The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-02-06
A New CHAHrER PROPOSED FOR OUR Cry

Board of Aldermen left this city yesterday
for Albany, TO urge upon the Legislature the
adoption of new charter for the re-organiza.
ticn of our municipal government. A copy of
this important document will be found in ano-
Their part of this mornings HERALD; and as the
movement up to the present time has been H.
volved in secresy, we will, for the benefit OF
the uniDitated and the unsuspecting public,
give brief sketch OF the circumstances and
facts connected with the affair.
About month ago it was esOlyed privately
among majority of the members Of the Board
Of Aldermen, TO hold an informal meeting for
the purpose of drawing up new city charter.
The meeting took place; and as it was desira-
BILE, for certain reasons, that the proceedings
should be withheld from the public, no report
ers we're admitted, and an obligation of Sc
cresypwas imposed upon the members. No oath,
it is Aue, was taken. but all agreed that the
action Of the Board should be kept rs private
as possible. Three of these meetings were
held. the last of which took place on satur-
day, the I'd inst, and at this the copy Of the
proposed charter was adopted. We should
state that but one outsid er- an ex-Alderman--
was admitted to this selfconstituted Charter
Convention, and he was selected as the caucus
agent who was to procure its passage through
the Legislature.
The democratic members who co .operated
with the wings and others in the movement
under the impression that it would invest the
Mayor with the needful executive authority,
have now, it appears, Withdrawn from it al
together, and refuse TO take any part in secur-
ing its adoption by the Legislature. They say
that they were seduced into it by the repre-
sentat;on that it sustained his recommen-
dations in regard to the appointment OF an
Executive Council for the administration of
the city government. This eption-it it was
really such--was, it is urged in their defence,
the more easily practlsed, as upon CURSOR
perusal of the document it bore the appear
ance of having been drawn up for that purpose.
In matter Of so much Importance, however,
this is but poor excuse for the improper or
careless performance of their official duties.
The charter it is proposed to substitute for
that under which our present city government
is organized possesses many Objectionable fea-
lures, and will, if passed, be productive OF
more evils and create more abuses in the aa-
minstration of our municipal affairs than those
under which we at present labor. In proof Of
this, it is only necessary to direct attention to
a few Of the thirty-fVe sections of which it is
composed. The first section, it will be per-
ceived, invests the Board of Aldermen, when
acting as Supervisors, with the power to
assess and collect all taxes necessary for
the payment Of the expenses of the city
government. The effect of this will be to
render the presence Of the Mayor and Re-
coIder-who are, under the present charter,
members of the Board-a complete nullity.
They have also, as may be seen from section 5,
conferred upon themselves the power of ex-
tending the time for the canvass Of votes,
which is now limited to twenty days, and put
into the hands of unprincipled politicians,
who may hereafter be elected to fill their
places, the means of excluding a successful
candidate Of an opposite party from Office for
any length of time that may suit their pur-
poses.
Section II provides for the creation of an
Executive Council, consisting of a Comptroller
Corporation Counsel, Chief of Police,
an Engineer of the Croton Aqueduct, Street
Commissioner, a City Inspector, and a Commits
sioner Of Repairs and Supplies. This is called
an Executive Council; but it appears from
further reading, that they are simply to assist
the Mayor in supervising" the executive
duties Of the city, and which duties, we are
further told, "shall be clearly defined by ordi-
nance of the Common Council" So that after
all, this Executive Council has really no power
at all, and will, to all intents and purposes, be
the mere creature of the Boards of Aldermen
and Councilmen. Even the appointing power
which is given to the Mayor is rendered ut.
terly void, by compelling him, in the event of
the rejection of his nominations, to nominate
within ten days after such rejection "other and
different persons" This section is not to g.
into effect until the expiration Of the period
for which the present incumbents were elected
providing, of course, that the charter passes
our Legislature.
But The most Objectionable section is the
seventeenth, which gives the Common Council
almost unlimited control over all the appoint
cd officers of the municipal government. It
says that they shall have power to create
such departments and Offices as they may
deem necessary, and to appoint all officer,
with the exception of such as are elected ~
the people, consisting of the Mayor and the
members of the Common and Executive Coun-
ellis. The effect of this will be to place the pc
lice ferce-not to speak Of the officials of the
different bureaus-under the control of the Al
dermen and their Assistants, and to convert
the whole police department into great poll
teal machine. We have frequently pointed
out the abuses which must result from such
condition OF things, and earnestly hope tie
Legislature viii, if they should deem til
charter worthy OF their serious consideration,
expunge this section.
The last section-which provides that tie