Year: 1873

THE CUSTOM HOUSE LEADERS IN COUNCIL -


PLANS FOR CHECKMATISG SENATORIAL OP-


POSITION rs NEW CHATTER REALLY


wANTED9


ALBANY. March 12.-Thos. Murphy, L. S. Collector
Arthur IT, s. District Attorney Geo. Bliss. ir.. and
e. S. Commissioner John l. Davenport, have been
in consultation all day, at the Deeyan House. try
ing 70 agree on such amendments TO the Charter az
will render il acceptable to the Senate, or rather
make il possible 10 pass it through that DOdy anu
prevail on the Governor 10 sign it, Ii is certain thas
four ont of the seven members cf the Committee on
Cities refuse 20 report il with the 18th section az s
now stands One Of them Senator Benedict refuses
TO vote for any charter that does not retain the
Board of Assistant Aldermen. A plan Las, there-
fore been proposed. and has been under dlscussioh
in the conference at the Delevan since the arrival OK
the aboye-named gentlemen. last evening 10 change
the 18th section 80 as to give the appointing power
10 the Mayor the President of the Board of Alder
men. and the President of the Board of Assistant
Aldermen Jointly. As the two latter are RepnD-
licans and supposed 10 be in sympathy with the
trainers of the Charter il is thought that their OBJ
jcct can be attained in this way quite as ehectualy
as by the Opdyke plan embodied in the 2jth secti0n


In either case the voice Of the Mayor in the appoint
ment of heads of departments would be a nHilIty-
and the Bliss Davenport plot would be carried out
by the latter in the appointments


Ii is also believed that this device would capture
Senator Benedict bv yielding to his prejudice IN
favor of a Board of Assistant Aldermen, and thus
secuTe a majority report in favor OF the Charter
Some of the leaders, however object to any change
of the 18th section, and insist upon putting the
Charter through as it stands by political pressure
and the use of money if necessary and, in case they
fail upon passing charter at all, and thus throw
ing the responsibility the independent Republi-
cans and Democrats together As previously stated
in these dispatches they would much rather les
things remain they are, than have any charter
pass that does not TO them the control OF all
the Offices With their present control of the Depart
ment of Public Works the Corporation Counsels
office and the police, they say they arc better OIL
than they would be under any charter that gave
Mayor Havemeyer the power Of appointment. Then
only stumbling block is Controller Green, and they
could easily get rid OF him by creating Board oi
Finance.


IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE


Messrs Murphy, Arthur, aud Bliss have returned
TO New-York without consentng TO any material
amendment to the Charter it passed the Assem-
bly, So far as the twenty-fth section IS concerned
they positively refuse 10 accept any amendment
whatever that shall change the method
of appointing heads of departments prescribed
therein. They say they are willing TO be
held accountable for the Charter as Il
stands, but if any material amendments are
made in it they wash their hands Of ali RESPONSE
bility for a charter for New-York. and leave the
Legislature TO make such charter as they please
II seems that the reason for their refusal TO adopt
the plan of giving the appointments 10 the Mayor
the President of the Board of Aldermen, and tie
President of the Board of Assistant Aldermen il
that the latter gentlemen, though Republican is
not in sympathy with them.


The impression is gaining ground here that thesd
men are not really desirous Of having new charoE
at all certainly not unless it be such a one as VIII
secure absolute control of the Offices TO themselves
At the same time they do not like 70 take the respon-
sibility of defeating a charter, and 50 they tena-
cOusy adhere TO provisions of the Charter
which they know cannot pass the Senate
and probably would not be approved by
the Governor. hoping to cast upon others
the odium of giving the city no Charter at this
session. They were told distinctly that majority
of the Senate Committee on Cities opposed to
the twenty-ifth section and would refuse TO report
il favorably and that it could pass the Senate
even if they did report il, but they peremptoy re-
fused TO suggest any amendment or To accept any
suggested by Others


The majority of the Committee do not desire 10
smother measure of this importance by refusing
to report it, and they will therefore consent to report
il for the consideration of the Senate, express
ing at the same time their dissent
from the 18th section. This viii bo
done as soon as the Chairman, Mr. Woodn,
RECEIVERS so as to be able attend meeting OF tie
Committee. Unless the Republican leaders III New
York come down from the high and uncompro-
missing stand they have taken and accept an amend
ment of the 18th section and the retention OF the
Board of Assistant Aldermen, it is doubtful. from
present appearances whether any Charter vii pass
this Legislature.