The New York herald., 1870-01-10
rh., city prosr...s .s Als..y.


! II is conceded fact that The Albany Legis-
lature is to remodel our entire city govern
ment during thepresent session, and II is not
improbable that the plan agreed upon TO effect
this purpose will meet with the general con-
sent Of the governed, inasmuch as they know
that the majority Of the people, not only in tho
city, but in the State, have created the present
Legislature by their ballots at the polls, and
therefore must accept the action Of that body
as tneT own !. IS fair to assume that the 2
people would not have elected the members
who comprise the present Senate and Assem-
bly, unless they wanted an entire change In tho
mode Of State government which has pre-
vailed for many years past That the Legis-a
lature has the confidence of the voters OF the
State is therefore to be taken for granted
The democrats have majority Of sixteen In
the Assembly and majority Of fonr IN the
Senate. They have the Executive, whom I,
they accept as fair and honest represents y
tive of the party, and, indeed, upon whose
name they are possibly willing at the present i
tlmc to stake their chances for the Presiden-
tlal succession. They hold the entire State
government In their hands, and with the con-
troll thereof they must shoulder the responsl-
bility. The management of the canals, the
banks, the insurance companies, the railroads, !,
the State prisons, the public institutions and
all the money that may bea appropriated and
expended for their departmen.s-a these the
democrats hold in their hands. Bnt our inte- !
rests in the metropolis are centred moro
especially in our own local government. 1t Is
here that the shoe pinches US, and 1t is there-
fore just upon this point that we are most
anxious to see things put upon q sound and
economical footing. We have been groaning
under ahideous nightmare of bad government
for long time. Can we hope that the day Of
redemption is dawning with the advent Of the
new power at Albany? If that power pro-
misses much, much will bs expected Of IT,
That the innumerable Albany commissions
established in our metropolitan district ore
to be 80 changed and modified as 70 be no
longer recognizable as foreign invasions upon
municipal rights is part of what we call the
city programme at Albany. 1t is decided that
oil these commissions, including the Metro
poitan Police Commission, the Croton Board,
the Board of Health, the Fire Department, the
Excise Board, and all others which owe their
| creation to country legislation at Albany during
| the ascendancy Of the republican party, are to
be transmitted 10 the people of the metropolis,
rs represented by the Mayor and Board Of
Aldermen, the direct elected representatives
Il 80 cstu sr ,o;~
hands the performance Of the duties Of
these Offices finds disfavor tho voters have
the remedy in their own hands, and
| they need not 60 to Albany for redress. Tho
ballot box at the next election will settle the
| question between the faithful servant and the
wrongdoer, and their rewards will bs meted
| out to them. This is the germ and the fruit Of
municipal government. If evil has come out
| of this system in former times, as we know
I It has, it is because 1t was worked out in cor
ruption and used for base ends; but is it not
| safer to have the control of our affairs in our
own bands than to entrust It to parties who
have no knowledge Of our wants or no sympa-
| thy with our Affections? S ssf. IL,
I It Is in this view, we suppose, that the
democratic leaders, with their splendid work
ing majority in Albany, mean to revise our
whole municipal system. They argue that by
delegating authority to officials elected by the
| voters of the city the voters know exactly
where responsibility rests and can demand .
strict account of the stewardship. This might
seem to be very complicated scheme, con-
| sidering the multitudirious commissions to be
dealt with, aud looks as though it might in
volve vast amount Of legislation; but 1t
appears that the whole revolution il to be
compressed into the pages Of new city char
| ter, the leading points Of which are probably
already agreed upon. This is very easy
way of simplifying the matter; and as such a
measure, if introduced, is sure to pass both
houses, it may save great deal Of valuable
time and give the Legislature an opportunity
to look into other important State matters.
British Cuban Policy Mt Sea.
4 Great Britain appears to have got her eye
open to infringements upon international law.
She sent war ship from Nassau the other day
to play the detective upon two vessels supposed
to be carrying men and arms to Cuba. The
British war ship Lapwing, we are told, cap
tured them both and took them back to
the British port OF Nassau. If the English
| vessels at that port had been so active in the
! enforcement Of international law during onr
war the Alabama claims" might rate at
lower figure than they d. now. No delicate
sensibilitics disturbed the consciences Of the
British authorities when Confederate privateers
were receiving supplies Of provisions, arms
and ammunition for four years at this port
Of Nassau to be used against the government
| Of the United States This very port was the
stronghold upon the sea on which the con-
federation relied f0r its supplies from abroad,
: - .ni!J ,r,t.i : confdepce which we know