Year: 1870

GENTLEMEN OF THE COMMON CoUNcrL:-
Your accession this day to ofice completes the
very thorough and acceptable reorganization OF our
municipal government under recent legislation
Details Of that reorganization have been so fully dis
cussed by the public press that 1t would prove
wasteof your time for the Mayor to make extended
reference to them. BY the legislative plan OF reorgan
ization the p overs OF former Common Councils
have been in various respects limited Some OF those
powers have been distributed among the executive
departments, and others OF them have been modified
yet kept within your control.


POWERS OF MINORITY.


The numerical proportion OF votes necessary to
give effect to certain of your has been in
creased Any four Of your number may now defeat
any ordinance or resOu tion which involves the ex-
pendlture OF money. Any three OF your number
may prevent the expenditure OF money for celebra-
tons, professions or entertainments. And any one
OF your number may deny an allowance over and
above the technical legal claim OF corporation
creditor.


STREET OPENINGS


The consideration OF street openings below Canal
street has been taken away from the Common Coun-
Gil and placed in q Board composed OF the Mayor
Comptroller, Commissioner OF Public Works and the
commissioners OF Taxes and Assessments. 1t is no
longer requisite for the Clerk OF the Common Coun.
cll to sign city warrants. The Common Council no
longer iegisate about the repair, care and use OF
docks, wharves, piers and slips.





The late jurisdiction Of the Common Council to
designate newspapers in which to publish corpora
Comptroller, who this day-as far as they
were able 10 agree upon selection from among the
number Of newspapers so embarrassingly limited by
staute-have put the new provision mo operation.
To show how peremptory In terms and embarrassing
in limitatlon the section reads it Is here quoted:-


All sS for the aea city hereafter
street and assessment proceedings shall be published
more than seven daily and SIX weekly newspapers, printed
O
time by the Mayor and Comptroller Of said city, shall
money advertising hereafter made or incurred Of any
aeh and such oeer sno Or
any such payment shall become personally liable for
INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF DEPARTMENTS
The jurisdiction OF the Common Council to pass
an ordinance regulating the internal affairs of any
Of the departments or OF bureau, or the duties OF
Officers or prescribing the number OF persons to he
employed in departments, or OF increasing their sal
aries cannot hereafter exercised unless the head
OF the department TO be affected by such ordinance
shall first make affirmative applcation to you In
writing Tor the same; -


The Common Council cannot authorize the repay
ing OF streets win any patent or special pavement
affected by the process shall have previously con-
sented to such action. And by the majority or the
property owners the Mayor understands numerical
majority OF individual owners, irrespective of the
superficial extent OF lots they may own.


On the other hand the legislative powers OF the
Common Council have been extended. Until recent
statutes the power of the Common Council to enact
ordinances was OF confusing and general charac-
ter. Oitentimes In the past when ordinances were
enforced by penalties, criticism had to be met in
courts that the Common Council had usurped power
by enactng the very ordinances whose enforcement
was sought The new powers are succinctly grouped
in the twenty-seven subdivisions OF section twenty
one o. the act reOrganiZlng our local government.


REVISION OF THE CITY ORDINANCES.


The Mayor recommends that, without delay, the
appropriate committee OF the Common Council re-
port revised volume OF City ordinances, adapting
Old ones TO new eXigencies and adding those Tor
which power mas been given under the act. In view
OF the probable action OF such committee the Corpo-
ration Counsel the Corporation Attorney, the Mayor
and the vario heads OF departments nave already
accomplished much toward maturing system OF
improved ordinances.


THE REORGANIZATION OF THE DEPARTMENTS


It VIII become your province, by appropriate legis-
latiOn, to carry into effect the following provision
contained In the recent act reorganzing the local
government


o2 Whatever provisions and regulations other
for the fuller organizations pertecng and carrying of
hey shall be provided for by oTdaapce OF the Common nS
Council who are hereby authorized to enact such
The various executive departments OF the city gov
ernlnent nave been adjusting their machinery dur
VIII work together harmOni0usly and effectively.
The departments have not, however, been long
enough in existence TO furnish you now with useful
reports, or FOR the Mayor to give you recommenda-
tions about them. In due time reports and recon-
mendaI;ons VIII be presented for your legislative
CONSIDERATION.


REPRESENTATION.


The Mayor invites your particular attention to an
improvement attained in your organization by pro-
vision that the Board OF Aldermen shall be elected
from the city at large. The interests of the city
as metropolis VIII hereafter be perfectly
represented. Hitherto those interests suffered
1rom local Jealousles. Unless an Alder
man from ward consented to legislation
that Immediately affected his locality, courtesy
from associates seemed to dictate that his Opposi-
tion should prevail against 1t, and thus give and
take policy was instituted III consequence among the
Aldermen IL Is, OF course, necessary to protect To-
calites against unjust legislation Now, as hereto
fore, Localities are represented in the Board of As
sstant Aldermen whose action will prove, undOubt
edy, to be sufficient local protecJon against the
0vershauowng influence OF city interests at large.


Ii will become, therefore, more especially the pro-
vince OF the Board Of Aldermen TO initiate measures
which tend TO Oster the aggregate prosperity and to
promote the general welfare OF the whole city; and
Of the Board of Assistants to oversee that taxpayers
III small districts are notinured in their local rights


GOOD RECOMMENDATIONS.


The Mayor respectfully suggests that your COM
meetings, and invite discussions upon all matters
appropriate for your consideration Also that your
committees make frequent visits to the heads OF de-
partmentS In order to obtain from time time their
views and wishes respecting such legislation as may
assist them in fully satisfying public wants. Also
that resolutions be speedily passed for the repavng
OF large number OF streets and giving appropriate
authority for the construction OF sewers


The Mayor also respectfully calls your attention to
two prior messages, which contain great number
Of recommendations that, so far as the public press
by favorable comments upon them seemed TO reflect
the wishes OF constituents appear still invre
the attention of the Common Council.


A. OAKEY HALL, layor