The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-08-14
The CITY GovernmGnt-P'rornise end Fer
fsrrxnnuee.

The CITY Covernment-Eronhse cnu Fer
fcrznaDce.
In his first message to the Common Council
the Mayor foreshadowed number of reforms
for which the state of the city imperatively
called At the time Fernando Wood was
elected il is not too much to say that every
department OF the public service was in the
most inefficient condition possible. Every de-
partment of the city government was disgrace
fully mismanaged. Want of power in some
officers, want of will in more, had rendered the
municipal machine mere farce, and left the
city defenceless prey to anarchy. When Mr..
Wood was elected, he very properly pointed
out in his message to the Common Council,
what the most griev, us of the existing abuses
We're, and what means in his Judgment ought
to be adopted to cure them.
When the head of the executive, whether in
the federal or State or municipal government,
makes similar communication to the legsla-
tive body, it is usual for the latter at least to
pay him the compliment of taking it into con-
sideration. 1t is customary, we say, for the
Legislative body-whether composed of Senate
and Assembly, or of Aldermen aud Council
men.-to divide the message it receives by
heads according to subjects, and to appoint
committee out of its own body to deliberate
on each. The committees need not agree with
the executive in the view he has taken. They
may deny the existence of his facts, or recon-
mend totally different plan of dealing with
them but whatever they do, respect for them
selves and the public seems ut least to require
that they should give them their best conside-
ration.
Whether the city government-that is to
say the Common Councl-apponted the COM
mittees to take into consideration the reforms
suggested in the Mayors message, does not
appear certain, and indeed is not Of the
slightest consequence. For, whether the COM
certain that they never gave any serious
thought to the reforms in question, and never
either confirmed the proposals Of the Mayor by
acting on them, or superseded them by plans
of their own. They did nothing in short
What reforms lay within the province Of the
executive, the Mayor tried to carry out. In
some cases he failed, in others he succeeded
1t appears probable that he did as much as
could have been expected Of him. and more
than any former Mayor since 1880. But the
much larger class Of reforms which it was the
business of the legislative body to shape and
execute arc precisely in the same condition as
they were when Fernando Wood was elected.
He performed his part by drawing the atten-
ton of the Common Council officially to their
existence in his message; they have not begun,
in any single instance, to perform theirs, by
inquiring into the methods Of remedy pro-
posed, or the extent of the evil to be amended.
1t would be mistake, however, to suppose
they have done nothing. On the contrary,
there appears every reason to suppose they
have been very busy. They have inquired for
mally of the Mayor where the members Of the
police force were born, and requested him to
furnish them with such further information as
he possessed with regard to the events which
heralded their advent into this world. The
communication eliciting nothing, they appoint
of a midwife, Alderman Briggs took the chair;
and the city was amused, if il was not instruct
ed or edited, by the persevering efforts that
were made to ascertain the circumstances
under which the elder Mrs. Matsell was brought
to bed. Much time was likewise devoted to an
inquiry into the Joseph Walker case, in which
the sum at stake did not exceed thirteen thou
sand dollars, and the contractors prospect of
losing money appears very promising. Then
the Common Council, having nothing more
important on hand, bethought itself of putting
a stop to the frightful leak in the city finances
occasicned by the Mayors habit of riding in
carriages, at the public expense. 1t is under
stood that resolution has been transmitted to
The Comptroller requiring him to state to the
Common Council how many carriages the
Mayor has used this year, and what sums have
been paid to the drivers in consequence. Upon
the reply Of the Comptroller, motion will
probably be made for a committee to inquire
into the state of Mayor Woods legs, and to
ascertain how many miles day the city can
afford to allow its chief officer to travel at the
public expense.
In such follies have the sittings of the Com
mon Council been wasted, while the most
urgent grievances wait for settlement. From
present appearances it looks as though the
next annual message OF the Mayor might, in
respect of the legislative reforms needed, be
mere duplicate copy of the last. For unless
change comes over the Council, nothing will be
done this year towards reform.
JUDGE DOUGLAS AND THE PRESIDrNr-WAR
CoNrNG-CAN TINS BE So THE new Wall
street ally of the Seward coalition, the Cheva-
lier Webb, in an article yesterday upon Mr.
Pierce and Governor Reeder, throws out the
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