New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-12-25
TIE SEVENTT'S CHARTER.

TIE SEVENTT'S CHARTER.
Tho Sinh. Committee on Legislation of the
Committee of Seventy has published the incom'
pletc draft of the proposed City Charter, on
which it has been engaged for some weeks; ana
we reproduce it on our second page. 1t ID not
TO be taken as the matured work OF the Com
,nittcc. II was prepared for the convenience
of the elected members of the Legislature
from this city, and no definite action upon II
will be taken until after the conference pc
tween them and the Committee of Seventy,
which is to take place on "Wednesday
of this week. Everything pertaining TO
this subject will be read with grave in.
tercst at this time. when the fruits tof
the Great reform movement are TO DC reapcd
in the adoption of an act which shall throw
around the public treasury every safeguard
which it is possible to devise. and So
cure az honest an administration as hl-
man cnactmcnts can compel Fresh from vei.
bitter and costly experience, the Reform Com
mttce realize the necessity of this, and their
Charter, rs far as completed is calculated 10
lessen the power and increase the responsibility
of all the public offices. 1t vests the whole
legislative power in a single Board or AL
dcr1ncn elected annually on the cumulative
principle each voter having the privilege
of casting nine ballots. There are to be no
Assistant Aldermen. The Aldermen are to
receive salary of 5000. with deductions for
absence from any stated meeting OF the
Board. They are to have exclusive authority
to appropriate money for city expenditures;
but shall not borrow money except In anticl-
90 tha rnnfv M
under authority of n special act OF tho Legs
lature; shall not give or lend money to any
private charitable institution without the
recommendation of the Board Of Charities anu
Correction; and shall not alonato or lease city
property, or pass any resolution involving the
taxing or assessing Of the citizens without two
days' public notice. As general thing. the
machinery Of the Ring Charter is retained.
II had many defects and some advantages
among the latter the fact that it was not
cumbersome. This fact has doubtless recon-
mcnded it to the Reform Committee. In their
scheme it is relieved of what was cumbrous
by the looping off Of the Department OF Bud
ings and the abolition of the office OF Cham
berIain, making the first Bureau of the De-
partment of Public Works and renting the
duties of the other to the Controller Tweod's
annie and much soicd mantle is divided
in this new scheme among five Commissioners,
only one of whom is to be appointed by the
Mayor and the successor of the Controller
must he content, if this Charter prevails. to
share his great authority and patronage with
four Commissioners of the Public Treasury.
Additional powers arc given tho Department
of Public Works. the CrotOn Aqucduct Board
and Street Commission, a. we'll as the Depart
ment of Buildings, being wholly absorbed in
it. The Mayor is to be elected annually, and
may be removed by the Governor for cause.
The Executive Departments arc eleven in
number, namely Works, Parks, Docks, Chari-
ties and Correction. Finance, Sinking Fund,
Law, Instruction, Police, Health, and Fire.
Of these, the Departments of Law and
Public instruction are not substantially
changed. An important provision does
away with the New-YOrk Printing Com
pany, Transcript corporation newspapers, and
all ut q blow, and establishes instead cheap
and handy daily register or Getty Record" of
all departmental and legislative transactions,
including contracts and appropriations of every
character. There is no proposition of any
union, under one charter, of the Cities of
Brooklyn and New-York, of which there has
been indefinite talk from time time, but sug
gestions are made of revival in some shape of
the old Metropolitan system for the Police,
Health, and Fire Departments
OF course, this and every other proposed
Charter which will be submitted to the Legis-
lature will undergo strict scrutiny and receive
full examination. 1t is cminently proper that
this should be DONE The liberty which we
have regained can only be preserved by wise
regulations, and the benefits of reform can
only be secured by thorough reorganization.
While no time should be wasted in providing
Charter, there should be also no undue haste
to complete one without full consideration of
each of it's provisions. The present corrupt
heads of Departments can be legislated out Of
place by special enactment. and the existing
Charter, under honest administration. will
serve us we'll enough while we arc celebrating
over and connecting q better.
The Albany Argus, with reference to our re-
cent exposures of the oppressive official exac-