The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-11-21

THE AFFAIRS or THE Cry GOVERNMENT
GOVERNOR MORGAN AND OTHERS IN CouScu--
Owing to the miserable complication of affairs in
be Finance Department, and the host of frauds
which have come to light IL is pretty certain
that the oppressed people Of this city will have
to apply to the next State Legislature for relief
How far they shall obtain it, aud how permanent
any remedy which may be adopted at Albany
shall prove, il is hard to predict from the COM
plcxion Of the new Assembly. We cautioned the
property owners before the State election to vote
for no candidate for Assembly who was not res
ponsible and respectable citizen; and we told them
that the Assembly at Albany had much power, for
good or evil over the affairs Of our city govern
men. There are at the present time liens recorded
against real estate in this city to the amount
of hundreds of thousands of dollars for assess
ments which have been paid, but never returned
by the deputy collectors into the city treasury.
and acute counsel are Of opinion that the pro-
per,y cannot be released from these liens without
a special act Of the Legislature. In fact the
whole system Of the municipal government re-
auires reorganization ut the hands Of the Lcgis-
lature. II we are TO have any improvement on
the old system, the charter Of 1867 must be
amended so as to ccntralize the various
powers now disseminated through whole
crowd of departments and bureaus each
independent of the other. The utter impos-
sibilty OF conducting the affairs Of the Finance
Department properly will be seen when We state
that the Collector OF Taxes, who makes his re-
turns to the Comptroller. is appointed by the
Mayor, and is wholly independent Of the head
Of the Finance Department; aud thus also the
head Of the Assessment Department, who reports
to the Comptroller. is appointed Ivy the Street
Commissioner. and does not care pin for the
Comptroller.
This must be- all changed, or we never can
have check upon the action Of any of these
bureaus. nor q termination to fraud and plumber
With view to remedying some of these defects,
and informing themselves on the real state of
affairs, the Governor elect Mr.. Morgan. two re-
representatives. elect 10 the Assembly, and two
leading property owners Of this city, took coun-
sci together on Thursday, at the Office of the
Joint Committee Of Accounts, when Mr.. Frank
lin spread before them the history, in black and
white, Of the frauds and corrupt transactions
which have occupied the time Of the committee
for the past eighteen months. Well posted as
these gentlemen undoubtedly were upon this
question, from the illustrations furnished by the
HERALD from day to day, they were astounded
upon this occasion, not only at the mass of cor
rupton exposed to their view. but at the ingenui-
ty with which the ends Of the plundcrers were
attained
Mr. Morgan, we are informed, expressed his
determination to do all in his power, when he
takes bis Gubernatorial chair, to bring order out
Of this chaos; and we trust he will do 50
without party prejudice or favor. The horrible
condition Of the government Of this city should
make prominent part Of the Governors first
message, and the application Of some radical re-
medy for the same should make one Of the FIRST
acts of the Legislature, as soon as they are done
squabbing about Speaker. II L. we'll al all
events to see the Governor elect informing him
self upon the actual state Of things in this mis-
governed city, in order that il be acts VI all IN