The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-12-21

Since the adjournment Of the last State Legis.
lature we have had batch of Senatorial com.
mittees in the city, ct different times, invest.
eating variety of matters Of public interest
connected with our municipal government
One Of these bodies has been charged with the
duty Of inquiring into the best means of reliev-
ing Broadway; another has had the manage
ment Of our piers and wharves under con-
sideration; . third has been searching out
alleged abuses at Castle Garden, including,
we suppose. the payment Of two thousand dol
lars by the Commissioners of Emigration to two
outside agents, for settling controversy in
which the Commissioners had become in
volved. Some Of these committees, 1t is said,
have agreed to report to the Senate ct It's
next session in favor Of such measures as they
believe will remedy the evils they have dis
covered. The Broadway trouble is to be met
by the recommendation Of the underground
railroad scheme, and it ID rumored that the
interests Of a company formed for the purpose
Of building docks and warehouses are not to
suffer In the report upon piers and wharves. OF
course these conclusions Of the committees are
to be met with counter propositions sad argu-
msnts from the projectors Of rival jobs. The
underground railroad ID very we'll, says one, but
we need m aerial railway for way passengers
also. An arcade railroad or system of railroads
win do better than both, says another. No person
wants to travel through dark, damp tunnel,
or to kite along through the air or run
through blocks Of houses, urges an original
Jacob, and . surface road is all that is
required So in the matter of piers and
wbarves half dozen different spectators
claim that each has plan better than that Of
the Dock and Warehouse Company, and is
just ss well entitled to have the city piers and
wharves handed over to him, at nominal
price, to make fortune out Of
This is not The age for picayune legislation
or for parcelling out jobs to sets Of philanthro-
pists whose object is to make money out Of the
public necessities. The city needs relief in all
these matters; but it does not want and does
not desire any further tinkering at reform. It's
present evils arise in great measure from the
lack of an honest and efficient executive
power, having authority over all the depart
ments, and responsible to the highest officer Of
the State, who, in his turn, is responsible to the
whole people. Under the existing pernicious
system the city is governed by batch Of
commissions and departments each indie
pendent Of the other and without any recog-
nized head. Legislation, demanded from time
to time by glazing instances of official corrup-
h.a II 1>r ,Nsa Nd
without any definite, connected system. We
want no more Of such patchwork relief On
the contrary, it is essential to the prosperity
and safety Of the city that the whole system
should be changed and the government put
under one responsible and efficient head.
II the Senate committees properly appre-
ciate the condition and necessities Of the city
they will consolidate their work, and, instead
of making q series Of disconnected reports
on the several subjects which they have
had under consideration and all Of which need
legislation, they win submit .
general scheme Of government which will
cover the whole ground aud necessarily insure
all the reforms sought to be accomplished by
piecemeal legislation. If Q metropolitan board
of control is created it will form the central
executive head, under which subordinate de-
partments will be placed. Among these should
be board Of public works, with fall power
to make public improvements commensurate
with the rapid growth and future prospects
Of the metropolis. Instead OF any experiments
under the ground or up in the air We might
then have the Fifth avenue in all its splendid
dimensions opened through to the Battery,
together with the Seventh and the Fourth ave.
nues. With four broad avenues thus extend
ing through the length Of the city railroads
could be run on three Of them, aifcrding ample
facilities for oil the travel OF the mex. half =
century, without any risk Of obstruction OF
delay. Under the same authority oar pier.
and whsrves would be properly managed
Shippers would pay an adequate sum fol
wharfage, and the owners and lessees would
be compelled to keep the docks ia condition
equal TO the demands Of commerce. All ihc
abuses Of an iuefacisHt and dishonest goyer.,
ment would be swept away al once and ever,
necessary reform would be secured. This i
| the sort of legislative interference that til,
citizens demand, and they ask The Senators 0
the State TO assume the character Of far--eeini
statesmen, and not OF mere tinkerers ~ reform
fas CoNsrrRuTIosAI. ANESpmENrA Mo
DISTINCTION ron CoSGaEss.-1he question
| whether one Of the late rebel States can b
considered Is q State ia the ratification Of
constitutional amendment and still be not
State entitled to representation in Congress
has created wsrlh. confusion throughout III
country and in Congress itself Mr. Fessendeu
however, 10 the Senate debate Of Thursds,
last, threw some light upon the subject H
said that .he men pretending Y &C, upon tn
amendment abollshing slavery in ihs !stsl,
insurgent States were not the Legislature il
any case until Congress saw az to recogniz