The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-02-23

each assembly district, also Q large area, contain
Of office Of members OF the upper house is -four
years, and Of the. lower house two years.
1.-THE charter has BEEN construed upon The
AFFAIRS. The commission has accordingly con-
authority over all the usual subjects Of munic.
ipal jurisdiction. The extent and variety OF its
powers, as well as it's size. mark the commissions
sense OF It's dignity. and Importance.
With a view Of acknowledgment. tho com.
mission has intrusted the new city with power
tunnels under All waters within its domain; TO
build docks and improve the harbor OF the en-.
tire city; 70 construct parks, schoolhouses, and
them to provide water, and also the means OF
securing easy. cheap. and rapid communication
great metropolis. The, city, as The commits:
sion has constituted i, has within Itself
70 have habituai recourse, as Hitherto, to the
Legislature OF the State for additional powers-s
abuse. These powersNsreat, varied, and even
complex, as. they necessarily are-will. when
sfrutinixed, be seen to be no greater than the
character, They are such as the municipalities
OF England and Of Europe, as we'll as OF this
country. constantly exercise.
This does not mean that under the proposed
own Government. Whatever powers II will
s eSSS ! in T the f foTm That az " . hTsns ar rc0@ siy seS s ans tho he
State alone can modify the grant. Neither does
81 cry %I poss he Direction dns slss can Z, d Is T iisa IN n YIN II many M nv;
sausn they have been Justified by experience.
equipped with power to decide for itself what it
will do within the well-recognizod range OF ordi.
nary municipal activity.
CHECKS N
But, while the charter thus confcrs upon the
Municipal Assembly powers adequate to tho
present wants and to the future development OF
the city. 1t interposes. in accordance with cstab-
safeguards against their abuse, similar in their
nature and purpose to the constitutional limita-
and the Legislatures Of the several States. 10
people can enjoy a large degree OF liberty and
ihs, ns Sssys pSMsrs 81 Eoyern = in which
ing liable to abuse. II is the duty Of the lesis-
lator not to withhold tho necessary power.
T HS' provide sSGiaEiG susS . .S sstsfuf Ss. b sss t the .nS:
ject OF al Nious consideration on the part OF tho
commission, The legislative experience OF New
FORK and other cities and OF the several States
indeed. of al popular bodies-shows that n main
source OF abuse is hasty or ill-adviscd action,
franchise and those DOVER s8e Which 10 in HPSee tb %,
raising and expenditure OF money, the creation
OF debt, and the consequent levy OF taxes and
the placing OF other financial burdens upon the
9eoP,,t.. u.-..d ,o.,rr. =, -. o,,-,uu
presented that II dinerentiates the powers r-
iatins TO franchises. the creation OF debt, tho
expenditures OF money. the laying OF taxes and
asscssmentsLthese being the only powers liable
to serious ebuse-from the ordinary powers OF
the municipality embracing the countless sub
jects requiring municipal regulation. The
tected against abuse by special and appropriate
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS which are In some ro-
spe"ts unique, and which will in is judg-
chises and their, disposition, the charter
proposes a radical change OF the highest
belong OF right to the whole people. Their nss
for the public benefit and their control In the
public interest ought never TO he permanently
what yer. The charter, therefore, declares that
they are inalienahle. and that no rights therein
shall hereafter be granted by the Municipal AZ.
except upon the approval OF the Board
OF Estimate and. Apportionment, and then only
for limited periods. and upon provision being
{, Hereafter, therefore, no disposition OF fran.
chises, even for such limited periods, can be
made made by the Mgn nj assembly without the
Apportionment. This hoard Is a body conserva-
tive In Its nature and familiar with the extent
wants, and with the amount that, can bc
the charter no considerable debt can DO
out the sanction, OF this board. when
the Municipal, Assembly and the Board
tioning. any work which involves the expendi-
ture Of large sums OF money. the charter further
interposeu for the public protection the Mayors
that the power OF creating debt, espcci.
ally debt payable in the distant future. the
Ing OF taxes and assessments should have this
triple safeguard. Any expenditure. that can
pass these successive ordeals is probably deserv-
ing; and, II u cannot pass them, In view OF the
publicity with which the proposed expenditure
will thus necessarily be attended. the prcsump-
ton Is strong that IL ought to fail.
Similar protective, principles are applied to
the water front and waters. constituting the
harhor OF New, York. The charter recognizes
the harbor as the parent Of the city's present
greatness and Of her commercial supremacy
now and in The future. The charter proposed
which have been carefully protected, the control
OF the entire water front, and OF lands under
water everywhere within the city, so far as
20 secure and develop the commerce,
foreign and domestic. OF the city. and provides
It's rights In and to its wharves, docks, and
held or acquired for that purpose, shaft he ana
remain innlienable and he disposed OF only by
way OF lease for limited periods upon periodical
re valuations.
The Municipal Assembly. through it's repre-
sentatives. Is the organ Of the people In the
is made its duty to see that the Ia WIS and ordIi..
nances OF the city are faithfully observed by all
a m,paaidn s and o%fi nee To this end the com.
and within the carefully defined limitations Of
and officers OF the city, a most use
ful and necessary function. operating as n salu-
tary check on secret abuses, maladministration.
and oppressive and illegal exercise Of author
BOARD OF PuBIIc IMPROVEMENTS
OF the proposed Board OF Public Improve
ments the report says. among other things:
This board Is one OF the chief constructive
OF the charter. and has been carefully
out In It's constitution and powers. II Is
enough to bring together men Of different
outlook and different ways OF thinking, so AS to
Intelligent and thorough discussion. 1t
has In Its membership the heads OF the depart
ments that must carry on all city work, and can
command the advice and the tech
meal information OF the experts In all OF
these departments. The city at large Is repro
sented by its two great elective officers,
The Mayor and the Comptroller, who will bring
10 the deliberations Of the board the general
point OF view. while every locality Is insured a
hearing and n voice by the presence on the hs,rd
Df the PRECEDENT Of the borough. Finally, the
Counsel is n member Of the board, to
advise II upon al. legal questions that may uciso.
The commission is sanguino that this feature OF
The charter will Justify itself ns thoroughly as the
Board OF Estimate and Apportionmcnt has JUS.
titled itself during the past twenty years.
such protective provisions, In respect OF the
debt creating and borrowing pOwGTsO i the city,
are neither anomalous nor unnecessary. The
cost OF public improvements In the muni' pail
lies or Ills country, pea nIancht in their nature
and too great to he borne out OF current taxa
h generally met by the issue Of bonds or
evidences oi Indebtedness, payable in
IweniS or thirty years or other long periods OF
Tie rcDort declares the belief Of the Commits.