under in
structions since January to report an ordinance to
has neglected to do so; and, as member of the
Special Committee to revise the ordinances and
adapt them to the amended charter, he has wholly
neglected his duty in that respect. Mr.. Lord, how
ever, is most worthy man, but if the people never
get the "reforn they camored for last fall until it
comes to them through his exertions, they will wait
disposition to procrastinate every subject, and to
avoid direct vote upon every important question
before the Board. Lawyerike, he has fought vio-
lently against having any vote taken on the most
important matters under consideration, the Russ
& Reid Bowery contract, the Reynolds ofal con-
tract, the nominations for the officers of the CrotOn
Board, the Gansevoort property question, &C., &C.
! Next in order comes Alderman Cummings H.
| Tucker, a clean whig, who was admitted to the
Board, after its organization, to the exclusion Of
/ William McConkey, who, to our mind, appears
to have been fairly entitled to the seat. Mr.
! Tucker is "pretty square man." and means
to do about what is right. He is devoted
wing partizan, and generally acts in concert
with his full blooded wing allies, Boardman, Ely
/ Wakeman and Drake. He has not projected any
reformatory measures that we have ever heard Of,
and probably does not contemplate fgur ng very ex-
| tensively as refornler." He was chairman of
the committee of arrangements TO celebrate Wash
jngton's birth day, upon which occasion he proved
essentially human and favored liberal expen-
diture; but Mr. Comptroller Flagg served him and
his colleagues mean trick, in auditing the bills of
expenditure, for which that functonary has yet to
1 ia OH N no ION
4 Council to maintain their own rights aud protect
themselves from the usupation OF the Finance De-
paltment.
We now come to the consideration Of the
labors Of RefOrmer Mott, of the Twenty first ward
not inappropriately styled the Ajax of reform
! Mr. Motifs o jealous disciple of the Peter Cooper
school, who has really attempted to do anything to-
wards achieving those great and glorious reforma-
tons promised to the people in reform election.
eering documents, Mr.. Mott, immediately upon the
the absurdity of the amended charter, and compre.
hended the impossibility Of obtaining any reform
from its practical operation Like sensible
man, he forthwith introduced resolution to apply
to the Legislature Of the State for the immediate
and unconditional repeal OF that ridiculous abortion
Of his reform" brethren. This was a real reform
measure, but it was voted down, and Brother Mott
was overhauled by Mr. Isaac II. Bailey, severely
lectured, and duly instructed never to make any
important move without first consulting his COM
mittee. Mr.. Mott also introduced the ordinance to
prevent cattle driving in the streets which Reformer
Lord has neglected to report. Various other pro-
jects of reform" have been introduced by Ajax"
but his fellow reformers' have refused to back
him up; and, finding it q hopeless task to secure
any corporation for really good measure, Alder
man Mott hos apparently " gin out" and now con-
fines himself to hunting mares nests, in company
with Alderman Blunt, among the contractors uron
our public works. He s particularly down on The
contractors, and, as chairman of the Committee on
Assessments, he rejoices exceedingly IN receiving
remonstrances, such as will afford him an excuse
to report against the confirmation Of assessment
lists If the property owners upon the line of an
improvement are satisfied, and refuse to emonstrate
against the work, he will spare no efforts to find
some pretoat upon which to found an adverse re
port. He is " anti-assessmentn all over, and Blunt
with his ivory rule, pick-sxe and spade, s very
appropriate colleague Mr.. Mott has reported against
five or six assessment lists, but in all cases, ex-
cept one-that for paving Thirty-eighth street-his
reports have been overruled and repudiated by the