New-York tribune., 1870-04-09
ORR NEW CITY LAWS.
THE AMENDED CHARTER.

Il .f|n Ia
Ios'. cot from tie roundabout vcrbaee Of the act
| hsep s,uss the main points, as follows;
| se' LEGISLATIVE POWER.
,,,e, elected b. whole oty tclct and oqa
h .,s assembly District, elected annually in November
.eo tn AIsy to take odce trsi Mouly IN Januarv
tIie' "' li,sl dcrarture from other charters From
81" .sttot the invention of Assembly Districts, the
sp' ,oosy claimed and chose an Alderman for each
Guy Tto Assembly District system is nearly tho same
va .,o advantage of justcr equalization or popuia
VIZ II < claned, with much probability. that by gen.
non -, re shall get a higher class OF Aldermen yet
e" n ,feCupn. James OBrieu. Wm NJ. Tweed and
shining lights of pure politics were chosen by the
.i,rge True our Assembly men under the general
uV .,s,er were considerably ahead Of the sort now
w.. but that was long ago. before Rings we're heard
Tbs Assistan. Aldermen are practically unchanged.
ELECTIONS.
,-,i., cfN.v 1879 Cav Of tie Ssie Julca Electiopl
lt 65L First ulsg eiectOa state cleo
st' "y,,v,f o. Bss,ug laws apply to toe election in May
- ,oc of election has been changed SO often that we
Lawn "a a " Movable Feast" The May election is
,e.sly 10 get ria Of the present Common Councils the
- il NOT disturbed the extension of the terms Of the
- aldermen 10 the close Of 1871 violates the principle
- annual election, as those elected in May are to serve
rheteen months
SPECIAL ELECTIONS
r Boal possr SPECIAL elections to Gil vacancies for
POWERS oP BOARDS
Tsn '77e rooa majority 70 be qon@; eee, arss'.es & ana
-ea uarss public welfare requires secrecy compel at
srs ,T' AMI Puns1 for ds'r'rry eehAyor. eap,l oy
rs1s, s'ue special Boards may meet on same or dLeren'
TN movers and duties of the Boards about the
s a, In every charter since the English Occupation
,,h tie important exception that the Aldermen no
peer have any voice in appointments nominated by the
EayOr. -. -r,,n,,ro--x,,-o
~ t b G rss5 or "'1qee ehs 10 SIa 20 ss' b uipu,es tes
So s, If BE- DOE, not ieu1n an oraaOee days
-. i.s. .Ilout bis signature.
ORIGINATING ORDINANCES.
Err Dosl orgnae acts and se other NAV alter 1WiL
Ezgt>srs AND MONEY FOR CELEBRATIONS. ,
a., tbs ueJers esebrstous four ftbs wuss assent
EXTRA cLAINs-UNANrMoUs VOTE
Nuna beyond legal claims shall be passed except by
raiEas vote
No Particular change here. The requirement of
uranmons pass extra claims amounts to nothing
Eve body knows that such claims got through the
Coars in the form Of judgments against the city, or
gently put Tax Levy at the heel of the session.
ThcCJumon Council rarely has more TO do with such
tlAiEs than 10 some other person to take the
Responsibility Of payment
CLERK OF THE COMMON COUNCIL
TeC,rk saau be 01fio tcA Of the Common
o oese 'es Aeso tae maqes oprn io public Gamma ma
t,. Bee, seal arl ns Signature Necessary to leases grants
PUBLICATION or PROCEEDINGS.
sett eats aud hua procerdhss mast be puo shea and
NJ sc - sas assessment can be valid uaes the popo
1 passage No oolnanee eau pas both Boards on the
POWERS OF TIE COMMON COUNCIL
Ts'o'ug rto,ry To carry OF ih ae 70 eafTee obedience
~ of streets b. vehicles aud pedeaus use Of sidewalks
to moss within ta1 hat Pr.,snt a'a remove oo,,I'2a; % &
Trt Ha' 70 .sa al ti1g 9p smrpei opening Widening Dd
,es ,,t throwing o 10 regulate eeauing # street, Of
s @ and o Iesu.e snpois ""rgs is,'e Dabhs
,n '.ve.als l'ss, Ensias T 0sn, street. Ces
ia,iloa frblpg and qsarhg places public amuse,
pie sj s repair aud Of markets docss ~harves
tsa,-, kdr ha~ker. aad pciers s,aur. and inspecting
@ , % and rs ssd s'Iss ease 's T SoaGu "o q o
rsree.; @ ay ueeiu ihe provisions Of tnis
s5s,.sf h-Iti. loie possessed ~ the corporation
There IS apparently formidable addition 10 the duties
G the Common Council but in reality none at all Nearly
every subject named is attended 10 by the Police or
Health o.ccTs and the Street Department. The assump-
ton Of these apparently new duties by the Common
Council is blind the people-the members will refer
complaints to Departments over which they have no
control add the partVent heads-entirey independent
Of the Common Council-wl laugh the City Fathers TO
scom
TAXES AND ASSESSMENTS.
n Common impose borrow
contract dt loan the eJ credit unless specially author
nd BY ss B. s'saure
Mele ycrb.d.e. The State has never allowed the city
any such acts except by special permission, and
probably never will This a" her" to show chow hon
esi We are going to be-"
EXECUTIVE POWER
Vt if hayoi sd e'panel~ ne mayor 20 o enGen pfs,
zen Ne,'.i .a LSA M mo yeII N cas- o, % @ % t
b. an ordnance unless the Mayors disability Continues
bf el a-JS
conure tue Council the condition ofCtv Gov
slsces for security. health eiean
.s, @ ,,ass spa ot.sr bead. q
Tbs Coaa uay mpcaea Mayor By tsObds vote Of
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS.
Thess are Finance Law Poi Public WORKS Charities and Corree
s s' % h, D'ias msyo "a" Tat its Depart Departments a1o to
r,o Co. r Heads Of departments appoint and remove Chiefs
al H 80 Departments except tre and Pohee I tae naooeI
u pay tteu-
Here comes the radical amendment which means more
than appears the surface The aneXampled step OF
giving Mayor the sole power Of appointing heads OF
departments cutting of only the consent OF the Com
mon Council bat any conference with the members is an
extraordinary proceeding The President Of the United
States and the Governors have such power. 1t
empAaucaly the Zone man power" The Mayor
names the head, the head his chiefs OF bureaus
and clerks aud selects his employees II Is only In the
possible virtue and honesty of such heads Of departments
tlat vo .su escape despotism rigorous as that Of
Moscow.
fIsAScR DEPARTMENT
b.t aas al eL.r.hs P''oieI Is the accountant Of tss
t;r, On unt b. tern out Vacancies ted by the
, assr & e,sa, o"U.Isls Js t ~ C,s ,' R1sssS
Ress.tf % Isls S,er1 Of Arsa', AS.ii oI ASe.Sa
lU The sar due vAeauey tue oGce Of Cham
beau be c by TIE Mayor provided All money drawn
io % C Treasurer vouchers certified and hed " toe
CoLtfo.c.
DEPARTMENT.
DUtts chief Oh Counsel 10 the COrporaon
sso'ea ~ years two BuasI. Corporation Attorney" and
Pubhc Administrator"
There is change Of moment in these Departments;
the machinery has been substantially the same since the
charter Of $780, except making the heads elective and
that has been the rule for many years 1t Is sign Of
common that the Of money and accounts
and legal disbursements not also handed over TO
wlu. VI. Tweeds Mayor
THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
Head 10 he four Comm i sppnGmuts eight
asc tSe yfs-4irrsAri for eight o.
appointment be M fall term (Tbe changes from the .Isii6g