The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-02-13
New Caty Chartars.

New Caty Charters.
The Councilman have before them two
drafts Of city charters, upon which they are to
deliberate on Friday evening: one from ma
jority, the other from the minority of the Com
mittee on Amendments to the Chatter.
The most noticeable feature of these docu-
ments is their perfect harmony in relation to
the mode of appointment of heads Of depart
ments. Both propose that all heads Of depart
ments shall be appointed by the Mayor,
and confirmed by the Aldermen. The same
thing was proposed in the Aldermen's pro-
jected charter. This is comment enough on
the present plan Of electing these officers It
shows conclusively that all classes are salts
fed that it does not answer to raise up execu-
tive branches of government independent of
the Mayor; and that, whatever is done in other
respects, in this a return will be made to the
system of 1880.
The plan now proposed is to make the
Comptroller, Commissioner of Streets and
Commissioner OF Repairs and Supplies, the
Corporation Counsel, the President Of the
Croton Aqueduct and the City Inspector, an
Executive Conncil-''tO assist the Mayor in
the discharge Of the executive business of
the CITY," The Aldermen proposed the same
thing; but the Executive Council was to assist
the Mayor in "supervising the executive duties
of the city" which duties "the Common Coun-
Gil" was to "define clearly by ordinance"
The Councilmen leave more scope to the
authority Of the Mayor, and their reports are
therefore more judicious. In point of fact,
the Executive Council, composed of members
appointed by the Mayor and liable to be dis
missed by him, would be mere instrument of
his, like the Cabinet Council at Washington.
The real executive would be the Mayor him
self, whatever council was given him; and the
only point to be cared for in legislating to
create such council is to provide that it shall
not in any way control or embarrass the
Mayor. If the Commissioners Comptroller
and other heads Of departments are as tho
roughly under the Mayors authority as the
Secretaries of War and the Navy are under
the authority Of the President, they may call
themselves an Executive Council or anything
else that suits them, without it's mattering
much.
All these three charters--the two Council
mems charters and the Aldermen's-attempt a
gross imposition on the people in one respect.
One of the former Says
Sec 25 1t shall be lawful for the Common Council Of
said city establish such other departments and
they deem the public interest may requires and to
assign to them and those herein created such duties
they may direct, not Inconsistent with this act
And the other
Sec. 26. The Common Council shall have power to
create such Offices by ordinance in addition to those
herein speeied may oe ana 70 Gsnne sasr
city treasury.
Now, it may be necessary for the Common
Council to have power to create offices under
certain rare contingencies. But it is evident
that this vague authority to create Offices and
departments may be made the means of fur.
thering the worst political schemes. We know,
unhappily, how independent Of aud antago-
nistic to the people the Common Council may
become; how the people may desire to control
the Corporation, and find it beyond it's control.
The old idea was that the Mayor was expected
to be corrupt, and the Common Council pure;
whence it was expedient to tie the Mayors
hands and give plenty of power to the Coun-
Gil. Well, we have tried this plan some years
and found it bad. Our experience is that, as
general rule, pride will keep man straight
who has name enough to be elected Mayor,
and that laws to fetter him may save the city
few thousand dollars, but will certainly i'm
pair the Mayors usefulness to a much greater
extent. On the other hand, it does not appear
that we have found the Common Council too
powerless Only couple of years ago, the
Corporation defed the people, the courts, and
even the police; and it was impossible to get
the better of them. If it is necessary to en-
trust the Council with the power of creating
new Offices, that power should be circumscrib-
ed, made subject, for instance, to the sanction
of the Mayor; and the persons to fill such Off
ces should be chosen by the Mayor.
There is another point worth notice. Un-
der these projected charters, all nominations
are required to be sent to the Aldermen by
the Mayor. If they are rejected, the Mayor is
bound to send in the name Of another person
within ten days. There should be a modi6ca-
ton in this arrangement, in order to protect
nominees for office from spite, or unfair rivalry
in the Aldermen. They might be bound to
state their objections to parties upon appoint
ments they rejected. They might be denied
the right OF challenge without cause. The
Mayor is bound to specify his objections on
vetoing q measure; the rule ought to cut both
ways.
In other respects the new charters bear
strong resemblance to the present one, and
deserve commentator. The points which are
Objectionable could easily be corrected. The
Legislature should not rise without freeing MS
from the incongruous mass of absurdities M
der which we are now suffering.
JuIRS.-paul Julien, the clever little volinist will
give concert In Brooklyn this evening, assisted by
Bernhard Meissrer, pianist also by August GocAel and
other talented artists Their last concert in New York