The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-02-16

BOARD OF ALDERMEN

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BOARD OF ALDERMEN
The Board Of Aldermen met ct the usual hour last
evening, the President, John Cancey Esq in the chair
VETO FROM TIE MAYOR ON THE PROPOSITIONS TO PAY nE
MEMBKRs or THE COMMON COUNCIL
The following communication was received from hds
Honor the Mayor
To THE HONORABLE COMMON Council
GKSnEMESI herew tn return the resolutions passed by
your honorable body that the Counsel TO the Corporaa
be requested prepare memorial 70 the Legislature -
which provides that emo member Of the Common CoancS
shall receive any compenf alton for his services - suA
member" and inserting instead that they shai each 70
ceve one thousand dollars per annum for his services
such member in full compensation thereof" Under q
the charters Of city prior 70 that Of lS49 the members
the Common Council received for their servives N
respect to the legislative duties performed by them
true that there duties which, under previous char
tiers, devolved on the Aldermen as Judges OF several
of their Offices for which they paid and that the Al
dermen and Assistants Commissioners OF Excise, TO
ceved each day they acted IS SUCH But -
members Of the Common Council their legislative capaol
~ they paid until the year 1850 when an ord
passed thst each member should be entitled =
receive his legislative services four dollars for each
cay he should sit in Common Council The policy rs wei
the right Of the Common Council TO pass such an ord
members at that time but the pay was continued untA
the succeeding year. when an act was passed by tho
LEGISLATURE amendstory Oh tne charter o. hs4s
session Shall the members be entitled to draw any per
diem allowance for longer period than eight days Is
provision act although recognizing and limiting tho
pay Of the members, did not in my opinion confer any
explicit authority for the same. Each member however,
received pay his services at the rate of 1884 a..
num- until the adoption Of the present charter when, ia
accordance wi the 44h section such pay ceased on the
first day of May last the day the charter went into effect
From the foundation of the city TO the present tme hero
fore, appears that the Common Council have received
compensation only for the peroi and longer, ron
which prompted the Legislature insert this provision in
the charter of 1851 am OF the opinion that II is .
rally approve the same In fact your honorable Body,
elected under ii, implicitly assened thereto, and al
cepted the responsible and important trusts conhded -
you with the understanding that they were TO be per-
formed without compensation.
The Dor ition Of member of the Common Council prisr
To the ordinance 1850 had been sought by the ctzea
rany for distinction conferred and the importance
Of the trust imposed To the Common Councils under
those old charters were elected whose intelligence
and dsnteresed zeal for the welfare Of the city eminent
y qualified them for the discharge of the responsible d.
ties belonging to the office and we therefore fnd on &C.
pE back the annals Of the Common Council In those
days that the most prominent citizens were those whs
were pected with that honorable body. Whether
1850 INTRODUCED by bringing forward candidates tAs
position who looked more to the compensation than 10 the
greet interests to be served as legislators OF the
city, cannot say but that after that Pc
Rod extravaganza and recklessness in the ex-
pendtures of the city government greatly pre-
pendures but IS 200 oOO they had increased the
list year to upwards Of s. 00 and therefore may
have been this startling fact so prominent which induced
the old system Of was best for the public INTERESTS
1t is true that in the years that the salary was paA
many Of the members Of the Common Council were dis
tpguisbed for their intelligence and zeal for the true in
teress Of the city, and who batted manuy against the
tide OF extravaganza which swept along ihey saw ana
felt the evil and were among the first TO take measures
In favor OF a change.
II such effects were produced when their pay only
three hundred eighty -four dollars year what mighe
expect hereafter the election OF future Common
Councils, from the scramble aud competition for tho
places by the salary, as proposed by your resoiutons
one thousand dollars n
Admitting however that no such effort would be pre-
duced and that 60 evil has resulted or would result
the public interests by giving compensation salary
TO the msmbers Of the Common Council yet the increased
expenditure that would be caused thereby especially 70
the CT salares and in view OF the present largo
burden which the pay have To BEAR would IN
my opinion be sufficient reason for this Common Councn
not To urge the The Increase In the amount paid
for salaries tince year 1850 has been greater than
many suppose In that year, while they were but
5000 GEO. we Snd them gradually increasing every year
1927 0O0 1855 $3.50 0O 1856, 1897 000 and in 1857,
while the amount required for the present
based the rate paid about the rst of December Last
Will be 100000 II there be added TO this the amok
which would be required for forty membens OF the
Common Council and other officers contemplated, with
ling total OF $500 0C0 or three times what was pad
but eight Aud thus instead of reducing evea
restraining the expenditures OF the city govenmept they
would be largely increased by Common Council elected
with view reduction Of the expenses Of the govern
mainly pay them themselves for what the charter
prohibited on their entering into their Offices
There was more reason for paying members OF Com
Councils under the former charters than
Various executive and other duties then
which the present charter strips the members or Tho
present members confined exclusively to their legs
aiive duties, and all executive duties performed BY
other officers, elected appointed, the charter pro-
vidcs These latter officers should be paid not extrya
giant but just and liberal salaries proportion 10 the in
ielgence required labor performed responsibility Of
the duties imposed They rely principally upon their
salaries fer support and faithful performance OF their
duties requires their whole time and precludes them
from other occupations business But IL different
with the members OF the Common Council. Elected not
enforce the observance and execute the ordinances Of
city, to carry the ordinary duties and affairs
Of the but 10 legslate and direct the ume
occupied by them need not interfere with the ordinary
and regular occupations or business which they may re-
spec,ively follow carry Their sessions are seldom
oitencr than twice week, and then only for few
hours at time when the general business OF the city n
suspended No doubt important aud sometimes arduotE
duties are frequently performed, and considerable tme
consumed by attendance business OF committees;
but even this respect, by punctualy and proper
guaion aud system they could be made 10 occupy but
limited portion Of the time Of member. There many
Offices Of trust and honor In this city, and many positions
OF duty, Of great labor and responsibility which every
citizen IL liable to be called upon TO m and perform with
out compensation or hope Of the same and which many
would gladly accept only the distinction they
fer but for the interest and desire they feel 10 contribute
their share of their talents and their time 10 the public o.
private good.
am aware that members of Congress and Of Legsla-
lures paid for their services either by salary or
per diem allowance Their IL, however, different
from member Of city corporation They leave their
bones and their business fer weeks and months and
would he requiring much OF them 70 do this wthout
compensation for the expenses travel and board
while attending the sessions Of their respective bodies
Their ordinary business frequently interrupted during
their absence often 10 make u great sacri1 Ace pecu
niary TO them to perform the duties Of their position
Although the resolutions propose only applca-
ton TO the Legislature for authority 10 pay the sala
ries yet have treated the subject the whole matter
before your honorable body. While am Of opinion
that the legislature unless in extraordinary should
not pass any measure affecting the interests Of the city
it, charter without the Common Council
ask for assent thereto yet believe that they should,
II substantial prevail n the contrary, grant
such relief and pass such laws may be applied for
| ts memorial.
have therefore, for these reasons returned the
buttons 10 your honorable body
DANIEL =. TIEMANN.
MAYORS OFnz, NEW YORK, Feb. Is, 1855
ordered 10 be printed.
FROM THE MAYOR suGGnrISG uns
PRooY BrI1DISG IN PARK FOR NEW COURT HOUSE,.
Tho following communication was received from bis
Honor the Mayor
| To rIu lIovoRAmE TIE COMMON COUNCIL