New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-05-29
THE SEyENTY's CHARTER
Az ,pp.,cNMENT OF GOV. HOFFMAN.


REFORM GOVERNOR
The Committee of Seventy has prepareu
,ong address to the citizens OF New-fOrk' -
after referring to the objects of the Committee ana 70 w
snc,essfu campaign last Fail against Tammany ana le
hating the history Of its attempts TO give 'po WY
Reform Charter, continues as follows
GOV. HOFFMAN AND THE CHARTER
The very great delay point OF time In passing 'ne
Charter-time not employed in perfeeung the hs1u
ment but in mere sohemng for offices ana giving ear 20
oaace-holders and their advocates-occasloned dni
guilty not originally by contemplated, OF proximity Oh
e dav Of election and the passage of the Charter and
also caused hasty and neonsdered amendments by the
Conference Committees such legisating ont OF Office
school teachers OF which the Governor subsequently
made points in his veto message
These objections which brought TO the notice OF
onr Committee the passage of the Charter were
met and would have obviated by acts which were
TO hat end prepared, and Of which the governor was
AZ the same time when the Charter first submitted
10 the Legislature in January copy was aced ~ w.
hands Of the Governor Members OF our CoiebttSe ~
that time, and frequently during the three nouns ~
under consideration in the Legislature, cale1 uiUs
him, discussed ITS PROVISIONS anu ~ 6ternor
relative 10 ITS merits The only objection the GoVei
made TO the at these interviews was as 10 no
manner OF organizing the Executive Departments ,
The Governor held the Charter fully 10 days, during H,
which at his invitation, arguments were iiu ~
and then refused TO give to the measure ms saneuoh III
an elaborate veto message. A.
Judged by the light OF the Governors reeoninem1S S
,cS In he Legislature in his annual message Tor lS2
and taking into consideration tne urgent nSeS Jd 40
VIII
The friends Of reform. ,e
In that message Governor made ten specific emu
nerated points, which he recommended should 10 prom
enty kept in view in framing new City CnaIteT ol
which the following eight were exactly ana amply pro-
yided for in our Charter, namely:
Making the Mayor removable for cause by the Gov
8 frequent publication of the affairs Of the City Gov
One legislative Board instead of two, the mem
bers of which be elected by system oil minority ep
g. Proper restrictions to creation OF city debt
g. Abolshng fees and percentage, and prONlahg hNeu
Remedial measures FOR taxpayers, and legal exam
Preyentng the holding Of moro than Office by
on cr rre nut two points Of difference between the
Kous rccOmne ndatOns and our Charter ana these
were, first. the organization OF the Ponce Department,
which he suggested should be made under the charge
Soitel bv The Mayor one by the Chief Judge of tie
t'ourt of Common Pleas, and by the Chief
Judge of the Superior Court, all TO be removable
Eeusrtments of Police Fire and Health in one Depart
ent of Public Safety Of which the Mayor was TO be the
head ssiOners TO be appointed by system OF
minority representation for three ana SIX years by the
Board Of Aldermen and removable ny me later upon
0nc its other amendments TO the charter Changed the
S,siug for Inc appointment Of its Commissioners by
Judges the Governor members OF our SUB
a iroysCn and stated that he then had serious doubts
a. 10 the proprety OF his own recommendations on mat
6ctyecn the Governor and Committee Of Seventy,
sxresed bv the former in his annual message, and 10y
continent Of heads Of departments.
The governor proposed giving TO the Mayor exclu-
siycv the power OF appointing all heads OF departments
and their removal except the Police while we provided
st a I Of the presiding officer Of each
tive board. ana that me other eiei onceTs OF eae e
parmeut be appointed by tue Board OF Aldermen 10y
tlstem which would insure minority Of one-ourtA Of
that body the selection of one member.
GOV. HOFFMAN's PLAN OBJECTIONABLE AND DANGER
Gus"
The reason why in framing the Charter, we believe the
Governors plan Objectionable and dangerous, was that
it placed the entire and vast patronage Of the city
in the hands Of single man. which would, firstly result
i'm the future as ii had in past causing the cleo
ton the Mayor TO be determined BY the appointments
he had TO make secondly enable nun 10 secure Ms Own
reflection by power OF patronage; thirdly pace
the civ property and Government under the dictation
o. am dominant and fourthy made no provision
for the waichful eye Of minority representative -,
the Governor Of instrument which so fully embodied
his own specific Tecommendaiions OF four months
previous; but the main ground OF that veto was te
provision contained IN our charter Tor minority repre-
senaton a comparative examination OF the Governors
RECOMMENDATION and his veto VIII demonstrate now NJ
lie had to expect adverse action rom MN on
In MS annual message to this very Legislature he used
the following language in his TeconmendatOns Tor the
The fundamental idea plan shall be devised which will
give the political minority within the city Just repre-
results IN municipal government than nave ever before
for giving the legislative branch Of the City Govern
ment. Just and proportlonate repTesenatOn 70 tne
Gated y the following sentence Of the message:
1.-THE same views excepting those OF minority represen
taf0n lad been expressed several in nearly
the same language urged by me while Mayor OF New
York reiterated in my second annual message as
And vet in his veto message he says This plan seeks
10 let the party which in the minority in any political
subdivision put into office its candidate III spite OF the
opposition OF the political majority. AS 10 TINS Olgec-
ZION IL Is only necessary 10 say that that is the very OBJ
ject and specific merit OF every system OF minority
representation. And again; The fundamental prin-
ripe of our Government familiar TO the people is that
elective officers shall be chosen by majority OF the
votes OF the people entitled TO choice" Then why dd
he emphatcally and repeatedly recommend IN hs an
nual message departure from this systemf 100.
And again. The political revolution in that city New
York was wrought out by the tremendous power Of the
na0Iity not through any scheme of divided votes
minority representation" We repeat the question:
Why did he emphaticay recommend the adoption OF
some system minority representation And finally,
upon this point the Governor says OF his main obec
RewYork subject of experiment in political gov
having the sanction as yet only OF speculative
opinions, and opposed 10 past experience" Was this
experiment OF securing proportional or minority repre-
sentatiOn less untried IN january 49, When Ine Gov
ernor recommended It's adoplon' IMAM IN april !si2
when he vetoed the measure which embodied 1t ON that
very ground All plans for securing as me governor
aptiy says in his annual message lust and proportion
ate representation, are as yet unhapply put expert
mental; the which had the SANCTION OF practlGe 10
any considerable extent was the cumulative plan Whlch
We adOptedt .,,. =, !, -
Government executive well as legislative, in the Com
Council" In the first place. our Charter DID not SO
lodge IT, What contemplated doing the giving the
appointment Of the executive head OF the
departments with the exception OF their presiding ON
GERS 70 Board OF Aldermen. These departments had
exclusive charge OF the executive labors respectively
appertainng them, and the Board OF Aldermen were
Testricted from assuming themselves any executive
functions The clear line OF demareaton, SO wen pre-
served IN the Government OF the United states between
the executive and legislative functions. has appca
biity 10 the Government of mere municipal corpora
ton, the functions Of which are almost exclusively al
minstratiye and In fact that distinction mas not been
preserved the organic laws Of such corporation For
than twenty years under the Charter OF 1880 the
executive functions OF this very city were IN the hands
committees OF the Common Council, ana without Dad