Year: 1874




ne' Successor sworn In. an


ALBANY, Jan. 80, 1874.


II will have been noticed that during the past
two weeks less than three bills looking to the
amendment OF the present charter OF Brooklyn
have been introduced-tw0 in the Senate zone by
Mr.. Jacobs and one by Mr.. COe to-day, Of which
gave you the salient points IN to days HERALD)
and the third by Mr.. DOnOhue, in the Assembly.
Eacn OF these three bills is good sized volume In
itself, ana would probably, If placed together leaf
by lea1 make u very respectable looking ground.
work for new plan OF the city, which they
are all ostensibly designed to make better tnan
ever 1t was before in its laws and In thesrules OF
conduct to be laid down LOT its Ofiee-hoding ctl-
xens Now, the fact that the session has got along
far with bill IN the shape Of charter amend
ment for any place nearer New York than her
great ra....rt 80


has led great many honest people into the belief
that Gotham for is to be lett severely alone,
and that her present rule OF government and its
bad as well as it's good qualities can be allowed to
create confusion among departments ana
bureaus ana daily strifes between contend
ing small fry authorities for another year without
endangering the existence OF the general CON-
munity. But l am in a position TO inform you to-





verely IN the charter amendment line and that the
thinkers are already actively at work "perfectlng"
the various schemes in the form OF bin, by which
some people in power now and others not in
power, but who are anxious to obtain changes that
will OF course, apparently be beneficial to the pub
lie at large, while doing themselves no harm pc
cuniarily. There are two parties at the bot
tom OF the plan, each being made up
ABOUT equally OF democrats and republicans. SO
far I learn that the new Police Justice bill, passed
last year, will get 0verhauling in special Dil
% sort OF q


CowcArcHER TO THE LOCOMOTIVE,


ana then the latter Will be taken ont of the combi
nation "rng," or round house, and full steam will
at once be put on for the final goal. When the
plan for the amendments speak Of was first
limited, it was the Police Commissioners, the Tax
Commissioners and q few small fry officials who
alone were to be aimed at; but look
over the field, q short time ago, fore.
warned the planners that there would be
trouble ahead for q few others II anything
like one-sided job was put up, and hence gen.
eEal new plan was decided upon. Most OF those
who were at the bottom OF the arrangement were
anxious that nearly all the onnces now filed in the
city ana county by appointment should be made
elective; but for certain reasons the clean sweep
was abandoned one Of them being that F'be ar
uCC6SelbBJSu
One thing is certain about the matter now and
that Ia that II the amendments are introduced the
ONCE OF Comptroller ana Corporation Counsel and
Commissioner Of Public Works viii be made eec-
tive. Delaneld smith, the present Corporation
Counsel, Is believed to be now hand in glove with
Comptroller Green, who is SO


UNPOPULAR WITH THE MEMBERS OF BOTH HOUSES
land which he has already found out probably
that special bill making his ofice elective would
meet but little, If any, opposition. Green has the
shrewdness to have secured at least the statement
is made to that effect by manv OF the members)
the promise Of Smiths support II he should be
alone aimed at and have himself placed side by
side with Smith in any measure meant to get him
put one side by spring election. Hence
It is that many of the parties who have
been considering the amendments they think
ought to be made to the present charter, have
come to the conclusion to make not only the Comp
tr0ller's and Corporation Counsel's ofces elective
but also that OF Commissioner of Public Works and
two Of the present Commissions. BY this means
they hope to give an bipartisan look to the whole
AFFAIR and prevent Smiths alliance with Green
ing the latter anyhow. There will be lots OF fun,
as the boys say, when the amendments are intro
duccd.


THE woRKINGMEN's BILL


The bill, which was designed to define the
missions in the matter OF certain WORK on the
parks, roads and streets, created lively breeze
In the Assembly this afternoon. Mr.. Spencer
sc,er, which faea By the taa oppOsit,on 'n15i Of
In opposing the amendment Mr.. Coughln shook
The confidence in it OF certain OF the country men,
In speaking the SUBJECT @ he e. saId Durp0f'


hope tile amendment offered by my colleague,
MT. Spencer viii not prevail for the reason that
0On't tnlnk 1t ls any part OF the business OF the
Legislature OF this State to say who shall or who
shall not regulate and grade the streets and
the State. Tnat is a duty winch belongs
more properly to the Common Council. This was
to the city OF New York, and think that that in
strument, bOtched and incongruous as it is, bears
me out IN max making TINS assertion SO clear is 1t to
power to order this work to be done that am de-
clfedly OF the opinion that there would have
been any necessity Tor Offering this bill here If 1t
were not that our city Is unfortunately saddled with
. Mayor who is about twenty-five years behind
the age in which we live who has little or no sym
pathy with the working classes their sufrerlngs
and who allows his preferences for one department
Judgment in discriminating between them. Now
don't care who does this work; have no choice
between the department Of Parks or the Depart.
ment OF Public Works. It is enough for me to
know that the city needs the work, and that ny
setting It In operation 1t Will aord relief to some
resolution relative to the workingmen the
OF the Public Works i then called attention to
AZ being IN q position somewhat similar to
the work on the new CapltO. The ways
and Means Committee, to whom my res0-
luton was referred, very properly and promptly
drought in q bill which Will, no doubi
soon set the work on the Capitol IN opera
non, and gave it my hearty approval. This bill
SIMPLY proposes to carry out IN New York the good
work started here; and only object to the pro-
posed amendment because, first, thinE it Is be-
meath the dignity OF this Legislature TO go into the
business OF regulating and grading streets In any
CITY; and second, because am opposed to rob-
Dlng people OF their rights, as you certainly do
wme1 you make n the head Of department who IS
Couecii whose members are chosen by a direct
vote of the people,


The blll was, alter Mr.. Coughin's remarks and
the e69neerng OF the New YORK democrats,
nnay passeu, although not till alter Governor
AlvOrd nad intlmated that there was o corrupt
understanding between the Department OF Public
works anu ine common Council TO the power
OF designation" being given to the latter The
charge made quite sensation, but the Governor
not furnisning any good evidence Tor It, the excite
ment subssded. The following is the bill as it now
stands


AN ACT 10 amend an act IAN act in relation to
ekA nl ehA nxu