The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1870-02-07

Average ddty circulation during tho to6ck,
$3.50. Apcrdgo circulation during the
precious ,ceek, ending jan. 90, s0,4J3 daily.
Tho New Charter and the Tax Lcvies.
In tho new city charter, prepared by
Messrs. SwEESY, TWEED, HALL & Co., and
now under consideration by tho Legislature
M Albany occurs this significant section:
"sEo. %. The Common Council shall have no power
20 Impose taxes or assessments or TO borrow money,
or con debts loan the credit OF the city, ~.
lees specially author to do BY act Of the Lagl-
laturc and all the legislative power OF tic city sa.
with, such special grants, restrictions or limitations
Iegisaturc"
We have already taken occasion TO point
out the conflict between the provisions of this
section and the protestations which the Tam
many leaders have 80 often made during the
past few years. As is well known, both the
city and county tax levies are now settled
every year at Albany, and our Board Of SUI
pervisors, tn ough they 60 through the form
Of confirming them, have no power to change
them in any particular The result Is that
while our citizens are annually neeced by the
inscrtion Of the most outrageous items in the
levies. their special representatives in tho
Legislature are enabled to declare their entire
innocence Of the wrong, and to throw all the
blame upon their fellow members from other
parts of the State. Common sense as well
as sound Democratic principles, requires that
our people and nobody else shall have power
70 levy our local taxes and whoever recon-.
mends contrary practice is recrcant to the
true Democratic faith.
Mayor HALL, writing in his organ the
Leader, last Saturday, tries TO show that his
new charter does, notwithstanding the sec
ton we have cited, restore 20 our citizens the
power Of sclctaxation, for which The SUS
contends. lie cites the 130th section of the
instrument in support of his proposition.
That section, after constituting the Mayor,
Comptroller, Chamberlain, and Presidents Of
the Board Of Supervisors of the county and
OF the Board Of Aldermen, q" Board of Esti.
mate and Appropriation" directs them to
examine, on or before the fifteenth of Doccm
Ter In each year, the estimates of the various
departments of the City Government, and fix
the amounts required for each department
for the ensuing year. 1t then goes on to
say
"And such amounts, when established by the said
Board OF Estimate a.,d Appropriation, sIall thereby
become appropriated for the various objects or
penditure in the year neIt succeeding and the
hre empowered ami directed annually to order aud
tause tie aggregate amount thereof To be, according
real and personal. which are subjected 10 taIston
secordne TO law within the said city and county VI
New York"
This provision, Mr. HALL maintains, rem.
iers all further action by the Legislature in
authorizing the tax levies unnecessary.
That this is the impression designed to be
conveyed by the language used we will read.
ny ooncede but that such will DO its effect
we peremptorily deny. The Supervisors are
10 raise the amount Of tho tax according TO
law" and that law is the law 10 be an.
nually passed by the Legislature II such
II not the true construction of the
section, 1t Is very easy TO make It
90 plain as 10 leave no room for doubt. We
have seen how. undor a law which appeared
70 limit Chamberlain SwEENYs fees as Coun.
~ Treasurer to $4,000 year, he draws be
tween $4,000 and $4,000; and It would not
take avery shrewd lawyer to raise 30 many
doubts as to the power Of the Board of Su.
pervisors MS to make resort to the Legisla-
ture to confirm their proceedings under this
section highly useful, If not absolutely neces
gary.
Besides, 1t il absurd TO say that the Board
OF Supervisors is q body elected by and di.
Tcctly responsible 10 the people. Out of the
twelve members who compose it, only six are
elected by the people the other six being up
pointed from among candidates whom they
do not elect. Then ench member holds Office
for six years, so that no matter how much
Of scoundrel he may prove, he can.
not DO turned out until he has had
ample time TO commit all the rcscal'ty he
has a mind to, Ii Mayor HALL and his
friends really want to reGstablish the true
system Of America government for this city,
let them lend al their influence to abolish
ihis VIGOROUSLY corrupt and inefficient body,
vest its resent powers in the hands Of the
Common Council TO be elected by wards and
districts, and then let that Common Council
have the right OF fixing the taxes both for
city and county purposes When they do
ihis they viii he entitled to be regarded Ms
sincere Democrats, and not before.
The Missing Crown Jewels Rr2 in Mexico.
A report comes to us from Mexico that VIII
Re interesting 70 several titled personages in
Europe. 1t 10 stated on good authority that
tho crown jewels Of Spain, which have been
m ssing for some time are in pawn at the ma
uonal Monte dc Iidad in the city of Mex.
c7
iLese precious articles arc not to he seen
by ordinary visitors 10 that establishment !;
but the story ia that they were shown to MIR.
SEWARD aud one or two members Of his
party They include the jewels that wcro
pawncd hy lsABEILA-not the ISABELLA of
tbe Period, but the oher--to Gt out CoLuM.
Bus on his voyage to discover America. A
Joriion, II not ell the jewels that have been
AL al i