The New York herald., 1861-12-07

relations" OF "city women, fascinating ladies,
old mems daslings, dashing widows, women in
black widows daughters confidence women"
and the like
Verify, this Is a novel and extraordinary
age, and the "social moral REFORMS" which
these reverend editors are insugurating are its
most novel and extraordinary aevelNpaments.
The Recent Charter Election, aanA, the
Prospects or the City Government.
The success of the republican candidhts fof
Mayor, through the division of the deniuem tic
pMty, bids fair to bring about important chssis es
in cur city government, 30 long in sach a 'csn Y
plicated state that there has been really m :
head or accountability anywhere, resulting in
universal mismanagement, bad government, ih-
crease of taxes, and everything else detrimental
to the best interests of thy city, without any
person Being held responsible. We sincerely
hope antitrust that with the Inauguration Of the
new Maysrwill commence ns~ order of things
in our city, and the formation Of q government
that will be'of some credit to a,eity like Now
York Since tie republicans have succeeded In
eibcting nan of their choice, there are some
reasons to hone that they will make the neces-~
sarf change.
Everything now indicates that new politicald
combinations wiil be formed, and that the revo-
lutios in national matters, together w4th the re-
suit Of the recent Mayoralty election, will bring
about reorganization of the political parties
of this city, and cpsate a wholesome change in
its politics. IT. may, we think, with truth
be said that the election has finished Mozart as
a separate organization and abolished it asa
political power; bat much depends upon the re-
publican party and their action in the Legisla-
ture as to tho basis of the reorganization Of
political parties, and its effect upon our NUM-
cipal affairs. A,bihl to change our charter
should be passed at tAe very commencement, of
the session, making many radical reforms in the
organization of theoity government, and placing
the responsibility In the hands Of officials that
can be reached wheosver any corruption or mis-
management takes plRce.
The republican, papers are making great
boasts about the reform that the election of Mr..
Opdyke will bring about; but we are unable to
see where he can possibly do any better than
Mr.. Wood, unless the, Legislature confers upon
him additional powers The fact of the mat
ter is, a Mayor Of the city of New York, under
the present charter, is utterly powerless to Gre
ate or correct abuses. He is completely fetter-
ed by our complicatea and nobody responsible
form of government. The very first act of the
next Legislature should therefore be step to
confer additional powers upon the Mayor, and
make him what he really should be-the respon.
sible head of the city government In that, and
that alone, rest the good OF evil results of the
election Of Mr.. OpdEke. The entire executive
portion ofthe government should be placed in the
hands of the Mayor. The Croton Board and Ex-
else Commission shonld be abolished forthwith.
and, in fact all thevspecial commissions now in
existence-such as the Police Commission,
Quarantine Commission, Commission of Emigra-
tion, Pilot Commission, Commission of Public
Charities--andl the Mayor held responsible
for the administration of these departments. In
the place. Of all these commissions there
should be appointed by the Mayor person for
each, to be knowna as the Secretary of such-and-
such a department., forming cabinet like that
of the President of the United States, the Mayor
being held responsible for their action. The en-
tire Legislative daties of the city should be given
to the Common Council, and the powers of the
leSISAdlisc ultuc VI tudt Importance tHdt
our best mem will aspire to seat In the two
branches. While we would like ,see the APP
pointing power exclusively in the ha4ds of the
Mayor, we would at the same time desire that
the.upper branch Of the municipal legislature
should have the power of con6rnatisn, precise
ly the same As that Of the Senate OF the United
States. Let this be done, and, the election
changed from the fall to the spring of the year,
and there will be some hopes, that we may in
reality secure reform in. cur city govern
ment, and, in the place of the, present slipshod2
and shoddy affair, under which car taxes are in
creasing at the rate of one or two millions per,
year, obtain government that will be Of some
credit to the city, and prevent the enormous.
abuses and corruptions that are daily trans,
piring in our midst without any power to,
RENE dy them.
NEWSPAPER INFLUENCE ON ELECTIONS The
influence of the newspapers upon the elaetion,
as shown in the late Mayoralty canvass, is
somewhat interesting. Mr.. Opdyke had the
support Of the. Trtaae, Times, World, Sun,
Post and Advertiser, with four-ffths of the Sum-
day weekliss-or in other words, nearly all ths
papers in Ais oity--yet he comes outof the cam
vass in the minority of upwards Of twenty -th-aa
thousand Of the tecal vote. Mr.. Wood had theJ
supporter but one paper--thc HErALD- oOt-