The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-03-21
The City Charter and tho Senatorial
SOlOns-Much Ado About Nothing.

sOlons-Much Ado About Nothing.
After long and vexatious delay the Senate
Committee on Cities has at last reported the
New York city charter, with such amend
ments as it has seen fit to make to the bill
as passed by the Assembly. We publish else
where in to-day's HERALD full and complete
account of these amendments, except such as
are merely of verbal and technical charac-
ter Some of them are desirable; others are
of doubtful expediency but they are not alto
gether of sufficient Importance to warrant the
long hesitation of the committee, and we may
therefore conclude that the bone of conten-
ton has been the appointing power. For
some reason best known to themselves
majority of the committee felt dissatisfied
with the plan for the distribution of the
city patronage agreed upon by the Assembly,
which provided for nomination by the Board
of Aldermen and confirmation by the Mayor,
and, in the event of failure of the Executive
to confirm, for election by the Mayor and
Aldermen in joint session. The committee
has therefore reported new method, by
which it is proposed that the Mayor shall
nominate and the Board of Aldermen confirm;
but if the Mayor shall neglect or refuse to
nominate within the time designated in the
charter for filing vacancies, or if the Board
of Aldermen shall fail to confirm within five
days from the date of nomination, then the
Mayor, the President of the Board of Alder
men and the President of the Board of Assist
ant Aldermen SHALL within three days there
after, meet together and make the appoint
ments by majority vote. The three officers
are required to be present when the appoint
ments are made; but if, after proper notice,
either of them shall absent himself from two
consecutive meetings the other two are en-
powered at the third meeting to appoint by
their own votes alone. The Board of Assistant
Aldermen is, of course, retained under the
Senate amendments.
It will be at once seen that the Senate
amendment is no change in principle; it is
nothing more than shifting of the appointing
power from one source to another, to suit some
personal views or interests. There are some
persons who insist, upon principle, that the
Mayor should have the unrestricted appoint
ing power, and others who contend that the
Mayor should appoint and the Aldermen con-
firm, trusting to public sentiment to prevent a
deadlock between the two. The Senate's prop
osition is neither of these While intended
to be as partisan as the Assembly plan, it is
neither so safe as a party measure nor so well
justified by precedent 1t gives the Mayor no
more power than he would enjoy under
the Assembly bill, and if the Governor
is really opposed to the system
of appointment determined upon by
the Assembly he must certainly disapprove
the substitute proposed by the Senate COM
mittee. Two republicans are associated with
the Mayor as the appointing power, Alderman
Vance and Assistant Alderman Wade; hence
there is no pretence at nom partisanship in the
Senate's plan. At the same time the Board of
Aldermen, or the Assistant Board, might at
any moment change its presiding officer and
elect democrat or liberal who would act
with the Mayor and cast the patronage Of the
city against the republican party. To provide
against this danger it would be necessary to
give the power to the present Presidents of
those Boards; thus, in fact making desig-
mated individuals, and not public officers, the
dispensers of the city patronage proposition
that would be more unprecedented and more
unjustifable than any that has yet been made.
There is no possibility of misunderstanding
the meaning and intent of all these proposed
amendments to the charter. The contest is
wholly over the city offices. The twenty fifth
section of the Assembly bill was undeniably
passed with the express object Of giving the
patronage resulting from the republican
victory in this city to the republican party.
Those who have sought to change that section
in the interest of Mayor Havemeyer have done
so with the open and honest avowal that the
patronage shall not be used in the interest Of
the republican party. The Mayor himself
has not disguised his real objects. In fact
with the great political ends he has in view
as to the future Of the recognized democracy
and as to his own political advancement as its
leading spirit, he could not afford to conceal
his policy. He has, therefore, wisely placed
himself on record as avowing that if given
the power he will appoint democrats
to Office. It is on account of this
declaration that Tammany Hall and the
liberal republican organization SO strongly
denounce the Assembly plan, and that
the organs in their interest have rallied
against the attempt to retain the twenty fifth
section in the interest of the republican party.
Of course if they can succeed in breaking
down the republican movement and in de-
priving the republicans of the fruits of their
victory it would be a fair party gain. But the
opposition to the Assembly plan on the part
of republican Senators can only arise from
considerations of personal interest and from
desire to make O market for themselves and
their friends with the appointing power.
As between the propositions of the Assem-