The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-01-21

Mayor Wickham's Admtnistra tfon.
It affords rs great pleasure to note the
action OF Mayor Wickham in conference with
the heads of departments 'for the purpose Of
facilitating the administration of affairs"
The meeting on Tuesday, at which the Mayor
was present. in consultation with the heads of
the departments, seems to have been of an
important character. The purpose of the
Mayor in calling this conference was to enable
him to take "a vigilant and active supervision
of the execution of the laws" The Mayor
expressed many sound principles. He OPP
posed the business of lobbying in Albany,
which has been the practice of so many de-
partment heads. He thought that the city
should ask for no legislation until the matter
had been maturely considered by the heads Of
all the departments In other words, he has
made for himself a sort of cabinet, composed
Of thirteen members, and he proposes to
govern New York by its advice and co-opera-
ton.
We should not be surprised if this forma-
ton Of what may be called municipal cabi-
net will be Of great value in the administers
ton of affairs. The trouble with former
Mayoralties was that the Mayor, as chief
executive. went his way, while the heads Of
the departments strolled off in different and
antagonistic directions. Thus, under Mayor
Hail. tho Tweed charter, as it was called, gave
imperial power to the Comptroller, and made
what was really intended to be an Office of re-
vision and limitation one of executive author
ikv oh, cti
by the order of Judge Barnard, clothing
the present Comptroller with almost abb
solute power. The Mayor will have
an insuperable difficulty in his Office
unless he puts an end to tho
anomalous position of the Comptrolership
and to the mischievous influence exercised
upon the city by its present incumbent Even
if Mr.. Green were perfect Comptroller the
Office, as now existing, is mistake and
should have no place in our government. But
Mr.. Green is most improper man to be in
vested with functions Of so vast and arbitrary
. character. This is the shadow in the path
of Mr.. Wickham. He must reform his Office
and make the COMPREHENSIVE what 1t should
be, and Withdraw Mr.. Green from a position
which only disturbs public confidence in The
present government and retards the enterprise
and growth Of the city, and makes impossible
any wide and just measure of reform.
MORE BoNDs-There is one painful fact in
the proceedings Of the Board of Audit, pub.
lished in yesterdays HERALD, which is an
evidence of the evil ways into which our city
has fallen. The Comptroller announced that
he should issue for local purposes bonds
to the amount of three hundred and
eleven thousand dollars. This seems to be
. small matter, and when we remember how
bonds were manufactured in the olden times,
when Tweed was at the mill, we may b
thankful that it was not larger sum. But
every issue of new bonds means IN addition
to our debt. The misery Of the whole BUSH
ness is that we go deeper and deeper into
debt, and in the knowledge that it must end
either in reputation or burdensome taxation.
Is there no way to bring our city affairs down
to such basis that the metropolis can pay 90
it goes, without adding to the already vast
pile of indebtedness Mayor Wickham
promised US many reforms. Let him bring
forward new one, and announce that under
his reign there shall be no more bonds, but
the city shall pay it goes.
Two MUBDERERs suffered the last penalty Of
the law yesterday in Pennsy lvania-Frederick
Heidenblut, in Philadelphia, and Samuel
Beighley, in Greensburg. The latter made
o public confession of his crime before his
DEATH
PERSONAL, INTEL IGENCE