The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-01-07

we SAtIuCb 1fOIu VIC VI Jul NOtCmpOl lcc
drafts of new city charter, police law, and q
registry law. which will be presented to the Lee
| gslsture during the present session. The docu-
ments will be found in another part Of the paper
They proceed from the pen of Mr.. Joseph Blunt
who has figured occasionally in politics without
much success; but that is of no great consequence
in thiscennectiop- Mr.. Blunt has given us a char
ter which contains many good points. hnprimis
The Board of Counclmen is reduced from sixty
to twenty-five members, one from each ward
This is good The Board Of COuncilmen is toe
large too noisy, too Ineffective, too clumsy. The
per oentage Of stupidity would be materially
diminished by the reduction Of the number
of members The Board has the same legislative
powers as at present. The Board of Aldermen
constituted as at present has power to confirm
or reject nominations made by the Mayor Two
thirds of all the Aldermen elected can remove
any officer appointed by the Mayor. The Execu-
tive power is vested in the Mayor and heads of
departments by him appointed. The executive
departments are those Of Finance, with Comp
troller, Collector of the City Revenue and Cham
berlain; of Streets for the opening laying out,
widening, and go forth, of the public highways,
with Superintendent; OF Water with the Gro
ton Board constituted as at present; of tie City
Inspector whose duty IL is to see that the streets
are cleaned lighted &C., &C.; of the Almshouse,
with the Governors elected as at present, but
their appropriations must be submitted to q
commission, to be composed of the Mayor, Re-
cerder, Comptroller Presidents of the Boards of
Aldermen and Councilmen. If they should de-
cline to sanction the appropriations, wo-thirds
vote of all the Governors is necessary to carry
| it to the Supervisors.
! Here we would have an amendment or two TO
| Mr.. Blunt's charter. The Board of Almshouse
| Governors should be abolished altogether, and a
its place, with one responsible head, appointed by
| the Mayor in the same manner as the other heads
| of departments. The Governors are irresponsi-
| BILE, unpaid officers who do nothing but talk,
quarrel drink wine and eat dinners on the island
The institutions should be under the charge of q
working, energetic responsible officer. The Fire
Department should be organized in the same
manner as the other departments, and its head
appointed in the same way. The organization of
the Fire Department is the same now as it was
when the city had only forty or fifty thousand
inhabitants the system is altogether unsuited to
the requirements of the metropolis it is barbarous
and far behind that of any civilized city of any
consequence in the Philadelphia alone
excepted The Fire Department is now brought
into disrepute by being shelter and a screen
for half the rowdies and vagabonds in the city.
II should be as much under the control of the
Chief Magistrate Of the city as the Finance or
Street Departments
The plan of giving the Mayor the appoint
ment Of all the heads of departments has been
| often advocated in these columns, and Of course
has our hearty approval. It is in accordance
with the dictates Of sound policy and common
sense.
These are the important points in the charter
| Further Than this, it makes few changes in
tended TO simplify the detail OF municipal gov.
eminent, and for that deserves commendation
1t might, and probably will be, made more simple,
and will work all the better for it.
The new police law is important 1t provides
that all matters connected with the police in
New York and Brooklyn shall be directed by
five commissioners one Of which shall be a resi-
dent of the last named city. These commission
els shall be appointed by the Governor of the
State by and with the advice and consent Of the
Senate The Mayors of New York and Brook
Ign shall have the power 10 suspend policemen
for misconduct, and report them for trial and
punishment at the next meeting Of the COM
mission. This plan somewhat resembles that of
London and Paris, where the head Of the State,
not the city, appoints the police. 1t takes away
some powers from the Mayor, but gives him Tho
privilege Of suspension, a. a check on the men
The proposition will be fully discussed hereafter.
The registry law will do well enough, but the
publication in daily newspaper of the names
end residences Of seventy thousand voters is an
absurdity No newspaper could do it, and 1t
would he only making an outside job for some
pet journal of the Common Council for the time
being. There is no good ground for Directing u
the trial of a registry law, and it might turn out
good thing.
We have thus given fair statement OF the
| leading points in Mr. Blunt's scheme. II has
some excellent suggestions, and is good as far as
| II goes. OF course it will lie fully analysed by
| the journals and discussed in the Legislature.
We are willing to overlook some minor defects to
attain the grand result a city government which
! will be a government in fact If We can get this
by the charter above referred to, although il does
Bol altogether NEE, our views il shall have our
| voice. If IL should be adopted there would be
| new municipal election in April and a grand
| clearing out OF all the departments on May day.
NEw PHASE or THE CUBAN SLAVE TRADE
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