The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-05-04
The Municipal Neutrality-suspicious. do VIZ


| dition. We have had statutes of the State Lee
| gislature brought into conflict with the funda-
| mental law of the land, and with the common
| aw involable rights Of the municipality. We
have had the local legislative power Of the city
power at Albany-the Executive Of the city re-
sisting the mandate Of the Executive Of the State
be Judiciary appealed to in a'variety Of forms
and with varying results, for protection against
unconstitutional enactments--a body Of police,
with two sets of Commissioners in hostile attitude
to each other-heads of departments in the city
government bowling in obedience to the new
charter, and other heads Of departments refusing
respect or obedience to tive have had, In fine
and still have, the city government In state of
| chaos and dissolution, a condition Of things in
which the best and most law-abiding Of our citi-
| zens hardly know how to act with propriety, and
the end of which, in its possible disastrous conse-
quences to the peace, prosperity, and commerce
of the city, it is impossible to foresee. Let Ms,
however, endeavor to see where we stand.
In tie closing days Of the last session of the Lee
gislsture batch of enactments was passed bearing
with more or less exclusiveness and unfavora-
BILE effect on this metropolis These were-a city
new police law, to take effect on the passage Of
the act; an act for the opening of the Central
Park; another for the building of q new City
Hail. several in reference to harbor affairs, and
an excise law for the whole State. To all of
these the opposition of the Msyor, Common
Council, merchants, and citizens of New York &C.
nerally, is more or less vehement and deter.
mined They are justly regarded-at least most
of them-in the light Of unwsrrantable asmmp-
tons on the part of the Legislature to intervene in
the local government of this city, and TO deprive
the citizens of that control over their own imme-
date local affairs which Is the very keystone of
republication, and which is secured to the peo-
pie Of every county, city, town and village in
this State by the letter and spirit Of the constitu
ton.
The game Of opposition to this centralizing &C.
ton Of the niger wosshipping Legislature at Al
bsny Was opened on the new Metropolitan Police
act. On the ed Of April-the day on which the
new Commissioners appointed by the Governor of
the State were to replace the police authorities
elected by the people Of the city-the Mayor, as
er oFao Police Commissioner under the act of
1868, applied for and obtained from Judge of
the Supreme Court Judge Dsvies) an injunction
restraining the new Commissioners from taking
any steps to enter into their new off3ce and from
assuming any control over. the police or the
police property Of he city. That injunction
was, on the same day, and In n manner which has
been stigmatized az srrreptitious, 80 modified by
the Judge who granted it as to permit the organi-
countercheck No. l. The game was followed up
by Mayor Wood oonvoking the Chief and Captains
of Police on the same day, notifying them Of the
steps be had taken to resist the execution Of the
new law until its constitutionality should be es-
tablished, and commanding them to disregard all
orders emanstng from any other body than from
the old Board Of Commissioners OF this Board
himself and City Judge Russell, who co-operated
with him, formed the majority-the minority
having, In the person Of Recorder Smith, trans
fcrred its allegiance to the new powers
simultaneously with this opening Of the game
by Mayor Wood against the execution of the
Metropolitan Police act, there was movement
In the Common Council in resistance to the new
city charter, which movement subsequently OK
thdeo iesen 10 AL ne recent statutes anecung
c'e Guy; anu an appfopfiAaon o' >io'ooo was
v"ed OUT OF ue Guy ueae0ry iuna OUT 81
woich 10 deffay ''e expenses Oh con'es''ng 'nese
laws tine same .ne the no'ei keepers ana u
qn0r aea'eis :" 'nis cry anu D'o'Aiyn 'ooA
counsel ana prepared 70 resis' 70 the LAST ex-
tremi'y "e execution OF 'oe new Incense Law, tne
provisiops OF winch they regard as being intoie-
raoly stringent ana @ran'ed oy toe consa-
tuuon' NO Overt act nas yet been TAKEN either
ION % against 'ae '"~, ~ u does not virtually
go INTO opesaaon until the '0ifd foesiay In Nay
~hen the COMMISSIONER appointed "naer I" are
70 neaf ano oe'efmne toe aPpncsnoos iorsnoense'