New-York tribune., 1870-02-03
DER NEV CITY CHARTER.

wisdom at Albany is before us, and here is the
pith of it. Our Legislature is to Fbe Board OF
Aldermen and likewise Board OF Assistants;
fifteen Aldermen arc to be chosen by general
ticket Assistants, one for each Ward, are
elected by his constituents The general ticket
prevents the possible election of any Tammany
opponent, and leaves the upper Board
entirely at the service of tho Ring. Alder
men and Assistants are to hold office
for two years. There is to be an election in
1871, time not stated. The Mayors veto power
is unchanged-he may hold an act only ten
days. The Clerk shall keep open for inspec-
ton, at all reasonables times, records OF Com
mon Council proceedings. except such as shall
be specially ordered otherwise. That is what
Sweeny calls open legislation; and he is to
"order otherwise" Clerks may appoint and
remove their deputies The Common Council
is charged with long array of duties, embrac-
ing by specification nearly everything that can
possibly come under the supervision of the
Government The terms are so comprehensive
that there seems to be nothing that they may
not do. The general power to enact laws " in
"relatiOn to peace and good order" certainly
gives margin enough for the most ambitious
demagogue. The willy Sweeny, however, will
not trust them after all, and, notwithstanding
the bowling about Albany legislation, he re-
tains the obnoxious declaration that the Com
mon Council shall not levy taxes or assess
ments, or borrow money, unless specially au
thorized by the Legislature.
Our new Executive Department will be the
Mayor and heads of other Departments; Mayor
elected for four years, duties about as at pres
ent, except that he may, with consent of the
Aldermen, appoint and suspend all heads of
Departments, except Finance and Law.
Twelve Departments are created or retained:
Executive, Finance, Law, Police, Public Works,
Charities and Correction, Fire, Sanitary,
Public Parks, Buildings, and Education. Sal
aries of these officers are defined. To fix fuc-
tuating salaries in a charter intended to be
permanent, is a new idea; but the wording is
so vague that anything may be done. Heads
of Departments with few exceptions, have
the appointment and removal of heads of
Bureaus.
The Controller is to be, as now, elected by
the people. This section is practically the
same as in the present charter. The same is
true of the Law Department; both officers
hold for four years. There seems to be little
change in tho Finance and Law Departments
beyond opening the door for the creation of
new Offices. The present Tax Commission,
however, is absorbed by the Controller and a
Bureau of Licenses is created, such as we now
have in the Mayors Office.
The Police Commission is to consist of the
Recorder and City Judge and three others;
the Mayor is to rank the Chief of Police and
command the force. Without entering into
needless specifications we may say in general
that the object is to place the entire police
force under tie control of the Mayor as it
once was under Fernando Wood. There
is, however, so much of trivial by
law and minute regulation that we
can only wonder at the faulty that could have
possessed Mr.. Tweed when he thrust such
rubbish into tho organic law. Nearly all the
petty bylaws of the present system arc re-
tanned, besides much more of less Importance,
of his own invention. For a sample of charter
building the reader may refer to section 20 on
our second page. The whole article, which
takes up more than one quarter of this ground.
is of such character that we have no dispo-
sltion to do more than point at it.
Next we have a consolidation of The Croton
and Street Departments, with half a dozen new
bureaus, but substantially the same duties as
at present. The Ten Governors are left alive.
The Fire Commission is retained, the only
change being in it's Commissioners hereafter
all must be Democrats of the Tammany brand.
The next new thing is to make the Counsel
to the Corporation er o0icio member of the
Health Board, the Health Officer another an
other, and three of the Mayors appointees for
the remainder. Here the regulations are not so
minute, the only purpose being to seize the
control Of the present Board OF Health without
disturbing its operations. There is to be u
Rum Board Of three, But this requires more