New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-16
COMMITTEE AND CONFESSION.

Mr.. Mazet, having been asked yesterday wnat'
IF any. advice the committee of when ne Is
chairman was intending to give the Legislature
concerning the suggested abolition or the Mu-
nicpal Assembly, or one or It's Dranches re-
Piled I'VE have reached no decision Oh 'ha'
point Before deciding we will call the trainers
"of the charter before us and get their views
ION the subject Then we can act lntelilgenuy'
II may cheerfully be admitted that there Is no
constitutional objection TO that course, Dut IL
does not necessarily follow that the committee
will be enabled to act intelligently by absorbing
the views of the Charter Commissioners. In
fact If a majority Of the Commissioners still
retain the opinions which they took pains 10
express when they presented the result or their
labors to the Legislature repetition or them
now could scarcely serve any other useful pur-
pose than that Of an awful warning against
the falibility Of human Judgment.
Mr.. Strong and Mr. Low, 1t will he remem-
bered. while willing to stand by the charter as
a whole, declared their disapproval or certain
features. including a Municipal Assembly OF
two chambers; but there was no provision or
the charter in which their colleagues appeared
10 feel more pride and confidence. Ii is inter
esting to recall the firm and facile manner IN
which they dismissed the various objections TO
such dual legislative body as they were re-
solved TO bestow upon the city. Starting with
the premise that an assembly OF some sort was
mot only necessary but Indispensable" they
learnedly cited Chancellor Kent's Commentaries
and THE Federalist" to prove that II ought TO
consist Of two branches. Was 1t likely to cause
unfortunate dlsagreements and delays? Not
at all for cities suffered not from inaction, but
from overaction. Was 1t too larger Certainly
not. Its size would save it from being corrupt
ed and misled Would II fall into disfavor and
contempt? On the contrary, it would cultivate
municipal virtues and dignity civic life. was
the analogy drawn from the experience OF ma
tons and States tri1e far fetched as de-
fence Of the dual principle in the government
of CITY like New-York? BY no means Every
reason for its adoption in the one case was
equally applicable with respect to the other
In a word not wave Of trouble rolled across
their peaceful breasts as the Commissioners
examined the work OF their hands and sur
veyed the future.
1t is evident from this citation Of the record
that the eminent citizens to whom we owe the
charter of New-York did not adopt any hasty
conclusions concerning It's merits and that no
part Of 1t more completely satisfied the de-
liherate Judgment Of the majority than the
chapter constituting the Municipal Assembly
It is scarcely probable therefore that they
have changed their minds in the brief period
Of eighteen months and that when summoned
to enlighten the Mazet Committee they will
recommend that the Assembly should he abo
tshed or, at the least, that one of It's branches
should be Topped off. So far as we remember
nothing that has occurred since their president
General Tracy. ran for Mayor has led them to
confess that the municipal institutions which
they conferred upon the metropolis are intrin-
slcally defective. Consequently. unless the
committee Is prepared to copper" the advice OF
the Charter Commissioners there may be danger
In seeking enlightenment from that source, and
Mr. Mazets announcement is calculated to cause
some anxiety In the minds Of citizens who
think that the Municipal Assembly has demon
strated its unfitness to exist in remarkably
short space Of time.