New-York tribune., 1885-10-24
1itT, OPPOSING HOME RULE.
,o.,rasED WITH MAYOR GRACE.
.,.on r.srrNs $500, 900 MORE IN An
u 0" VIAL TAXES ON THIS CITY.


btpieas'es s.,ot;on WAS given to the Governor re-
sorlns Tho tho Grace-Thompson combination in
tntD ,,ote their efforts TO the election OF their
tend -. the candidates for Sheriff and County
local ".;no the preference-and on that 1nforma-
VeiA C,rernor again started for tho metropolis
tcn NV - could be DONE in the opinion OF the
10 sec ". friends the confirmation of that report
boNe", a. the voluntary testimony given by
IS iouDS before the Senate Investigating Com
Aayoi uo strongly condemned tho interference
pl10 oissture with the local affairs of the city,
ol oln.,orlv Ho in the passage OF manda-
par'',, ,,.. concerning the city salary
tory cher expenses, and voluntarily remarked
ils' an" rnsmbers of the Board of Estimate had
tha' w Sa ocainst number of such bills enacted
pro'e'',I Iss, legislature and which had atterward
by 'n0 IS This is taken as direct reflection
pecou| carernor who signed those bills notwlth-
on -, ,,.r the protest of the city authorities.
s'An - the hills which Mayor Grace referred TO
oou'o inexcusable an interference with the rights
'.,. oitv as could well be devised One OF them
s.r the creation of a new commission 10 puiid
was ~. orer the Harlem River. Senator Plunkitt.
',nonv Hall. introduced the bill, and got IL
Oh on the nlea that 1t would secure his renom-
pa'''1 The Mayor; Corporation Counsel
m@ o,her eity authorities protested strongly
anu o.' II as 1t took the control
as" go natter out of their hands. The Park De-
,.oon, had already begun the construction OF
p,-n and thev had full power. under proper re-
'N.;an. IN do the work. The Governor listened
Sono,or punkitt and not to the Mayor. Control
,Vra Corooration Counsel, and he signed the Dill
M ri ,.sult is that Plunkitt, who was one OF the
us. Of the Representatives from the city, has Sc
u~od a denomination, and before the city gets
.Lroucb with its bridge there Will probably be an
1.ao.sorv waste of several hundred thousand
dollars. ..,. co,.o.oor
The Mayor was justly indignant at the Governor
:, that matter, though it was only one
~ a number of such cases. lie was
..ore indignant over the Governors course III
signing Tin" Campbelps outrageous Dill 10
nav Charles T. Harvey $175,000 and to turn over
N him IN pcrpetuity portion OF the taxes COL
lecied from the elevated railways. The Governor
admitted when the Mayor, Controller and Corpor-
s,oa Counsel protested against the bill, ana Wneh
n was denounced in the New-fork newspapers
that Harvey had no claim against the city. BAT 10
pease Tim" Campbell he signed the Dill. III
belped "Tim," who was one of HliFs associates Ill
the Tweed Legislature, to secure NOMINATION. loi
Congress- and with the dismissal OF the charges
against Sheriff Davidson, brought to the Governor
the solid support of Irving Hall ut the State Con-
rontion Another hill referred 20 by the Mayor In
his testimony was that concerning the pay
of nol;ce surgeons and doormea. II was
also introduced by Plunkitt. 1t Increased
the nay OF these officials making 1t mandatory
upon the city, The Governor. of course, slghod IT,
The Police and Fire Department pension DIS as lhe
Mayor remarked in his testimony, were ohciaiiy
onnoseJ NV all the members Of the Board OF Estl-
mate Snch hills are brought here annually by
Nev-York politicians who think in this way TO
make themselves "solid" with those important
dcpartments. But as the Beard of Estimate pointed
ont at the tine. the principles embodied In lheSc
bills were of the mpst vicious kind. The Ponce
Pension Fund bill turned over to that fund all uh-
expended balances of appropriations for the Ponce
Department Thus, if the Police Board secures
much larger appropriation than 1t has need
for not dollar OF the money
ever returns to the city treasury. 1t
is all turned over to a fund the management OF
which the Board of Estimate has nothing to do
with The bill also required to be paid out OF the
CITY treasury annually to the trustees of the pen
sion fund, sum equal to % per cent of the amount
of money collected from Excise licenses. In this
ind rect wav another annual tax Of $l25000 was
fastened on the city.
s75 1000 wear to be turned over to n pension fund
for the Fire Department, with a direct appropria-
tion of $4,000 more for the same purpose. The
Board of Estimate protested against such manda-
tory laws and the Mayor held that the policemen
and fircmen were well enough paid without requir-
ing further large appropriation for pensions. But
tie Governor signed the bills, i'll defiance OF the
protests OF the citv authorities. The bill TO IN
crease tie pav of few Of the officers OF the Fire
Department which was introduced by Plunkitt, was
another measure against which the city authorities
uttered strenuous protest. This bill did not IN
crease the pav of all officers but did add to the pay
Of some of those who were on friendly terms with
certain members of the Legislature. 1t was. like
the other bills in direct antaGOnism to every prin
chile OF home rule and needlessy fastened further
aDaual tax Of SOS, $50 on the city. Tim Camp
bell assured the Governor that he could not Tor
political reasons afford to pay any attention to the
protests Of the city authorities and he did not.
He signed the bills The one to override the action
Of the Board Of Estimate in fixing the pay OF an
Assistant District-AttOrncy was only another Of
the numerous instances where the Governor lis
tened to the politicians and not 10 the Mayor and
other city Authorities. His acts in leeazng lot
OF old Tweed claims, lobbie1 through the Legis-
ture by Tim" Campbell aud Others, were
only conrmatOry evidence of his entire dis
regard of the public interests when in conflict
with those of his Immediate personal friends and
supporters. These bills against which the city
authorities protested and which the Governor
signed will add $780, 900 annually to the city taxes
OF New-York, exclusive of the largo sum at once
required for old claims. 1t is by such legislation
that an annual expenditure of nearly $50, 900 00O
has been fastened on the metropolis, without the
Board of Estimates having any control over it,
That Board has control Of only about Sc, ,00O, 900
of the city's expenditures as stated by Mayor
Grace in his testimony.
The Governors course in vetoiug the Brooklyr
reform bills gives further evidence of his opposi-
ton to Mayor Grace's doctrine of home rule as
well as his opposition to any reform that interfercs
with the perqu,sites of his politica
Supporters. The Governor did not veto thes
bills as The Neac York Sun IntImates, because h
dsapproved the principle of making the Count.
Clerk and Register saaried instead of feed officers
His excuse was one in direct conflict with the doc
trlne OF home rule. The acts gave the Board o
Supervisors the power TO fix the salaries of thos,
81