New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-08-22
THE MAYOR AND THE ExEslp.
TION ORDINANCE.

TION ORDINANCE. {.
The Common Council last week pas
ed an ordinance, Ostensibly to make ad
ditional provision for the families Of persons
who NAV volunteer or be drafted into The
service of the United States. Ii appropriates
Three Million Dollars. The practical effect
would be to prevent the Government frOu
obtaining men by draft 1t enacts among
others the following section:
SIC q I. shall be the duty Of the Con;roeT % pay ups
the order OK the said Committee to every citizen and esc
u.f.,n who shan have declared bis intention to become
citizen IN the manner provided by law, who shall be ordered
i, the military service Of the United States Ia PURSUANCE
tic Of the act Congress known as the Conspda
Act and whose liability TO shall have become hIedby
, action Of tho Board Of ENROLMENT OF tho district IN which
ne drafted in case tie said Committee shal certify ts
, 80 dated . IN INDECENT circumstances or membsra
e., ffe Department t, Of 800 fos Tue ss'ls Of to,
lsa.i ie, q the said persona SO drafted
ia other words, the Controller Is TO pay
three hundred dollars upon the order OF the
Committee to every drafted man not exempted
by the Board Of Enrolment. The COMMITTEE
consists Of the Mayor, Controller, Board OF Al.
dei1ncn. and Board of Councilmen; ana there
Is nothing in the ordinance to hinder them from
directing the payment of three hundred dollan
10 every man drafted in the City OF New'York,
if I'm iudigeDt circumstances; anu they are
to Judge what constitutes Indulgence Nora
there anything in the ordinance TO prevent tbs
drafted man, upon receipt Of his money, from
doing with it what he pleases. lie may payE
10 the Government as exemption money. DO
may put it in his own poke; and go to Canada
In either case the Government gets no SoialeS
Mayor Opdyke has hitherto rightly declined
to approve this ordinance. though someWhas
vehemently t,.ereunto solicited. He iayoEs. a.
We DO. an ordinance which shall honestly re-
lieye the families OF drafted men, or secure them
or their substitutes liberal bounty, and 70 that
end proposes to amend the above quoted sec.
ton so that il shall read thus:
sEo 2 It shall BE- the dn,y Of the Controller 10 pay npu
the ,r1er o. siid Committee TO he family Q every c1ea
nd every person Who shall have declared hs aier0n. to
become citizen in the provided by hw. who SD
h. f,fet into the military service Of the United otsl- Ia
pursne Of the provisions OF the Of Congress kao~n
tho Conception act AID whose Liability to serve 'aA ha's
become l4cd by tie action of the Bo4TG Of Enfoea' o. rs
district In he be is drafted and rAo siaa hare been M.
e,es INTO ses ferr and 10 the proper 'rnd>r''s'
CO., Ac afo-s-li Committee shall certify ,hs' The person
drafted i adseHt circumstances ,he sum q 400 iar ms
be mad. 10 .ch member Of hi. family the dli Persoa
may desigus'e."
The italicized clauses indicate tie point Of
difference between the Mayor and the Council.
The Mayor would pay 10 man unless he Is aetl'
ally mustered into service and sent to the proper
rendezvous, or unless, as is provided by another
section, he furnishes an acceptable substitute
who Is mustered in. lie agrees with tie Coun.
ell about the fromen, and about the payment Of
bounties to volunteers, proposing any such
alterations in the form Of each section a shall
make il eiIcctual and secure against fraud.
Now il is evident, from the facts and citations
foregoing, that TIE ordinance with The amend
ments insisted on by the Mayor will accom-.
plsh all the objects which the authors ana 81.
yocatcs OF the original ordinance profess 70 Do
sire. Why then 90 they oppose the Mayors
amendmentSl Clearly, it would seem because
the proiessed and real objects Of the Original
The Common Council care little whether or ai
the drafted men or their families get help tom
the city. but they are resolved that ii they can
prevent it the Government shall not get mss
from the city. Mayor Opdyke cannot r'
cede from the amendments which 10
proposes, because be cannot be the acComphca
or tine tool of the Council for such purpose.
If the Council continues obstinate, the Mayor
has no choice but to veto the ordinance and
his veto must lie over ten days before II can be
acted on. Meantime the men whom The Mayor
desires to relieve and assist NAV be mustered
into service ana sent to the army. Whctherhe
or disloyal Common Council is responsible
let the People judge.