The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-04-25
TIE NEW YORK "NEW CHARTER"
An Elaborate Scheme OF City Govern
ment.

The new charter which has been passed by
the New York Legislature for the City of New
York retains many OF the features as original
ly drafted by the committee OF seventy. Its
leading provisions are as follows:
A board of forts.fve aldermen Is to be elect.
ed-nlne from each Of the five senatorial dis
trlcts. The principle of cumulative voting is
10 be applied In their election, each eleelor hav-
single candidate, or dividing up his votes
among several, as he may please. This board
has the exclusive power to appropriate money
for city expenditure and TO enact legislation.
The executive branch Of the government ts
carried on by eight departments, each having
five commissioners. The departments are
named: OF public works, of public parks, OF
public safety-the latter embraces the present
police, fire, health and buildings departments.
This last department Is thus the most respon-
sIble and important, and Its commissioners
hold office for six years. The commissioner
in the other departments serve for one year.
These commissioners are elected four By the
board of aldermen and one appointed by the
mayor. The aldermen vote on the cumulative
plan; that Is, each alderman may cast four
votes for one candidate, or may divide up that
number OF votes among several, as he may
please. Besides appointing commissions to
each of the departments, the mayor Ia himself
a member of the board Of public safety, and
ex-oflcio Its president. The schools depart.
ment Is under the general control of q board
of thirty commissioners, holding office five
years, who are elected By the voters at large,
ak from each of the five senatorial districts,
aud also on the cumulative plan. This board
looks after the matter of education. There
are also fifteen inspectors of comnon
schools, who are appointed by the mayor, and
these look after the school buildings and prop.
erty. There are also, OF course, the usual
finance and law officers provided for, some OF
whom are appointed by the mayor, others
elected by the aldermen, and all designed to
constitute q system under which direct pecu-
lation, OF least, will be Impossible without the
combination and connlvance of many lnde-
pendent officers, while the formation of
strings" will be difficult, on account Of the rea-
sonable certainty of their exposure at The
hands of the minority, who, on the cumulative
plan of voting will be almost Inevitably repre-
scented In every branch and department OF the
government. The mayors salary is $4,000 o
year, and s25, 1000 for Office expenses. The
chamberlain. or head OF the finance depart.
ment, has $40, 600 a year.
The city press variously express their opln-
ions on the subject of this charter. 1t at
least would rid the city OF being governed
from Alhany-though the Tribune thinks the
responsibility too greatly divided by the COM
plex character of the executive departments.
The mayor may remove commissioner Tor
cause, except in the finance department, and
the Governor may also remove commissioners,
except In the department of public safety,
police, fire, &c.