New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-03-25
THE REFORMED CHARTER.

The Assembly having passed the Reformed
Charter rs 1t came from the Committee OF
Seventy, having scarcely ventured to cross Its
ts and dot its Is, though almost every one
who spoke proclaimed its need of amendment,
the Senate's Committee on Cities has como to
the opposite extreme, reporting it with forty
or fifty amendments, many of them quite i'm
portant. We judge that rather moro than half
Of them are Improvements, While others
are decidedly otherwise. Two Boards instead OF
one, with sixty Aldermen IN lieu Of forty-fivc,
ought to be voted down, but we presume will
not be fixing the salaries Of Aldermen, Com
missioners, &C., in the Charter, is not merely
right but Indispensable; yet we think making
Aldermen and most Of the Commissioners
serve entirely without pay is good rule car
Tied little too far. We should prefer to pay
each Alderman and side Commissioner $1,000
per annum, provided he rendered faithful SER
vice, but in no case should they be salaricd
| so that they can live by it without other busi-
ness. The chief Commissioner in each depart
ment should give his whole time to his official
duties, and be paid accordingly; his associates
| and the Aldermen need give but one or two
evenings per week to those duties and may fol-
| low their regular pursuits. Still. think 1t
cheaper to pay them moderately than to accept
their services for nothing, and we trust tho
Legislature will so determine.
| The designation of two Judges of the Su-
peror Court to appoint the Commissioners OF
Public Safety is q politicians dodge, and one
unworthy of tho namo Of legislation. 1t is
wrong in principle, and would work badly in
practice. 1t is simply resOrted to for this time
for purpose, and is the result of bargaining.
The Judges of our Courts ought not upon any
consideration to be thus forced into the arena
of politics. If they are, they will speedily lose
the respect confidence, and esteem of the
community At the present time, one of the
gIavest charges made against the two Judges
of the Supreme Court now on trial is favor
itism and wrong practiced in the appointment
of Referees, and it is proposed to abolish the
system.
BY the provisions OF the Constitution Of the
State, the Judges Of the Supreme Court arc
prohibited from exercising the power Of ap-
pOintment to any public offices. The reasons
which control IN this matter so far as Justices
Of the Supreme Court arc concerned, apply
with equal force to the Judges of the Superior
Court, and although they arc not Ia terms
precuded by the Constitution from making
these appointments, they are in effect.
Again, 1t may, aud probably will, raise a
serious question as to the constitutiorality of
the law; chat is. whether naming two particu-
lar individuals to exercise the power OF ap-
pointment is in compliance with the provision
of the Constitution that local officers shall be
elected by the voters Of the city, or appointed
by some local authority.
The proper place to vest the power TO ap-
point these officers is with the Mayor and
Board of Aldermen, az provided for BY the
Charter of the Committee of Seventy, and
there let it rest. We warn members of the
Legislature that the proposed amendment is
the device of narTOw-nindcd politicians, is
wrong in principle, viii work badly in prac-
tee, and will bring disaster to the cause CT
Reform.
Do Mt, gentlemen Of the Senate, attempt to
amend the Charter as it passed the House, il
this is the en'cItainncut to which you invilo
us.
We had hoped that the Committee would
decide that the present Aldermen, Controller
and Commissioner Of Public Works remain in
Office to the close Of the present year. Ii is
said that this is inconsistent with the cOntcm-
plated Reform, but we do not sec why.
However, we will not be captiOua, and only
urge the Legislature to make us the best po,-
this week. If we arc to have an election this
Spring, our citizens ought TO know the fact
without further delay.