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

| The Republican City Chartcr-HOw
New York IL To he Governed In
tho Future.
We publish in the HERALD to-day the full
text of the new city charter, prepared for III
by the republican Legislature, and soon, nc
doubt, to become q law. In reality it is much
the same as the charter under which we are
now living-the much-abused 'tRing" charter
of 1870, concocted, if we are to believe the
terrible things that have been said of it by
the partisan papers on both Sides for
the sole purpose of robbing the city
under a show of legality. To be sure
there are some alterations and some
improvements in the present law. The
expenses of the several city departments, so
far, at least, as the regular salaries paid to
their heads are concerned, are materially de-
creased; the public advertising, which has
heretofore been such prolific source of plum
der to the party organs is swept almost en-
tirely away; taxpayers are entitled to exam
inc any books or obtain copies of any accounts
or papers in any department, except the De-
partment of Police; any public officer is sub
jected to summary examination respecting
his official conduct on an order from a judge to
be issued on an application, based on afida-
! Wit, of the Mayor, Comptroller, q Commits
sioner of Accounts, or any five Aldermen;
and several other bats are thrown out to
satisfy the consciences of the reform party
and to furnish an opportunity for q flourish
of trumpets over the disinterestedness and
honesty of our new rulers STILL as we have
said, the substantial features of the present
charter are preserved. and the principal
changes to be found are those which were re-
quircd, first, to get the offices into republican
hands, second, to keep them there against
contingencies as long as possible, and, third,
to prevent their value from being inter-
fered with while they remain there. For all
this the people were quite prepared. They
have only asked that the charter shall be a
fair, practical instrument that il shall restore
the harmonious working of all the city depart
ments, and that it shall remove the obstruc-
tions now in tho way of the progress and
improvement of the metropolis. We believe
these ends are accomplished by the proposed
law, and hence we favor its enactment
The great work of the new charter, as
matter of course, is to place the city Offices
wholly in the hands of the party which car
ried the last election in the city and the State,
and which is, therefore, responsible for the
good government of both. This is done by
legislating all the present heads of depart
ments out of Office and supplying their success
sors from republican source. The latter
| koc1, kbo IS
lican managers. 1t has been overcome with
out injury to the city or injustice to the peo-
pie, and hence every citizen not personally
interested in decrying the method of appoint
ment finally determined on will accept
it without grumhling. 1t was believed
honestly by many that the right to appoint
and remove the heads of departments and
other officers should vest solely in the Execu-
tive, inasmuch as he can be readily held
| accountable for an improper exercise of the
power but, as the Aldermen are elected on
single ticket, they can be as easily reached
as the Mayor, and, as We have heretofore
shown, the concentration of such vast patron
age in the hands of single officer would be
liable to lead to corrupt combinations and
defeat the very object sought to be accom-
plished by the advocates of the one-man power.
Besides, it became evident through the
premature intrigues of Messrs. Green, Tilden
and other leaders of the reformed democracy
that if the appointing power should be given
to Mayor Havemeyer, we should have another
two years of discord in the city government
similar to that which has prevailed for the
past year, and that the public interests would
continue to be sacrificed topersonal prejudices
and petty malice. For these reasons the
system of appointment provided by the charter
will be generally approved. The present
Board Of Aldermen are to hold Office for the
term for which they were elected-until
January, 1875 The next Board, elected at
the general election in 1874, will consist of fif-
teen members, chosen on general ticket
five for one year, five for two years and five
for three years, the terms being designated on
the ballot. Thereafter, although the charter
at present omts to say so, five Aldermen are to
be chosen every election for three years term,
one-third of the Board thus going out every
year. The Mayor dominates heads of depart
ments to the Board for their confirmation, and
provision is made for immediate meetings to
consider the nominations. Should they be
rejected the Mayor is required to promptly
make other nominations, and thus the
farce of sending back the same names
is avoided. If the failure to agree continues
for twenty days the Mayor is to meet with the
Board within four days thereafter in joint
convention, and the appointments are to be
made by the riUa coce vote Of the majority.
There seems, however, to be no provision for
an election in case the Mayor should absent
himself from the meeting, and this, we think,
should be provided for It will also occur to