New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-03-15

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GysTIExrs: On the "a of February last the fol-
loving Ieso,ation was adopted % your Honorable
BOdy:
Wiu.o. The tsr-p.ys usAer TIE iHpr."ior TIA. the
couon C>us se IssPoDte i't "a heavy rate q .@k'a
Rs.d Tbst toe Cst q rs Bead Dc requested to pre-
pare Tor pubic .Ion d,a< q tb- ysrious ,no1n'.
Of Police Board Ten Governor. School Couussioner' 10
srs,t ceh smguut ior Judgments, ethereby
sbovils the amount tetgily eKreoesc for cy puPDe'
Tie folowirg facts snG figures are accordingly sub
tLitted the resut of thorough scrutiny OF tue Tax
Levy lately adopted by the Common Council.
The total amount n Be rsled by TAX Tor the year
Btyosd tie ooa;io Of tee common Coa;c Of
Over wi.6 Il. Common Council nav; aici '-' :
Zt33[I1 %
Annexed, marked A, is statement. 10 detail Of
smounts beyond the control OF the Common Council
OF 1853.
OF Ire g., 2ij,2 III over which the Common COun-
Gil Of 1879 have limited control it is essential few
words should be said to the spirit Of tbs reso
luton and show how little control the Common Co1n-
eli bHs over even this amount.
BY the thirty-ighh sectiCn Of the charter OF 1917
departments and consequently buresuN under them
exercise the power sanctioned in making contracts
unOer 500 without consent OF Boo"leige Oi t9e Com
mon Council and making requ siuops upon the Con-
t,oler draw the money 10 meet the eXpenses 90 ln-
CURED; II is next TO impossible TO arrive at tAs exact
amount drawn from the Treasury in this way, but
from such examination as hsve given Of the Tar-
rants drawn in 1853 it IL evident that i will amount
. probablyt 81 $4,000.
For example Of the s3j 900 appropriated for fitting
up parbs under the direction Of the Buresu Of Lsuds
and Place. it is mot probable thst the Common
Council will not direct the expenditure OF tenth
portion Of the amount thus the care and Ornameutpg
the parks will under the discretion OF the De-
psrtInent; the same may be said Of Cfoton Aq1e,
cuct Repairs, So GOO;' sewers, repairing aud
cleaning, so O0O" aud generally, the amounts act
apart for the many b1resux under the ysrons depart
ments.
The Common Council hsv5 not the power to rent or
purchase property and yet have the authority to au
ihorize the same 10 be done by the Controller or the
Commissioners Of the Sinking kund-as, when necss-
sLy may arise for the purchase Of lot for an engine
hook and ladder ~ hose c)mpany-the Common COun-
ell may merely direct thst lot sbsll be purchased.
The az s92 700 is thus inoloded IN the Tax Levy
over which the Common Council is supposed to have
control for the purpose OF rens ano purchase OF ots
Of ground for fire cOmpanes Mot OF which property
was directed TO be purchased in 1853 aud vii be i'm
mediately transferred to the Commissioners OF the
Sinking Fund.- ana of course VIII increase the amount
OF real estate belonging 10 the city.
The Common Council can exercise but little control
over The money expended for Belgian pavement,
4" streets paving repsirs wells and pumps repairing
" and cleaning wateT-pipes aud laying and Cleaning
" streets" beyond the mere fact Of confirming COL
tracts and REQUESTING the appropriate part nents to
have the work dOne-the province OF the Common
Coupml being direct the IDsnner IN which the work
shall be performed The amount for these purposes
$7I63OO.
Again the amount under the head of " Salaries is
6232; the CO1omon Council can reduce the number
Of officers and their sasIes. large corps Of officials
must necessarily exist and be paid TO carry on the
municipal business of this metropolis.
The only discretion the Common Council have 10
this matter is TO decide whether any portion Of this
official corps could be dispensed WITH or whether the
work could be adequately performed at less expense,
which il is apparent would leave al most, but small
margin for decrease.
Thus Of the amount hereinbefore mentioned. over
which the Common Council have but limited CONTROL
lf 49, l.. sl, FrraIl .tt he
foregoing statement that the sum of over 81 1iJOJJ
almost entirely without theiI Jurisdictions and this
sum does not include all that might be mentioned in
the came category.
The Common Council is legislative in it's capacity;
its province under the original charter was ~ make
laws 6nd ordinances governing s internal regulations
protect the citizens and their property by weregu-
lated Watch Department, lay out ana ornament the
public parks regulate the markets and ferries zee the
city well supplied With wholesome water, establish
syeem of sewerage protect the city IN cases OF eona-
grafton, "preparc for the exgencies OF the most COM
mercia metropolis on this EIDE OF the Atlantic, aud
"look after ts corporate end private rgts. Add 70
this end all charters prescribe that the common
Council shall not be executive, yet the originally let-
mate duties of the Common Council are gradually with
Drawn from the protection OF the city, and thrown into
the hands OF Commissioners appointed by that BODY
which declares the Common Council shall be legislative
in it's various capacities.
To which Commits siOneTs, Individually, call for more
money to support them than tho entire amount under
the more immediate control of the Common Council,
whose powers are gradually becoming but shadow.
The first section of the DOngsn Charter Of 1856 says
"The City Of New York il al ancient city, body
" corporate, possessed Of divers lanes, rights and
" Franchises" Is it not questionable whether those
rights privileges, franchises and powers, more an
cient iar than the State ITSELF be ruthcssy, with
out even the consent OF voice OF its people being
invoked taken away and placed within the control
of commissioners foreign TO the city In 1873, 1t was
questionable whether the state had the power even 10
increase the number Of Wards or change the Dounda
thereof without the consent of the Aldermen ana
Assistants.
We are informed by the old charters, that the gen
eral POWERS Cf the Common Council are, 10 make,
Jordan al establish from time TO time, laws and or
"dnsuces such as should seem 70 be good, useful or
'necesssry for the good rule aud government OF the
"body corporate, ana of all officers, iuhaohants and
" resteuts Of the city within the limits thereof aud
for TIE further public good, common pr0ht, trade
better government and rule Of said city,; 70 orian
and enforce peualtes FOR breaches of ther laws aud
ordinances &c. aud no 10 erteHd moneys raised By
tar the which must be disbussd by the executive de-
psItmenis
ulate or moderate the disbursement OF the amount
raised BY taxation is thus shown 10 be extremely init
ed-the action of Commissioners ami executive depart
ments being almost OF entirely independent OF theH
control.
c. T. McCLENACHAS, Clerk.
STATEMENT "a"
ounft ote, ih ne Common CosHrI hare no control
For State tax zone three quarter mls) 7s2 ~
Common schools fer State. isIse quarter ms)'' Ss2 ~
Common SCHOOLS or CITY. boud Of slucsuon .'.'I 49, ~
Rudps Loan stock No redemption Of principal. 5000 %
Public kduos,iOn Stock. Interest ara rccemPn'n Of ss-
clni1. P.ii tteri. or Observation-Disclosures. 2o o.
Central PAX Improvement Fund Siocf interest," 4's W
Deaf ara Dumb A,y St@
Iu.:itu.ion for the bua VS
Sswfott yGssIlf A., 5000 %
Coans 2o,n 90
9ass[ 1 isD.% sSS %
fie,llH 49,. 49, ,,,s-~., ..... 60 %