New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-11-14
AMOUNT OF TIE TAX LEVY FOR THIRTEEN NLARs


Figures do not lie" These been carefully taken
from official sources and tell their story. Comment
Is they speak Tor LOOK a. Ie
administration. If il shall be said that the Mayor Is
without power over the expenses Of the CITY, anu there
fore not responsible Tor TINS enormous increase Ieer 10
the tweutysecOnd section OF the City Charter which pro
ysdes that money shall be drawn from the treasury OF
the city except upon warrant cOuntersignec by the
Mayor. That officer withhold bis signature TO the
thus authorized prevent corruption extravaganza
Indeed it made lis duty to do Not one dollar ap
prOpriated be obtained except by his direct
assent He alone is therefore responsible. In 1860
I refused to countersiGn a warrant, because II
person in whose favor it was drawn applied to the su-
pr1I"e S1 id Iop SI 81 tbe 70 writ a,ieeed
TO the General Term which decided that the Mayor could
Thus was finally settled that the Mayor Is left With full
authority in the premises. As he the highest officer In
the city, the presumption is that he the most auhora
tive Although other powers may have been taken
away from him. he left by law with the most important
the taxpayers. Therefore, the Mayor having this
authority, is personally responsible for this remarkable
increase Of outlay and cannot escape by the
pretext OF want Of power What matter yetoes or mes
while the same omcer gives ms ssnu H. ~ WIZ
money Is drawn from the cty treasuryf III is hypocrisy
In any official TO pretend TO reform while he thus consents
70 corruption BY attaching his signature TO warrants for
money uujusy claimed he makes himself party TO the
holding his signature from the thousands drawn for I'm
proper expenditures during the present noumbencyi He
applied his case, which is to judge man by the
company he keeps fear he cannot escape from some
OF the filth which surrounds him. He certainly shall
not be allowed TO hide himself under the cloak OF re-
Hew-YOIk within the last two yearsi In my Judgment
be Is guilty Of both the sin OF omission and commission
He has done nothing for the city, but everything for him
self aud the frends who share with him in the manage
ent OF corrupt partisan political organization What
public improvements has he suggested or encouraged
What is Lis evidence OF capacity Tor the high Office he
fills, and seeks TO I'LL FOR another teni Can his de
Tenders name single advantage the city has derived
from hrs two years administration They cannot Have
murders been any less fequeni Have thieves been less
plentyi You cannot take up morning paper but that
your eyes greeted by the report Of murder, and
venture 70 say there is not man before me tonight
who bOusekeeper who during the last three months,
has not received call from burglar They have called
upon within the last three days (Laugher Thieves
were brought over from Philadelphia aPplause by Tam
many Hall Tammany not content with TObbing honest
Mike Connolly Of his Office have imported thieves to rob
man has evineed no energy and displayed no
rights Of the municipality. He has made not the slight
est effort TO reduce the enormous load Of taxation now
bearing heavily and Oppressivey upon all classes Of
the people. He has exhibited no enlarged, liberal or
Of this mighty metropolis He has utterly and complete
md in representing tho Intelligence the progress and
aspirations Of the truly great people be has the honor
presiding over their Chief Magistrate. And yet he
been solely directed toward his own personal aegrand
cement The tact he has displayed has been 70 keep to
Yether and strengthen the faction whose creature he has
been willing 10 become and is While personally
be may not have derived any pecuniary advantage from
while his immediate associates Of the ring amassed their
hundreds Of thousands of dollars through his favor
nuence aud connvance. For himself and for Tammany
IAN he has done everything; Tor New,York nothing
Yes am IN ne r has d9se something lie has run
On 1867 Give him another term OF office and IL will doubt
less cost double this increase in addition. accused
Of extravaganza when under my Mayoray the aggregate
expenses about s. 100000 per aInum FOrthis
many good men imbibed prejudices against me in
consequence, and which many Of them doubtless, sti
We'll suppose that he isl II is very evident from the
figures he expensive and that such honesty
deal support HIM IN his honesty 1t must bs that the
Increased expenditure under ms ADMINISTRATION IN con
q IN wit
Now, believe that even my enemies cOncede that while
Ter and discharged my duties uninuenced by my sur
roundings Many plain minded men think that after ALL
e would be better to have a man like myself at the
year, than GOOD man ike Hoffman at an expense Of
message 10 the Common Council urged the erection Of
stone piers and wharves and anmproved system Of har
Dor improvements Although ten years have passed
since then tins recommendation Of mine Mayor at that
time has never been carried out This city is now utter
~ destitute OF decent accommodation for its immense
foreign commerce. The Atlantic Docks of Brooklyn and
NewJeTsey are accessories 10 the power aud wealth Of
the city These docks have sprung from tho absence Of
facilities for loading aud dscharng ships In tho city The
State and municipal authorities have divided the power
and responsibility the piers and wharve and instead
OF being improved they are III worse condition. POSSIBLE
chan when made my recommendation. l do not know
OF single permanent dock pier improvement ia the
SD3 Sy6aTyes lis necessity Now, without admittipS
this light Tho part of the legislature. it my Judgment
N oud not be wrong 20 ask the State construct these
great proposed improvements and 70 give their 20
the commerce entering our port entirely free from ANY
fLus invite and attract the commerce Of the world 70
aaIbor BY removing every impeachment, and ahording
fhe most improved facilities for the Transaction OF
restricted and untranmced trade But the delays attend
ing the present wreched condition OF wharves and
sfefs are tax OF character Let US be up
10 the spirit OF tho ago, which regards economy
OF time Of greater value aud 10 be estimated
Aj0her than the mere economy OF money.
IT'S not my purpose this occasion, TO present my
views OF city Improvement In dota will but glance nj
few OF them We require mprov ed system OF sewer
xe This appears 10 be ldspensbly Requisite Asyet
However no general plan has been conceived projected
Nlatever LITTLE has been done In this regard has been
1one By parcels as called for. Many Of the sewers al
eay constructed are utterly inadequate TO meet the re-
aetd capacity. reform In this regard ~ Immediately
damanded By every consideration OF public health ana
comfort II IL agO necessary TO change our bystem OF
Sfreet lpFO Yenent We open, regulate, aud grade
ffree aud without any reference whatever TO
public 0y private necessity u is common thing 70 lay