New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-03-28
FORGOODCITY GOVERNMENT.
ACTION OF THE COOPER UNION MEETING.


last night with intelligent and keeny attentive
audience at the mass-meeting which was called to
receive the report OF the Citizens Committee OF
Flfty-three upon the work accomplished at Albany
in reforming the city government In
every seat of the hall there was .
printed copy Of the report made 10 tho
Committee of Fifty-three by its subcommittee on
March %, which was published in THE TRIBUNE
on the following day. On the platform beside the
speakers sat Marvele w. Cooper, Thomas {.
Acton, j. Pierpont Morgan Henry Bergh, Professor
Moses Colt Tyler of Cornell University, s. " r.
Cruger, Douglas Campbell, James NJ. Requs. }.
W. Hawes, Rush c. Hawkins, A. w. speir r. II.
Ewart NJ. c. AddOms, John +. Baker J. T.
Van Rensselaer,, Lyttleton T. Garrettson, Henry
Gleason, Henry A. Oakley, Nathaniel Smith, and
Others.
THE OPENING SPEECHES.
Shortly after o'clock William NJ. Evarts rose,
and after waiting until the storm Of applause
which greeted him had subsidized called upon James
NJ Brown to act as chairman of the meeting in tho
following Words
Ny first duty gentlemen, tonight IS TO call this meet
ing order and nominate chairman. and as very soon
after that shall have occasion TO present myself again
their behalf to make report OF the progress and pro-
ceedngs IN whcn they have pressed FORWARD tue nas
SO o TS for win S of E. @eeng I
James VI. Brown, the eminent merchant aud banker.
[Appause.l
Mr.. Brown was given n hearty reception, and IN
accepting this invitation he said:
FELLow-CrrTZENs: Some years ego in this place
called to order meeting which organized the COMMITTEES
of Seventy Citizens were then aroused a the enormous
frauds of that period and that committee did good
work Some Of the guilty parties were punished ZAP
'if p the ciSens f Committee Of Fiftythree, to
hear what has been doue and what ought % be done to
party meeting. Democrats and Republicans meet on the
same platform We have friends az Albany as shown by
tba Roos nOW la SIC
ton bat to it effectual II is the sacred duty OF
polls, no matter at what sacrifice. fApplause Other
measures are now before the Legislature IN the same az
rection, and ask your assistance In urging thef
passage, by which have good reassn to hope for oe
The report of the Committee OF Ffythree win now bs
read by the chairman, William NJ Evarts Applause-l
MR.. EyARTs's REPORT.
Mr. Evarts was again welcomed with round after
round of applause as he came forward 10 deliver ths
committees report. His hearers listened intently 20
his remarks, and showed their keen appreciation Of
his arguments and their approval of the committees
work by frequent Interruptions of laughter and ap-
plause. Mr.. Evarts spoke as follows
Mr.. CRAIRMAN FRIENDS, GENTLEMEN, AND FELLOW
meeting OF citizens of hls great metropolis without dis
tncon Of party and with no zeal in mere personal poll
tics TO engage our attention, met tonight to follow up De
work set ON foot by the meeting OF February IA You
will remember that early in February spontaneous
movement toak place on the part OF ctzens 0i enpl
ments of all professions, and OF all shades OF political
opinion intending II possible to save our city nom o.
preston and citizens hOm the scandal and disgust
which attended the conduct Of our city affairs We thea
struck on the plan Of ealing public meeting, ana 20
great central fact that struck upon was this, that tRe
share that tho Board Of Aldermen had in the manase
meDt of the affairs Of this city neither creditable TO
themselves nor useful to ms lappause ana mat In eis
behalf well as our own we would save them and
dishonesty which they had been making for years in
the management OF the affairs OF the city. lAppausel
first taken and taken tho first step the march for
ward until the whole of objects were attained II Is
have ejOced at long agObut TO remind You that that
first great step OF the subyersion Of Adermanic power N
act OF the Legislature, signed by the Governor Jap
Your committee therefore, or the meeting which ap-
pointed them, not only justified IN thinking that tha
situation OF parties in the government OF the State
propous but also IN their confidence in the power thas
could prevail in the Legislature and Ia the Chief Ma
rate as a man courage honor and Of integrity ZAP
plalse.I This accomplished the committee In their No
tendance Albany witnesses to avery strong dpp
citation on the part OF the members OF ooth house OF h
weight and force which TO be accredited TO the great
meeting which set the committee III notion Inc cout-
mittee framed scheme and plan and accepted and sp
proved measures suggested by Leading
adopted and the whole fabric built up we are cont
dent VIII be II you show your interest and your zeal iu
bres ,se peSSs pscnS the great interests and the
great population OF this city under good tn<a.
popular force, could have been accomplished IN dozen
years. tApplaus".I
ELECTION OF THE CONTROLLER AND PRESIDENT CT
THE ALDERMEN.
Now another bill which has been passed contains pro-
vision election OF Controller II has passed beth
Governor, but with no doubt that il will b, appended
When that measure is passed the etzens OF NewYoEs
will have the executive power in the Mayor with sish
Of officers of his own appointment
Another measure, as 1t seems to me-, OF sin-
provides for the election Of the president Of
the Board of Aldermen by general ticket Of the etzen
THIS, you will observe strikes at once at the control q
the citizens In their primary capacity Of the presidency 81
the Board OF Adermen and IN the makeup o. "a 69at pod5
gains and the conditions, the restraints, tAs
tend the appointment OF the cnef ruler OF their own BODY,
Applause IL provides, too Tor inc place on
the Mayor should disability remove him from the function
man, not eprnging from the choice OF the Aldermea
but sprngine from the same constltuency-he peops "a
bin has passed both houses OF the Legislature and s
awaiting the signature Of the Governor without any doubt
nf TSa ns1 s 1sssEs i that @ Mayor ours
to confde ia for the public good shall have at D..
apGsh off oces and not na them s
in adyance TO- cover Ibis, hts Whole Whole term y
do not speak as person however You may be
that your committee did not underestimate the impor-
tance of thus freeing the hands of the Mayor om
this control that to be exercised no more by the AZ
SsTe Seen by the Aldermen Of past
ratiOn. That bill has passed the Senate an would bare
passed the House If that House had not been resolved
into the primary relation OF citizenship abandoned
legislation yesterday. llaughter'l
SALARIES INSTEAD OF FEES.
hold in y hands other bills, which will not, how
eyeI read, but will bring the principal features 10 ycr
attention that you may see how vital and how vsluabo
they are. The first in relation the Office Of
Clerk OF the city and county ofNewYork an officer sf
whose uncertain emolumcnts you have frequently hee
they being unknown, even 10 Mmself, or 40
sources undiscovered and undiscOverable even
by him llaughter, and an effort has
been made to reduce this oOscurity to plain straightto
ward bookkeeping and management In the tst place IL
is provided In that will Lot admit OF doubt both
how much he is have and how much he is not TO have
IIaughterl That is to say he Is 10 have $4,000
neither less. ApplauBel That 10 be sure Is
good deal of "a cOme-dOWn him from his 10000,
S6O.OOO or 100000, and probably the uncertainty
about $4,000 would be preferred To the certainty OF
$4,000 Ilaushtcr ana applsusel and all fees
Of Nlmself aud his suOorlnales-us search
ers pnd every body else which shall
ne received from those doing business with the oes
are paid into the treasury oi the city. And 10
assist him IN this style OF management prov ded
that shall be the duty OF the Clerk keep exact
book books To be provided for that purposo
at expense OF the people Of NewYork tAppause.l