The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-04
Municipal Assembly Organ
ICES and Gets to Work.
MANY new APPOINTMENTS,
Mayor Gives the Tunnel Transit
Plan a Downright Blow.

improvements 20 Find omcss - Borough
Presidents Getting s~ettIed-Ponce beard
Transfers Seven Captains. schmittbergsr
Among Them-This lie Not TO He . wide
Open Tswn"-Dock hoard Removes Chief
Engineer circumstances In Breoklyn.
Tho now City Government which was insua
gurated on Saturday got under way yesterday
in oil Of its departments. or course there were
q great many hitches and things didn't run
smoothly. Probably they won't run smoothly
In many departments for some time to como.
1t took some of the new officials q long time To
find their of1ces. That was because the oflces
under the new charter are not designated by the
old names and some old departments are cut up
into half o dozen now ones. the most notable In.
stance being the old Public Works Department,
But before 4 o'clock nearly all the heads Of depart.
ments appointed by Mayor Van Wyck had found
their places and settled in them. The Mayor
made Q number of additional appointments and
the heads Of the departments appointed their
deputies. There were no surprises.
The Municipal Assembly, which has larFoR
powers than any legislative body in any of the
cities Incorporated in tho new city, met and
organized In both branches. received the Mayors
nrst message. and after transacting o little
necessary business, adjourned until next Tues.
day.
The man who has got the biggest Job on his
hands, next to tho Mayor. is tho Corporation
Counsel, who has not only to keep the new gov.
eminent straight in the law. but Is directed to
collect and codify all the laws and ordinances OF
all the cities. towns. and villages in the new city.
The local government In each Of the FIVE
boroughs was organized yesterday. as well a.
tho general government. and the Presidents,
who are tho executive officers OF tho boroughs,
took hold. There will DO meetings Of the
borough boards in all of the boroughs this week.
and they will provide o lot of work for tho
Municipal Assembly next week.
The new Legislature met at noon. and for
two hours before either house was ready to do
business there was O procession Of florists waR-
ons and of messenger boys at the City Hall. Be-
fore IL o'clock the council cha mber and the
aldermen's chamber looked a good deal moro
like florists shops than they did like legislative
chambers. and the air In both places was heavy
with the perfume of flowers. Tho lilies and
tuberosss In tho lot made them smell q good deal
moro like funeral pieces than wedding pieces.
There was hardly q desk in either chamber that
did not have o floral piece. and some Of Thorn
had as many as O dozen. Tho desk Of Council.
man McGarry, Dem- WAS not only loaded down.
but about half Of one side Of the council cham.
ber was taken up with additional pieces that
couldn't DO got anywhere near his desk.
Ono of them was o floral map Of the
new city with Mr.. McGarry's name printed all
over his district. tho Eighth Brooklyn. Another
was q star with Mr.. McGarry'B picture in the
centre. Both of these pieces were 90 big that
tho florists who made them had to eend the
frames in In pieces. SGT them up in the Council
chamber and then stick in the flowers. Alder
man James J. Smith Tam.j Of Manhattan was
almost as popular in tho lower branch. Ho had
flowers that covered his desk and the floor al
around him. Alderman Fleck CTaml Of Man
haitian had an immense floral banner more than
six feet high.
Both houses were to meet at IL O'Clock sharns
but there was nobody to call the Board Of Alder
men to order, and It was necessary TO walt until
after the Council had organized and appointed
the new City Clerk. so that he might appoint q
clerk Of the Board Of Aldermen to get the MAJ
chinery of this lower board into motion.
ENTER THE COUNCIL.
The Councilmon assembled In the committee
room Q little before noon. and Just before they
were ready to march In four laborors carried
into the chamber . big papiermach6 tiger with
green eyes, yellow and black stripes, and Q red
mouth and q tail that curled out behind at least
two feet. The tiger itself was two feet high and
three feet long. Tho head was swivel set 90
that 1t nodded up and down continuouslys
This animal was carried up to the Presidents
desk and set to tho right Of the President0
chair. 1t came from Herman Sulzer. 1t was .
surprise to Mr.. Guggenheimer. Before the
Council marched In the council chamber was
full of outsiders. and Sergeantat-ArmSto-bo
Michael Padden (Tam.L was beside himself tryS
ing to restore order. In his excitement he ran
against q camera and out open the side Of his
head. Mr.. Paddon comes from o downtown dis.
trict, however, and II didn't feaze him He
slapped on q piece Of black court plaster and
went about his business. taking tho first oppoP.
tunity that came along to trip up the camera
man.
He cleared tho floor of all the men. including
ex- United States Senator Brice. whose son was
q Councilman. but he let the women stay. The
Council WAS headed by President GugRenheimsP
when the members finally appeared. Mr.. Gug.
genheimer took his seat and Immediately Miles
O'Brien, who used to be In the Board OF Educa-
ton. stepped up and drew a gavel on him. IL
was new; 1t was made of ivory; 1t was trimmed
with silver. On one end of it was the word
"Excelsior." and ON the other end the monogram
OF Mr.. O'Brien.
CLERKS APPOINTED WITH SPEED.
Mr.. Guggenheimer accented the gayel and
raped for order. He said that the hrst business
would be the election OF u temporary Clerk, and
j. Scully Oram). Next Councilman John 4.
Oakley (TamJ Of Manhattan. the slate eandl.
date for VICE President, Whb. nOmlnhIeu anu
elected. The Republicans did not vote. buu
when the roll call was finished Councilman vii.
liams OF Brooklyn Rep. and Cit moved that
Mr.. Oakley's election be made unanimous. IL
was done. Mr.. Scully was next appointed per-
manent Clerk. and without losing a minute he
appointed Michael 4. Blake lram.) Clerk OF the
Board OF Aldermen. and swore him In and hus'
tied him across the hall TO tho chamber where
the Aldermen were waiting. Mr.. Scully's cleo:
tion MS Clerk WAS mace unanimous on motion OF
Councilman Francisco tltep. and ! OF Brooklyn,
Councilman Foley Tam of Manhattan. named
Michael Padden Tor Sergcantat'A Arms. He was
elected, and on the motion of Councilman Leich
Wep. and Citl of brooklyn, his election was
made unanimous. This completed the organiEa.
ton of the board, and President GuggenhelmeP
made a speech. 1t WAS as follows:
SPEECH OF THE PRESIDENT.
"GENTLEMEN or THE COUNCIL: To-day we
are making history. The old Now YORK. the
city between the rivers, the city that Was mar
row and long. tho city familiar throughout the
world for nor commerce., her wealth, and hor
philanthroples, is no IongCr an entity, Those OF
us who have lived in Old New York during tho
arontnr MARI Of our lives cannot but feel to-day