The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-06-19
Mr.. Havemeyer's Court House Conn
missi0ners and the Peoples Money.

Mr.. Havemeyer's Court House Com.
missioners and the Peoples Money.
The appointment of Court House Commits
sioners by Mayor Havemeyer is of very
doubtful legality at the best. There is o
question first as to the constitutionality of the
law under which the present Commissioner
have been appointed, aud next as to tn,
power of the Mayor to appoint them under
any circumstances without the confirmation o.
the Board OF Aldermen. On the latter point
at least, no reasonable doubt can exist. The
law Of last session expressly terminated the
terms Of Office of all commissioners of county
buildings, and thus created q new term fcr
such officers. 1t also designated how the new
officers should be ppointed-namely, by the
Mayor, subject to the confirmation of the AL
dermen. The law, which partially amends the
charter mode of appointment, provides that
the confirming power of the Aldermen shall
be dispensed with in the case of vacancies
only, and not when a new term of Office is
commenced As we have said, the law re-
moving all commissioners of county buildings
did not merely legislate them out Of office,
but it declared their terms of Office to be ter
minated, and the argument that vacancy
removed the Offices were continued is ABSURD.
The law provides that Police Commission
err Office shall expire in six years. It the
close of his term the Office continues; bat no
one will claim that vacancy exists in the
legal sense of the word, since the next ap-
pointment commences new term of Office.
The same reasoning applies exactly to the
Court House Commissioners, as 'ste,m of
Office can be fixed by Legislative enactment
alone
addressed to the Court House Commissioners
by Messrs. Vance and Wheeler, members of
the Board Of Apportionment which we pub
lish elsewhere, shows that the appointment of
such Commissioners by the Mayor at this
time, whether legal or illegal, was against the
public interest, and piece of official folly
and extravaganza. The new Court House has
been constant source of evil since it's con-
mencement to the present time. It was COZ
ceived in corruption and has been the man
instrument OF the frauds which have been
perpetrated on the taxpayers. An expensive
suit for money advanced to the old commits
sion is now pending against the city and
mandamus has been issued commanding liz
settlement. No money is available for The
completion of the building and none cen
be raised except by concurrent vote
OF the Board of Apportionment Under any
circumstances the unexpended balance of fhe
whole amount authorized by law to be rai,ed
would be insufficient to complete the wo.k.
Messrs. Vance and Wheeler, therefore noify
the new Commissioners that they have no
authority to incur any expense whatever until
a concurrent vote Of the Board of Apporton-
ment has placed in their hands the means to
enable them to proceed with the work, and
this vote will never be given until the men,
bers Of the Board are furnished with An esti-
mate in detail Of the work to be done and OF
the manner in which it is contemplated to do
it. The stand taken by Messrs. Vance and
Wheeler will be warmly approved by the
people. We have had enough of one Cour,
House Ring without submitting to another,
composed of Havemeyer, Green and force OF
consulting architects.