The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-04-09
The New city Charter--s1ore AsroOaSus Le-
gisaatsO..

The New City Charter ASrOclvus Le-
glslatsoa.
The bill by which it is proposed to amend the
chat ter of The city of New York, but which will
in reality give us worse government than aoy
that has ever been inflicted upon eur. evertaxed
population, is, it appears, to become Law in the
course of few days We publish the document
in full this morning, but brief review OF its
principal features in this place will serve to en-
tighten those who have not time to wade through
all its details in regard to the so called reforms
which it is designed to produce, the real charac-
ter of the measure itself, and the consequences
which must inevitably result from its operation
In the first place, then, we are to have a re-di-
vision OF the city into seventeen wards, each Of
which will be represented as at present the Board
of Aldermen having conformsbly with this new
regulation seventeen members instead Of twenty
two. The Board Of Council,nen is to consist
of six representatives from each Senatorial,
district making twenty -four in all-which is
reduction Of tbirty-six on that body, as it at
present exists But while the numerical force of
both Boards has been 20 much reduced, their
power remains the same in all other respects 1t
is very different, however. with the Executive
power, which is perhaps without parallel in
the history of city governments; for while the
power of the Legislature exists in two separate
and Independent organizations, that Of the Execu-
tive ia cut up and divided between the three
principal oficers-the Mayor the Comptroller.
and the Counsel to the Corporation of
whom is elected by the people.
The Comptroller has complete control of the
Financial Department; the Counsel to the Corpo-
ration has charge of all matters connected with the
legal affairs of the city government the titles to its
property, and the legal proceedings necessary
in the opening, widening or altering Of streets
The Mayor is invested with supervisory autno-
rity over the other departments, but il the new
police bill should be adopted his executinnpwer
will for all practical purposes be reduced 0nost
to nullity. The Crotoa Aqueduct Board and
the Almshouse Department remain unchanged,
except it may be in q few minor and unimportant
details.
One of the most remarkable features In this bill
is the distribution, the parcelling ont of the
executive power among three officials, cousti-
tuting sort of municipal monstrosity, with three
heads and more horns than the terrible beast of
the Apocalypse. Under such government there
can be no such thing as uniformity. and the three
Executives wiz, If not in . state Of perpetual
conflict, be working in opposition to each other
whenever caprice or political motives may inter
fere with considerations of public duty.
To expect q reform in eur municipal
government, with such pregnant elements of
strife, miHule and corruption, would be alb
urd To the last degree. Instead Of economy
we shall have increased expenditure, and extra
vagsnee in every department, while the Execu-
tives win each seek . paliation for his own
conduct in the recrimination Of the other. In
stead Of seven millions our taxpayers win be
Obliged to pay ten or eleven for the support Of Q
government from which they receive no protec-
ton, and which, under the new charter, will
become still more corrupt, sill more incapable,
and still more inefficient than il has ever been in
i6 worst daya Ten or eleven millions of dol
lars, to say nothing of the rapidly augmenting
expenses of the other departments, may be looked
forward to a. one Of the products Of this re-
markable bill, and this, too, with all the other
evils that may be expected to flow from such an
i'll judged and wretchedly concocted instrument.
The bill provides for an annual election of char
ter officers and governors Of the Almshouse,
on the first Tuesday in December next, but the
other officers are 70 hold place till the expiration
Of the term for which they have been elected