The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-03-02
Prospect OF CITY Government at Last.

Prospect OF n City Government at Last.
There appears to be prospect at last of our
obtaining some kind of a government for this
city, which for years past has been abandoned
to the mercy of a plundering crew of miserable
politicians and corrupt spectators. We are
led to anticipate this pleasing revolution in our
municipal affairs by the turbulence, the rage,
the bad grammar, vulgar abuse and raveuous
hungering for the spoils which characterize the
debates of the Common Council. No better In
dication can be found that some measures for
the honest administration of the government
are on foot and likely to succeed than the tone
and temper of those two Boards with reference
to the plan recently adopted for cleaning the
streets. 1t seems that the heads of the three
executive departments Mayor, Comptrol-
Ter and Corporation Counsel-have entered into
consultation with the heads Of other depart
ments, with determination to put the city 60
vernment in order, in spite of the opposition of
Its two legislative branches; and we hope that
the Street Commissioner, the City Inspector,
partments, will frankly and cordially cooperate
with them In the good work.
Mayor Wood, Comptroller Haws and Judge
Bronson are men of reputation, energy and
worth, who are quite capable, as we believe
they are desirous to administer the functions
Of their several Offices with fidelity to the PEG.
pie. Rising above all party considerations
above dirt and democracy, refuse and republi-
canism-they have resolved to exercise all the
power they possess in rescuing the city govern
ment from its present degradation.
For the last ten years the Common Council
has been growing worse and worse, and un-
fortunately it has vested in its two {. coordinate
branches an amount of executive power which
has served to trammel the other members of
the Corporation in their efforts towards reform.
This power, we need not say, has been used
most scandalously and for the vilest of pur-
poses-plunder and corruption. If the Legis-
lature undertake to modify the charter at the
present session, its chief objects should be to
confne the duties of the two Boards of the
Common Council to legislative matters simply,
and to centralize power in the heads of the
executive departments Mayor, Comp
troller and Corporation Counsel. With this
modification we might expect to see something
like an effective government, for these officials
are evidently willing and competent to estab-
lish all the necessary reforms, only for the
obstacles thrown in their way by the blunder-
ing, ignorant parties who compose the Boards
of Aldermen and Councilmen. 1t appears,
however, that the charter, even in it's present
the executive departments to act indepen-
IDENTIFY Of the Common Council, the first in
stance of which we perceive in their recent
action with regard to cleaning the streets,
which has given rise to 80 much rage and vio-
lence among the Aldermen, and furnished so
lamentable an illustration of their unfitness for
the Offices they hold as local legislators of this
great metropolis.
With such an amendment of the charter az
we suggest, namely-a Capitalization of au
thnrity in the head executive and his col
leagues, and restricting the power of the Com
mon Council to passing ordinances alone,
without permitting any interference with the
appointment of subordinate officials, either
for confirmation or rejection-we have
no doubt that satisfactory government could
be obtained which would insure an honest
expenditure. Of the public money, protection of
life and property, and proper attention to the
health and cleanliness of the city. The reso-
lutte course adopted by the Mayor, Comptroller
and City Inspector with reference to street
cleaning, we are sure must meet with the appro-
baton Of every one, except the irate members
of the Common Council and their disappointed
friends, out of whose mouths the spoils of the
treasury have been so suddenly snatched; and
we trust that they will be sustained by popular
opinion to the last. If it be objected to on the
ground that they have assumed power not
hitherto exercised in this form, we have only
to say that it is better to have dictatorial 60
vernment than no government at all; and SO,
we think, will say the majority of the people.
FERNANDO WooD AND Hrs DELEGATION IN THE
SouTH-We perceive by the tone of the South
ern press-some extracts from which we give
in another column-that the Southern demo.
cracy accept Mr.. Woods delegation to the
Charleston Convention as the proper represen-
tatives of the national democracy of this State,
and ignore the Cagger-Cassidy delegates alto.
gether. The admission of the free soil delega.