The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-03-07

| The Charter Of tho Committee Of Seventy
and the Department Of Public Docks
The Duty Of tho State Senate.
The charter of the Committee of Seventy,
which passed the Assembly almost in its
original shape-including cumulative voting,
unwieldy mixed Commissions, divided au-
thority, general responsibility, a complete
plotting out of all our present reform officials
and the chance of q new deal all around-is
now before the Senate Committee for consid-
GRAFTON. Arguments are being heard from
those opposed to the charter and from those
who advocate its enactment. The Committee
of Seventy are preparing to revisit Albany in
Senators-as they brought to bear upon As
semblymen-the soothing Influence of good
wine, fine cigars and high respectability, in
the hope that the upper House of the State
Legislature may be induced to treat their
favorite bantling as tenderly and considerably
as it was treated in the lower House. At the
same time an effort is being made to entice
the republican Senators into caucus upon
the subject of charter reform, so that the
committees work may be made party ques-
ton and driven through under the old iron
rule of party discipline. 1t is difficult to say
what effect these pleadings, coaxings and
plottings may have upon the members of the
Senate and of the committee that now holds
the charter in charge. Modern legislation is
an uncertain affair when none Of those solid
arguments most familiar to our representa-
tives at Albany are to be used for or against
bill. Although 1t may be found impossible to
bring the two factions of republicanism to-
gether in caucus this session, it appears alto
gether likely that the opposition to the
Seventy's experiment may suffer Judgment
to 60 against them by default, while it is
certain that our fellow citizens who have
their pet scheme of legalized repeating at
heart will use all their influence to force it
successfully through its second trial. Under
these circumstances 1t is not unlikely that the
Senators may follow the example of the AS
semblymen, and while unable to understand
the intricate workings of the proposed scheme
OF municipal government, and disposed to turn
up their legislative noses at the evident i'm
practicability Of many of its provisions, may
conclude to 'qe. the thing 60 through"
We are not disposed to read our representa-
tives at the State Capitol a homily on the re-
sponsibilities and duties of legislators, for the
reason that we have grave doubts of its eff
cacy upon the lawmakers of the present day.
1t may suggest itself to some of the State SEN
ators that their oath requires them to be salts
fed Of the justice, wisdom and propriety of
law before they vote for it's enactment, and
that it is neither fair, wise nor prudent to
force upon great city like New York an ex-
pertinent, at the best of doubtful expediency,
without consulting the wishes of her people.
material points to the attention of the Senate
before that body acts finally on the new char
ter. The recent political revolution placed a
republican Board of Aldermen in power in this
city, the President of which is o stanch re-
publican and a capable and honest officer.
The committees charter proposes to sweep
away this Board and under the doubtful
experiment of cumulative voting risks the
restoration to power of the democratic ring
politicians in the law making and money-rais-
ing branch of the city government. Comp
troller Green, man of immovable integrity,
is at the head Of the Finance Department;
George Van Mort republican and an honest
man, is at the head of the Department of
Public Works, and Henry G. Stebbins, whose
character is well known, presides over the
Park Department. The charter of the Seventy
risks the removal of all these desirable officers,
and, in fact, renders their supersedure almost
certain through the election of democratic
Mayor and Board of Aldermen.
BY far the worst feature of the new charter,
however, is its proposed abolition of the
present Department of Public Docks, and the
lacking on of its important interests and duties
to the tail Of political kite. Such pro-
vision stamps the charter at once as the work
of narrow-minded Missionaries who cannot
grasp the subject with which they triae,
or of scheming politicians whose only
object is to repeat the history of the Tammany
Ring over again, with different actors on the
scene. One of the few redeeming points in
the old city government was the lifting up of
the great work of dock Improvement out of the
mire of politics and the initiation of system
of management and extension under which the
Port of New York would soon fulfil its destiny
as the commercial centre of the world.
The Tammany magnates were shrewd as we'll
as selfish. Their ill-gotten wealth was in
vested in extensive land speculations all over
the city, and they knew that thorough
development of the commercial resources of
the port would enormously increase the
value ofther ventures. Let us secure honesty
and efficiency in the construction, improve
ment and management of our docks, they
argued, and the enhanced value of our prop
erty through the increase of the commerce of
the port and its extension along the entire
lengths of our river fronts, will put into our