The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-03-22

1no experimental Charter IN the Seuato>
what Ii To Be Done with Now York;
The charter Of the Committee of Seventy Is
10 % reported to the Senate to day, 1t Is said,
with certain amendments, among which are
provisions for retaining Comptroller Green and
the Commissioner Of Public Works. Mr.. Van
Mort, In the positions they at present ill to
the satisfaction Of the people. This is worry
well as far as it goes, but our citizens will be
anxious to ascertain whether any material
alterations have been made in those provisions
Of the charter that are regarded as OF aues-
tionable expediency and that propose hazard
GUS experimental government for city Of
over million Of inhabitants. The retention ct
Messrs Green and Van Mort in Office will, no
doubt, meet with general approval, aud
probably no person will be disposed to inquire
too closely upon what considerations and
through what inducements personal to the
legislators 1t has been brought about. There
Is something beyond all this, however, deserv-
ing Of consideration in framing law under
which the metropolis should be able to
live for the next twenty-five years
and fulfil the splendid destiny that
lies before her. We despair of inducing
the present Legislature to take broad, states
manlike, independent and unselfish view of
this important question, and to give US
strong charter of concentrated power and
direct responsibility, embracing Brooklyn and
all the other suburbs in one grand municipal
government, and providing literally for such
Improvements and such progress as will soon
become an imperative necessity in a city des-
tined to become the commercial centre of the
world. But we may at least ask our repre-
sentatives at Albany to pause before they
fasten upon us q complicated and muddled
form Of government 80 signally calculated to
foster corrupt bargains and chickering's, 80
susceptible of being used as an instrument Of
political scheming and fraud, that one might
rather suppose it to have been the work Of
a new and improved Tammany ring than Of
committee of protested reformers. They can
not escape the responsibility that rests with
them in this matter by simply patching up an
arrangement by which two honest and capa-
BILE men are to be continued in office, and
then following the example of the Assembly,
to slet the charter slde."
II we are to have minority representation
at all in the Board Of Aldermen, secured by
law, it should be through the fundamentally
of some other machinery than the complicated
and queslionabiy legal cumulative voting ex-
pertinent proposed by the theorists Of the
De srck ~yr
Aldermen are to be elected In each Senate
district, each elector might be entitled to vote
single ballot for Aldermen containing only
six names, the nine receiving the highest
votes to be declared elected. This would In
almost every instance secure the return Of
of no choice of the whole number, the vacan-
cies could be filed by the Board Immediately
after its organization. The idea of carrying
out this minority and cumulative voting policy
through all the departments Of the government
is the most dangerous feature of the expert
mental charter. The evil Of mix ed and cum
brous commissions needs no illustration now;
it has already been proved by the practical
experience of those hybrid metropolitan abor-
lions that laid the foundation for most Of the
corruption and Wholesale plumber from which
the city has so severely suffered. Unless
there is concentrated power and responsibility
at the head of the city government and In all
the subordinate departments there can be
and will be no efficient and honest adminlstra.
ton of our municipal affairs. There is surely
some intelligence in the Senate of the State
capable of grasping this important subject;
let us see whether there is honesty and inde-
pendence enough in that body to stand up
against dangerous experiment and to de-
mand for New York city charter under
which We can hope to live and prosper.
CATAcAzY's ACCOUNT OF HIMSELF. st.
Petersburg correspondent informs US OF the
reception of NJ. Catacazy by his imperial
master and also by Prince Gortschakoff.
The fussy little Minister. whose diplomatic
course is run, was received very coolly by
both. Prince Gortschakoff refused to meet
the little man save in the presence Of wit
nesses. A. least so it was rumored in st.
Petersburg at the time. The Prince evidently
knows something Of the peculiarties Of the
Minister Gossip has it that he is now about
to lay aside the cares of State and resume the
journalistic pen. If he Yields his goosequill
with the same de,re of energy with which he
usually exercises his tongue the chances are
that he will have ''his hands full" But then
Catacazy is queer little fellOw-he has such
funny wavs-and he is in his natural element