The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-01-06

Legislati on Condemned.
The first Message of our new Mayor-pre-
| sented to the Common Council yesterday, and
| published in full in our columns to-day-is, in
many respects, a remarkable document, and
will create some surprise, if il does not strike
title CONSERVATION into many of the supporters
| of Mr.. Tiemann.
Although reputed democrat, and selected as
a candidate mainly for that reason-his chances
of defeating Mr.. Wood being considered greater
on that account-Mr. Tiemann was elected by
combination of the republican and American
parties, certain dsafected democrats aiding
and abetting in the struggle Hewasth nomi-
| nee of the republicans more than of any other
party, and as such might have been expected to
uphold the Metropolitan Police bill, and the
Central Park and City Hall Commissions, by
which sundry hungry Office seekers of that party
were provided with profitable places Yet, in
ibis very first official document, Mayor Temann
comes out with a wholesale condemnation of
these enactments and recommends to the Com
mon Council as paramount duty, speedy ap-
plication to the Legislature for their repeal.
Mr.. Tiemann views these UBIQUITOUS laws from
the democratic stand point He objects to them
on precisely the same grounds that the democ-
racy denounced them.
While suggesting that the work on the new
7 City Hall and Central Park should be pushed
forward as rapidly as possible for the public
good, the Mayor recommends the Common Coun-
Gil to apply to the Legislature at Albany to take
the direction and control of them out of the
hands of the Commissioners appointed by the
last black republican Legislature, and place
them where they ought to be-with officers ap-
pointed by the Mayor and approved by the
Board of Aldermen. Both works he declares to
be strictly municipal, and contends that the
Commissioners who execute them should there
fore owe their appointment to the people. The
principle of taxing the city for the salaries Of
officers in whose appointment they have no
voice receives the decided dsapprobation of his
Honor. In this he maintains the democratic
principle that taxation without representation
is a tyranny, the original cause of our colonial
revolution and disenthralment from English
rule.
The Metropolitan Police act receives at the
hands of the Mayor an equally decided con-
demnation on the same grounds; and his Honor
touches o sore point when he says that "the in
terposition of State authority to change, with
out the concurrence of our immediate repre-
sentatives, the administrative system of the city
can only be justified by clear evidence that it
is called for by the voice Of our people 1t in
wolves the danger of rash and unwise legisla-
ton, and is exposed to the temptation of abol-
ishing or creating public Offices to accormo-
date partisan necessities" The Mayor ex-
presses himself in favor of preserving that por-
ton of the Metropolitan Police act which
extends protection to such portions of the
neighboring counties as may be fairly considered
the suburbs of the city; but he enters his I'M
qualified disapproval of Board of Police Com
missioners not deriving their appointment from
the local authorities of the city, yet controlling
a most important branch of the municipal adj
ministration. The Mayor, he contends, should
not only be the head of the police, and as such
wholly responsible to the people, but that he
should also have the appointment of all the
heads Of departments, that these officers should
meet him frequently in council, and be remova-
BILE at his pleasure.
In fulflment of the duty devolving ON him,
according to a provision Of the charter, the
Mayor devotes large portion of his Message
to a statement of the condition of the city in re-
lation to it, finances and improvements. The
financial branch of the subject will be found
very full and complete, and VIC refer our read
ers to it as an interesting record of the city
finances The Sinking Fund is represented in
very prosperous condition, while the manage
ment of the Croton Aqueduct Department re-
ceives large commentator for efficiency and eco
nomy. With regard to the Finance Department
Mr.. Tiemann advocates system precisely similar
to that of the Treasury Department of the
United States, as introduced by Alexander
Hamilton and, indeed, he desires 10 see our
city government conducted as nearly as posi-
BILE on the plan Of the general government
Many suggestions relative TO the city rail-
roads, the piers and wharves, distractions in
the harbor, and the city sewerage, are embodied
in the Message. In relation to the Street Com
missioner controversy his Honor is rather non
committal. Avoiding the expression of any
opinion as to the rights Of the respective claim
ants, he confines himself TO the assurance that
he will refuse his signature to all warrants for
the salaries of the officers appointed by each.
On the whole, the Mayors Message is preg-
nant with reforms, some of them quite possible
of accomplishment, but some Of a character for
which the times are not, perhaps quite ripe.
With our Legislature as at present constituted,
a return to the old police system, and the abo-
lition Of Police, City Hall and Central Park
missious-those fungi, the growth of black
republican rottenness-may be calculated on;
but when the Mayor suggests that all the minor
Offices Of the city government az police
justices, civil justices, and school oficers-.shal
be filed by appointment, and not by popular