Year: 1873

At the afternoon session the consideration vi the
Charter was resumed, and on taking another recess
at p. m tho House had reached section .. Sew
eral amendments were proposed TO various sections
but were voted down. The majority even voted
down an amendment proposed by Mr.. McGuire,
which relieved section 81 from fatal constitutional
objection. The section provides that in case of
vacancy in the Office Of Mayor the President of the
Board Of Aldermen shall hold the Office of Mayor
till the expiration Of the term for which the Mayor
was elected. Nh Mcclure showed that should the
vacancy occur in the first year of the Mayors term,
the provision amounted TO a violation of article 10
section Of the constitution, but the majority re-
fused to change it,


At the opening of the evening session the House
took up section 25 which relates to the appointment
of heads Of departments Mr.. Opdyke presented
substitute for the article reported by the Com
mittee on Cities. The substitute was in printed
form and proved be the identical plan telegraphed
TO TIE TRIBUNE weeks ago. and again last even
ing, namely, TO give the appointment TO the
Board of Aldermen and the confirming power
TO the Mayor. good deal of surprise was man
ifested that Mr. Opdyke should offer such substi-
tute and still more surprise when he went to tell
;he House that twas compromise ON the objections
made in his minority report and that he was salts
fed with it. He then proceeded to justify or at
tempt TO Justify the manifest inconsistency OF his
conduct IN signing the minority report, and now
presenting himself as a volunteer champion OF
still worse Charter than the one he so
thoroughly exposed IN his minority report. He
utterly failed, however, to furnish any valid
reason for his sudden change Of front. aud was COM
PEELED to say in conclusion that be not satisfied
with the Charter he was advocating but thought 1t
would answer the purpose for the present, especially
as New-YoIkors did not know what they wanted. He
said they had read all the newspapers had said about
the Charter, but had failed to get any trustworthy
information on the subject.


Mr.. Jacobs expressed his astonishment that any
man should propose such a scheme for appointing
heads of departments as that contained III Mr.
Opdykes substitute. 1t was unprecedented and
ridiculous He called attention to what Mr. Opdy Ike
had said of the original provision in his minority re-
port and declared that the substitute proposed
was far more insulting and humlhating 70 Mayor
Havemeyer than the original He could not account
for the sudden change in Mr.. Opdyke's views, and
if any explanation Of 1t was possible he would Like
TO hear 1t.


Mr.. Opdyke responded by saying that he could
not detain the House by putting himself right on the
record for the benefit Of Mr.. Jacobs He thought he
had sufficiently explained himself in his previous
remarks and if Nj Jacobs did not understand him
be could not make il any clearer.


Mr. Blumenthal congratulated the House on the
conversion of his colleague and cosigner OF the mi
nority report and Mr.. Opdyke on the remarkable
renuncatOn OF bis principles. He called the atten-
ton Of Republican members TO the non-partisan
position taken by their party in the municipal cleo
tion last Fall, and read from the CustOmhouse or
gan and before the election. articles IN direct
contradiction 10 those now appearing il its columns.


Mr. Blumenthal continued in an elaborate argu-
ment against the principle and policy of Mr. Opdykes
I rube+itr+a nd offered amendment giving the
appointing power to the Mayor absolutely in accord
ance with the views of the Committee Of Seventy
and the understanding of the people who elected
Nj. Havemeyer.


Nj Clark advocated the substitute of Nh Opdyke
and thought il gave the Mayor all the power be
ought 10 have He did not believe in partisan
Government; such thing was an impossibility and
only existed in theory. All the people asked for
was good Government, and this he had no doubt the
Republican party and this Republican Legislature
would give them.


Mr.. Jacobs then addressed the House in half
hours speech in opposition TO the Opdyke substitute
exposing in the most effective manner the injustice
and inconsistency of the Charter and the hypocrisy
of the men who have the haTdihood to represent 1t
as a reform measure"


They knew and all men knew that it was measure
framed solely in the interest Of political party and
intended solely to secure the spos Of office. The men
who presented it had repudated the principles pro-
posed by them in the last election and cast aside the
candidate of their own selection because he adhered
to those principles Having achieved victory by
false pretenses they now propose to seize upon the
city whose people they have deceived, and distrib
ute among themselves the official spoils of the great
est municipality in the country, although the party
TO which they belong is in a small minority there.
He alluded in sarcastic terms TO the subservency
to the CustOm-hOuse party displayed by Hustled
Alberger and Others who so fercely denounced that
party at the beginning of the session. As to Mr..
Opdyke he had made political mistake that he
would rue to the latest day Of his life He charged
that the Charter was concerted by secret caba and
the men who were to fill the offices provided by it
were already selected by a ring 1t useless to
make any opposition TO the DEGREES of this ring.


The Charter would passl as concOcted by them.
Let them have it, and make the most Of it. But
let them not come into this Legislature with their
infamous schemes of political jobbery and demand
their passage under the hypocrtical cry Of Re-
FORM Their success would be short-ved, and
before twelve months have rolled round, the people
of New-York would rise in majesty aud expel them
from their fIaudulently gotten power


Mr. PiersOn made a heated reply TO Mr. Jacobs
accusing him of having been for years serviceable
instrument Of the Tammany Ring in the Legislature
and the head and front of corrupt and demoralizng
ring in Brooklyn TO all of which Jacobs retorted by
saving that Person did not know what he was talking
about for If there was anything for which he
Jacobs was noted it was his opposition to Rings"
of all kinds in New-YOrk or Brooklyn. He had
suffered many times politically because of his refusal
to obey the rings in his own party.


Mr. Alberger also replied to Jacobs by calling to
mind the jobs passed in the Legislature by the Tam