New-York tribune., 1870-04-18
TIE TAX TEYIIS.

TIE TAX LETIES.
While Tweed, Frear and Company are I'M
doubtedly powerful enough tOpass through the
Legislature precisely such tax leyies as they
choose. they are not powerful enough to keep
their plans secret, and the bills reported by Mr..
Freer have, therefore, got out before the IN
tended time. In other words, by chance the
public are able to read them before they have
become laws. They contain some good proyI5-
ions and some bad ones.
Among the good ones we reckon the follow
ing: The unlimited authority given TO the
Controller in last years levy to adjust claims
is repealed, eXcept-an important exception
so far as relates to the liabilities of the Street
and certain dependent Departments, and to
advertising the latter a sop to minor Journal
ism. On parenthesis would like to know
how much the Controller has adjusted" al
ready under this power, and the details OF the
claims. 1t ought not to be much, as the levy
appropriatcs over 100000 for Judgments
swindle which it was claimed was TO be avoided
and merged in the adjustments. Perhaps the
best provision in the levy is that which de-
clares that no patent or special pavement shall
be placed on any street already paved,
unless with the consent of a majority of the
prOperty-Owners on the street. There Is
further clause which at first sight seems to
declare the mass of ordinances recently passed
for patent pavements invalid; but a close eX-
animation shows that only those are inyali-
dated for which no contract has been made,
and we apprehend that it will be found that
contracts have been made under most Of the
ordinances. The provision that no member
" of the Board of the Department of Pu5lic
" Parks shall receive any salary or other COM
"pensatOn for his services in any capacity
" connected with said Department" has at first
a healthy look, but may be intended 10 de-
prive us of the valuable services of Andrew
ii. Green, who is a member of that Board, but
can hardly be expected to give his entire time
to it without compensation. Bowling Green
and the Battery are added to the jurisdiction
of this Board but the City Hall Park is still
reserved for the Common Council-a sort of
municipal District of Columbia, we presume.
1t seems that Richmond County has MT paid
its share of the expense of the Metropolitan
Police, and New-York has advanced the
amount, and the Police Department is to be
authorized to recover the sum by suit-good
news for Mr.. Oakley Halls law firm. A long
to the new Police Department supply over
sights in the late Charter, and seem, as whole,
good. The provision dscharging witnesses
who have been detained ten days is quietly
eliminated and the power of bestOwing pen
siOns is open TO the grOssest abuse. Why the
Treasurer of the Department who has salary
of $1,000 or $4,000 as Commissioner, should get
$500 more as Treasurer, is not quite obvious to
us nor why Mayor Hall should be allowed a
bOdy-guard of twenty policemen to be placed
under his special direction. Oversights in the
Charter as to the Health and Fire Departments
are partially supplied. The provision limiting
the appropriation for repairs of armories and
drill-rOOms to one hundred thousand dollars q
year will affect Bell-Ringer "Andyn Garvey,
but we shall rely upon his ability TO get in for
deficiencies next year under the head of
"Judgments." The only other good thing we
perceive in the levies is-to excuse the Irish
ism-One that is MT there, to wit, an apprOpri-
alton for the New Court House. Are the abo-
liton of the Board of Supervisors and the alb
sence of such an appropriation TO be regarded
as cause and effect
The catalogue of vicious things is much
larger. We cannot enumerate all, but specify
IL lew III INC llISl pIdCtg ucdlIg All TIE bidlu-
ard items of appropriation are increased. a. a
table given elsewhere shows Why should Mr.
Fields, as Corporation Attorney, get his salary
increased to the same amount as the Recorders
and why should MT the bill say what that amount
is We think that in all it is not less than $4,000
We doubt if, even with his herculean labors
at Albany, Mr.. Fields is fairly worth to
the taxpayers any such sum, or ever will be.
We are sure some of the appropriations TO
dispensaries are swindes, while the dona-
tiOns 20 charitable institutions are vicious
in the extreme. Besides a general appro-
priaton of 100000 TO pay assessments on
church property and charitable and educa-
tional institutions, S29G,OOO is given TO special
charities, of which S1ss00O is to distinctively
Roman Catholic institutions, the remainder
being mostly TO general charities like the
Prison Association, which though generally
under Protestant control, have no denomina-
tional object. We have already called atten-
ton to the large sums appropriated for judg-
ments Contested elections continue to cause
large expenditures in the way of counsel fees,
and Rufus Andrews, Aaron j. Vanderpoel, and
the other chronic counsel continue 20 appear
Mr. Tweed is to be allowed 10 spend
100000 extra for increasing the supply of
water ia tho lower pait oi the city.