The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-04-13
The City Charter and the Department
of Docks-A Word OF Warming TO the

of Docks-A Word OF Warming TO tho
Legislature.
The State Legislature now sitting at Albany
has not laid up for itself a very favorable
record, as will be more clearly seen when the
full list of its sins Of omission and commission
are grouped together and placed before the
world. Elected with special reference to the
great work of reform commenced by the
people in the election Of last November, it
has proved false to every pledge made on its
behalf and has disappointed the hopes that
were raised by it's success. A Senate and
Assembly, each with three-fourths repub-
lican majority and responsible for the whole
legislation of the session, have trifled between
them with all the great interests Of the city of
New York and frittered away their time on
the corrupt schemes of the lobby. Rapid
transit was desired above all things for New
York, and nothing has been done to
secure the construction Of railway
through the island. The people have de-
manded bill to authorize the building
of two viaduct roads along the river
lines by the city, or at least an opportunity to
decide for themselves at the next charter cleo
ton whether such works should be built by
the city or by private enterprise, and the lesis-
lators have refused to listen to their request,
and have been instead fighting among them
selves over two notorious lobby schemes
designed to make money ilegtimately out of
the franchise and not to build the road. The
people have asked for good, sound, practi
cal charter, under which they could secure
strong, responsible and concentrated city
government and the Legislature, having made
its bargains, has been trifing over an impracti-
cable, visionary scheme concocted by set Of
highly respectable dreamers and theorists,
without any intention to pass any law at all,
unless 1t might be in the shape of a few
patchwork bills under the provisions of
which they might secure for themselves and
their relations few more municipal Offices not
now in the proper hands.
The charter of the Committee of Seventy is
certainly not such a law as should be given to
the city of New York. AT the best it Is an
experiment. and very unprOmising one at
that. No representative at Albany UNDER
stands it, the people of New York have not
asked for it and the newspapers almost unani-
mously condemn it. AS amended in the
Senate it kept in place some good officers, but
left untouched the most glazing absurdites
and errors of the original scheme. 1t still
imposed upon the city the absurd cumulative
voting" principle, and it committed the out
rage of abolishng the present excellent and
independent Dock Commission, and gave that
important department over to the politicians
as their prey. The Assembly refused to con-
cur in the Senate amendments, and now
conference committee of the two houses has
been appointed to consider the points in dis
pute. The chances appear to favor the de-
feat of the whole charter and certainly, if
the Department OF Docks is to be abolished,
and the important work commenced by
the present Commissioners is to be
abandoned or interfered with, it would be
better that we should be left to live still under
the present law. We therefore insist that our
legislators shall at least so far respect the
wishes of the people of New York and the in
terests OF the city as to leave the present
Department Of Docks untouched in any tin
kering they may do in the last hours of the
session. Their record is bad enough; let
them not defy public opinion by interfering
with Board of honest, intelligent, RESPONSE
BILE citizens who are laboring faithfully and
well for the public good, and whose compre-
hensive plans of Improvement are certain to
impart wonderful impulse to the progress
and prosperity of the city.
No person has asked the Committee of Sew
enty or the State Legislature to interfere with
the Department of Docks. 1t is piece Of
impertinent meddling that can have but one
object-the desire to control the patronage
of the Department. On the other hand,
two or three hundred Of our most
wealthy and enterprising commercial
houses and the agents and proprietors of all
the great shipping lines in the city have petit
toned the Legislature whatever may be done in
regard to a new charter, to continue the Dock
Commission as q separate and independent
department of the city government. These
firms, who have an enormous interest in the
commercial prosperity of the city, know full
well that the labors OF this department are
destined to have an important influence upon
the future business Of the port. If the plans
of the Commissioners are suffered to be car
ried out without interference we shall soon
have magnificent river streets two hundred
and fifty feet wide on the North River side
and two hundred feet on the East River side,
with solid gsanite bulkhead wall and piers
projecting frcm it, allowing the free fow of
the tide underneath. Along these two splen-
did river streets can run the viaduct railways
leading to Westchester county, and afford
ing magnificent avenues for travel and
f,eight along the entire water front of the
city. The steamship companies have already
made propositions to the Dock Commissioners
for renting number Of the principal piers,
and fba ran<o fhoy bo M offarnd are sufficient