The New York herald., 1870-04-05

u
Now, IN presenting TO you the programe OF resold,
tions which were adopted as that meeting shall
refer TO the first item ON TINS card, which indeed
Ihai is the publication or our election don't care
II an archangel were to make charter for the cry
Oh New York, and then you were TO elect by Daiot,
box suffers, IL would not be possible TO have an
nonesl government. The foundation OF al reform
must m e soyerhment na OF i1e cry eUy " sea voter
Is az liberty TO cast one ballot into the ballot pox
ana that no one else can cast IN any pallot wnat,
ever II you nave secured as that you nave secured
US tne lning we most need. To-day 1t Is commonly
beiieyed IN the city OF New York that large pro.
portioh OF the votes are frauduenty cast ana tnat
votes so raudulenily cast or fraudulentiy counted
nave determined most Of our recent elections; and
nave "a ~ ss Just 50 long we
nrSt OF all things, tha there should be suctan eiec.
tive law as should empody these prnciples:-First,
that the receiver Is as bad as the thief that the
who incites or suborns men to Illegally should
be punished at least as severely as the person whom
Mr. KENNEDY was understood to say that that was
prH2ydssS H, sSt?5 tSS ts e another sa;S II bil
Mr.. GREELEY cOntnued:--lhe men who do the
dishonest voting are usually poor and wreched per-
sons whom nobody knows, nobody sees. Now the
sons and pays them whether by Office or by money,
or only by letting them OF from some petty
foundation is to be laid The law should swear
every election 0ficer to receive none out legal
voters and to count these votes exactly as they are
cast The man should swear that, ana be punished
for perjury n In any manner he receives Illegal votes
aud counts votes fraudulenty.
MI. kENNBDY--rhe proposed law provides for au
that.
Mr. GKEELEy-I have not seen that. You have
now state officers who are under no responsibility TO
the Governor to each other who may be- Ia fact,
on terms OF hostility with the Executives and yet he
has no control whatever over these persons You
may nave officers connected with the State Prisons
who are actually disgrace TO the administration In
power, and YET the Executive has no power OF re.
moval. So with regard TO the canals. This Is
mistake which has been followed in our
present Charter; for such fashions 60 downward
from State to municipal governments And such Is
now the foundation OF our claim for better govern
ment The precedent OF decentralization has been
too faithfully followed ia our city, There is no re-
sponsbie head or the government Of the city. Make
the Executive master OF the situation with no exec
utive department that is not responsible to and
We ask es for Now s me Point o to
you some other amendments which j think
are required. There was something said IN
regard TO sectaran schools, but don't think that
be attached to the Charter. 1t is matter that
has no relation to 1t and had better be considered
The CHAtRMAN--T have seen clergymen OF various
denominations and we shall arrange that in a dlf.
| Mr. GREELEY-very well. Our meeting next asks
| you to abolish the distinction between the
| eity and county government. Il creates an an
our woes. If you seek to find out the
| source OF some wrong that has been done YOU
| ana that the Mayor mas power over the doer. We
| want Mayor who shall be the head OF the govern
| ment and to whom we can say Where Is piece OF
corruption uncovered you are responsible FOR these
! 10 remove tlenl.o
Mr.. KENNEDY-Thls being a local Charter, having
| exclusive reference 10 the city OF New YORK, you
( can't join It to the county.
! Mr.. GREELEY-We say In the next place that we
s Snea prse. 'iu tne Opinion Of ai ,nteaens c
| zens it has been exceedingly well managed. For
myself can say that know nothing of the politics
| of any single employe Of the Board but know
| that IN the popular mind the Park has been man.
4 aged with exceeding hdeItv and intelligence. We
would like TO leG alone that which, III every ones
! Judgment, is now done we'll or course II II should
| make the Mayor head Of all the government. we
snouId not object to his having control over IT. but
| preserve It to US as It now exists.
! The CHAIRMAN--We do not desire TO change it.
Mr.. GREELEY-i am glad Of that. Another point
this programme advocates Is the limiting the term
| OF all officers to the time for which the Mayor snail
be elected. This, you see, Is very important. The
| the city governments shall be absolutely re-
ssponsibie to one responsible head; but II
responsibility. suppose that any oncer has been
not control that man we cannot hold the Mayor re.
sponsble for the government OF the CITY, He cannot
oe responsible for officers whom he cannot appoint
| or remove. Another principle which we Thought 1t
would De right that you should ebody in this bill
10 that no voter should vote for more than
It Is the same principle that we recognize with re-
gard to the inspectors OF elections the principle OF
| much that the Legislature would recognize that
| principle IN the Charter. Fam also asked hundred
n month az Sa wast ae e ao o a
obliged to say that don't know. There
Is something bad there, For instance A
ar ana so much pas as commss'Oner Of the siaSi"g
| Fund. one man is a member OF the Police Board
| and ne is also member OF the Board of Excise
Now what we Delieve to be Just and right to give
fair salary TO every officer and have done with II.
Pay MN fair salary and require him to do the
| work FOR the money, so that we may know how
| much he is paid aud what his duties really are
also think It would be desirable that the Mayor
should have the appointment OF the Corporation
Counsel, because II he were secretly the enemy oI
the Mayor (and have known such thlngs the latter
might be @ led INTO great deal OF trouble , by SIMPLY
that the docks and wharves ought 10 be under one
| Board of commissioners; but Will not insist upon
regulation providing that persons shall not
hold more than one ofllce under the city
government. think you will see how necessary
that Is. n you take tue Comptroller's report you
cannot tell wnat are the names Of the persons re
ceiylDg salaries there. They appear only as ''hrs
| know whether these men exist or not or whether
| they are absolutely earning their money or not
receiving salaries who do not personally render any
| service.
yss k;ss5s s Rssa ssa{ ! 4ss
s s ms S ss you pssF % ns & ds I ySt
had anything to DO with xou the Workiog O.
we NAV be safe in future. IN reierenc.
10 the appointment OF officers by the present Mayor
A. Oakey Hall, l think IL woud have been better Il
the charter had given the appointment TO the new
| Mayor, SO that we might have new deal all round
| Alter referring to few subordinate points Mr.
! Greeley closed with o reference TO the present
registry, which, he said, was OF little benefit as
check against frauds at elections.
| sAMMY TfLDES'S REMARKS.
Mr. TILDEN theA addressed the committee, intro
ducing his objections by saying that he came mere
TO njure no party Of men, but simply to contribute
| he, the committee ana "sii OF usr have
| great interest He said he had nc
| motive beyond that OF securing the very besl
| charter for New York city that could bt
| got. Nothing on earth would induce him to entel
upon career OF City politics. He had no feeling oil
| unkindness towards any human being. He tnsI
stated mis- objections at length to the charter before
| the committee. which did not however, appear tC
J make much impression upon tRer minds.
NEW YORK LEGISLATURE.