The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-02-17

the amount of any legally established salary,
or to question the due performance OF his
duty by an officer entitled to such salary. OF
course there will be general howl on the
part of the democrats, liberals and disap-
pointed Committee of Seventy place-hunters
over this provision as directed against Comp
troller Green; but as the Finance Department
is known to be in a dangerously confused
condition; as the city has been and still is
engaged in ruinous litigation, which cannot
fail to prove disastrous to the taxpayers if suf-
fered to continue; as many thousands of dollars
have been thrown away in interest, through
neglected assessment rolls and on deferred
payments of honest accounts it is certain that
the change will be beneficial TO the people
The Chamberlain duties are also clearly de-
fined; the banks of deposit, to be selected by
the Chamberlain and Mayor Jointly, are to be re-
quired to pay four per cent interest to the city.
The Chamberlain is to pay this interest over to
the city; is to appoint his own deputy, clerks
and assistants, to receive thirty thousand dol
lars year in lieu of all fees and perquisites,
and is to pay out of his salary all his Office
expenses.
In the Police Department some changes are
found. There are to be three Commissioners;
but there should be five, and it is TO be hoped
that the number will be increased by the
Legislature. Enlarged powers are given to
the Superintendent, who will. indeed, be the
most important officer in the department, if
not in the government. All orders relating to
the movements and duties of the force are to
emanate from him; he is to appoint and
remove the clerks at his pleasure, to
a number not exceeding six, and he
is to have the special and sole charge of
the detective force, whose number is fixed
at thirty. A full registry, containing the
name, birthplace, age and place of residence
of each inhabitant of each precinct is TO be
kept by the Superintendent, and all changes
of residence and removals from the city
are to be recorded. 1t is understood that as
far as possible, descriptions of the male citi-
zens over twenty-one years are to be kept, so
as to make the system as nearly as possible like
the secret service system of the French Empire.
The Board of Aldermen are prohibited from
any legislation affecting the inner workings of
the departments or the duties or number of the
employees, except on written application of the
head of the department interested. Bids and
contracts are to be opened, as now, in the
presence Of the Comptroller, but, should that
officer neglect or refuse to attend, the opening
is to proceed without him. ALI fees are
abolished in every Office, and bribery of city
official is made felony. The Presidents of
the Board of Aldermen and of tho Taxes and
Assessment Department, with one person to
be appointed and removed by the Mayor at
his pleasure, are to form Board of
Commissioners of Accounts, any one of whom
may at his pleasure examine the books, accounts
and workings of any department of the city
government and make recommendations to
the Board of Apportionment and Audit Once
in three months they are to examine all the
books, accounts, vouchers, &C., in the Cham
berlain's and Comptroller's offices. There are
other provisions which deserve notice, but we
defer reference to them to future oppor-
tlnity.