New-York tribune., 1873-02-20

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tempt it. We have little hope by exposure OF
their plans to defeat their consummation +; al
though. last nights news from Albany was
more encouraging; but 1T IL proper 'nat 'no
people should know and owen upon .ne'o
schemes, for they are leveled Directly a' 'no
nublic nurse and against our political ana
personal liberties.
As an illustration of the open reckessness
with which the designs on the pubic purse
arc nushed. take the clauses which reconstruct
tbe old Board of Audit and Apportionment-
the same VIGOROUSLY irresponsible commission
through which was effected the immense rob
berries of 1869 and 1870, and whose members
are now under Indictment, as we announce
elsewhere, for the third time. Then it was
the Mayor, Controller, and President of
the Board of Public Works who did the
false auditing and extravagant appOrtionment.
Now it is to be the President of the Board of
| Aldermen, the President of the Department OF
Taxes and Assessments (bOth of whom are
already secured in the Ring intercsts), the
Controller (who will, of course, be elected In
the Ring interesC, and the Mayor 1t is spec
tally provided (sectiOn 116) that the affirmative
vote of three members is sufficient for any pur-
pose. Thus the Mayor, who is to preside at the
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meetings and appear responsible, will be power
| less to prevent the consummation of any scheme
against the public funds; all he can do will
be to protest at sessions which may be secret,
and which are not likely and are not required
| TO be recorded on the city records in detail.
| Again, take the clause limiting the Controller
in his auditing power 1t never existed
| in any other charter There was no restriction
Of Connolly; there was no need to be, for
he was of the Ring and obliged to wink at
! the pundering of those who helped him to
plunder. With another Controller in the Ring
interest there would be no occasion for this
restriction any more than i'll Connolly's case;
but with an underlined fear that Green may
remain In spite of them the Ring mana
gers prohibit him from scrutinizng their
accounts and salaries The experience
of Mr. Green has shown couclusively
the necessity for careful examination of the
official salary list; he has detected many per-
sons drawing pay without doing service he has
dismissed scorces of s;necures yet instead of
accepting his action as practical economy, the
first thing the new Ring does is to abolish his
scrutiny and leave the incoming officials to steal
as reclllessy as the old.
AS an illustration, on the other hand, of
the manner in which the Charter trifles with
our political and personal rights, examine the
section which makes the Superintendent of
! Police master of the whole city. This new
Superintendent, it is well understood, is
to be Mr.. John l. Davenport, of
not very favorable memory as Special
Government Superintendent of Elections in
this city, who repeatedly during the late can
vass arrogantly and insultingly invaded
houses. and made arrests without due war
rant of law This man, as Superintendent
of Police, in addition to this doubtful
authority to enter private residences is now
to be empowered to keep a record of the name,
age, birthplace, and residence of each inhab-
| liant; and further, the arbitrary power is
| given HIN to compel every such inhabtant to
answer any and all questions he may choose
to put to him. and in case of refusal TO COM
nit as for contempt of the Supreme Court.
| His power at the polls practically gives
him control of elections; and, with
two years practice and experience,
| Mr. Davenport would deserve to be set down
as an ass if he did not return whom he pleased
to Office. 1t is well known fact that with
their present comparatively limited power the
police captains largely affect politics and elec-
| tions in their precincts; increase that power
| by giving the Superintendent sole and absolute
control of all the polls in the city, and at the
very next election he would be able to cast
the floating vote of all the criminals and re-
peaters for whom he liked. No one knows
better than Mr.. Davenport how great the
power to be conferred on him when it is re-
membered that he drafted the Charter which
cOnlers it, can the INSCRIPTIONS purpose for
which he designed it be any longer doubted
Mayor Havemeycr in his letter published
Yesterday made a strong special plea against
the adoption of these and other iniquites of
| this Charter; the managers at Albany will
laugh them down, spite of their aptness and
force because coming from him. But this
morning the whole Committe of Seventy
representing as a body some of the most re-
spectacle elements of the Reform movement
unite in the Mayors protest, and are even
more bitter in denunciation of the contemplated
| Outrages of the Ring.