The New York herald., 1870-01-04
Reconstruction In New York-Thc Democracy
and Our City Commissions.


Some twenty-three years have passed since
the democracy were in absolute possession OF
this State. They have it now-legisative,
executive and judicial departments; and after
this long exclusion, total or partial, they are
somewhat bewildered with the changes and
the spoils at their command. They have fore
shadowed programme for the new Legisla-
ture, however, which amounts to pretty
thoroughgoing reconstruction OF the State.
The independent boards or commissions which
have been established from time to time in
this city have been especially offensive to the
untcrri6ed Of the metropolis as usurpations OF
democratic and municipal rights. These com
missions embrace:-
l. The Metropolitan Police Commissioners.
2. The Board Of Health and Excise.
3 The Fire Commissioners.
A. The Croton Aqueducr Department
5. The Commissioners Of the Central PARK.
Q. The Commissioners of Cnarltes and Correction.
Z. the Commissioners OF Emigration.
There are four Police Commissioners, two
of each party, and each Of the four gets a
compensation of five thousand Eve hundred
dollars year. The Board has control Of
nearly four millions of money, raised by tax in
the city, and reports only to the Legislature.
| The general belief is that this Board will be
legislated out Of existence.
The Board Of Health and Excise is made up
of nine, whose salaries, with few exceptions,
foot up three thousand five hundred dollars a
year. This double board is composed mostly
Of republicans In the health business 1t
controls tax levy of one hundred and fifty
thousand dollars, and in excises it controls
collections to the extent Of one million five
hundred thousand dollars. The pickings in the
liquor revenues and on the water are understood
to be very handsome, and the pressure for
general reconstruction and clearing out, in
reference to these health and excisemen, will
be simply Irresistible.
The Croton Board consists of three officers
| two republicans and one edemocrat-whose sala-
ries are fxed-one at five thousand seven
| hundred dollars, one at Eve thousand dollars,
and one, Engipeer-in- Chief, at seven thousand
five hundred dollars. The receipts Of this
Board amounted last year, in round numbers,
| to one million three hundred and twenty thou
sand dollars and its expenditures to two
millions two hundred thousand dollars.
The Central Park Commissioners-nin in
number-work without salaries, and their
work has given universal satisfaction. In addi-
ton to the Park they have charge Of the boule-
wards and some other new improvements at
the upper end of the island.
Tho Coyc,,;Sssonorc or Cl,c r;%;oc ocJ Cor,oo
ton are appointed by the County Comptroller,
and the Commissioners Of Emigration are men
Of means, who, like the Park Commissioners,
do vast amount of good work without charge
to the community.
Besides these commissions there are our
street oficials-three different sets, who con-
| trive among them to draw great deal Of
| money with very little work to show for it.
| And then there is the Board of Education,
| concerning which the Bible question may come
up, and the question of the division of the
school funds among Protestants, Catholics,
! Hebrews, DC. If the democracy, however,
| do not wish to raise sectarian agitation
| which will blow them sky high, they will deal
with these combustibles very gingerly. In all
these bureaus, boards and commissions, and
in grand Partisan scheme of enlarging and
beautifying this metropolis, in magnificent
jobs, for new piers and wharves, new markets,
new streets. avenues and boulevards, new rail-
ways underground, on the ground and in the
air; new bridges and tunnels and new public
buildings, it will be easy enough to make up
budget of five hundred millions of public
pIunder. Accordingly, we may look out for
! the biggest, most powerful and most audacious
| lobby this winter ever known in Albany, and
even surpassing the grand national lobby at
| Washington.
What, then, will be the character and the ex-
tent of the changes that will be made by the new
democratic Legislature in this list Of city com
missions We cannot tell and it is difficult TO
conjecture. The regular leaders of the party
do not wish to tear down faster than they can
build up again; but the mass Of the rank and
file, including the hungry ones Of the rural
districts, are clamorous for clean sweep, and
will work for an increase Of officers all round.
an enlargement Of salaries, and for good pay
where none exists. The Tammany pro-
gramme, as we make out, comprehends
the merging Of all these commissions under
the Mayor and Common Council, and the
establishment of sort Of municipal cabinet,
with the Mayor at the head, for the general
regulation of all the various departments of our
city affairs. Comparing things as they are
with things as they were in this city, in refer
ence to these commissions, they have given
general satisfaction to the people. The work
Of reconstructing them win be delicate, difficult
and dangerous to the democratic party-deli-
cate and difficult from the conflicting interests
involved, and dangerous from the tremendous
outside pressure that will be brought to bear,
to make this work Of reorganization mere
division Of the spoils and plunder, according
tn tho nlan of hnildinU the new Court House