To understand the condition to which the Central Park would sink if its management should be placed in the hands of the city officials, it is only necessary to contrast its present perfect condition with the slovenly state of the other city parks.

As regards the Central Park, the mayor, in his message of January 1st, 1866, says: "The Central Park is one of those great publie improvements demanded by the spirit of the age, and contributes greatly to the comfort and happiness of all our citizens. It yields no revenues, but, like all other great improvements, contributes to the power and prosperty of the city, of which it is so great an ornament."

2d. Metropolitan Fire Department, $870,000.

The members of this board are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate.

3d. Metropolitan Police, $2,270,984.70.

The members of this board are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate.

In 1866 the amount received by the department for New York was $2,421,839.67.

In 1866 the amount expended was $2,338,406.70.

4th. Metropolitan Board of Health, $225,000.

The members of this board are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate.

In 1866 the amount expended was $102.587.93.

Thus we have the sum of $3,705,764.63 disbursed by what are called "irresponsible commissions;" and if we add to this $186,876 for construction of Harlem bridge, $100,000 for the Commissioners of Record, and $181,465.69 for additions by the Legislature, we have a grand total of $4,174,106.32 to be thus disbursed.

Now the interest on the county, war, riot and other debt, payable from taxation, was $870.559.88.

The interest on the city debt, payable from taxation, was $1,253,530.26.

The portion of the city debts payable from taxation was $277,382.21.

The aggregate of the principal and interest thus to be paid was $2,401,472.35.

Now, if we add this $2,401,472.35 to the $4,174,106.32 to be spent by commissions, we have $6,575,578.67. Subtracting this from the $15,926,134.35 for city and county purposes for 1866, we have a balance of $9,350,555.68 under the absolute control of the local government, in part as follows:

1st. General expenses of the city under the direct control of the common council elected by the people, $3,908,582.68.

2d. General expenses of the county under the direct control of the Board of Supervisors elected by the people, $1,757,780.

We quote from the report of the finance committee of the Board of Aldermen, February 27th, 1867. The committee says: "In estimating the amount expended by State agencies in this city, it is not, in the opinion of your committee, at all out of place to include the whole county expenditure under that head, as the present county legislative body is nothing more nor less than a State commission, composed of members, half of whom are elected by the people, the other half of whom are appointed by the mayor, after the useless formality of receiving the vote of a minority of the electors of the county, no matter how small the minority may be, the minority members being vested with the same rights, powers and prerogatives possessed by the legally elected members of the board."

It will surprise our people to know that the Board of Supervisors is a commission; if, however, it be a commission, it is one which all the friends of reform will most cordially unite in having abolished

at once.

The only effect of altering the manner of its election, would be to constitute such board all of one political party, instead of as now, of two; the reasons for the abolition of the Board of Supervisors will be given in another communication.

So far, we have seen that $5,666,362.68 is under the control directly of the Board of Supervisors and Common Council elected by the people.

3d. Public Charities and Correction, $1,067,889.08.

The Commissioners of Charities and Correction are responsible to the people of the city through an elected Comptroller who appoints them. We do not know that any one now proposes that all heads of department should be elective; the furthest to which the advocates of so-called local self-government go at present, is to demand for the mayor the appointment of such heads. These commissioners. are as much local officers as the Street Commissioner or City Chamberlain, or other heads of department not elected.

The Comptroller is an elective officer, and is responsible for the appointments he makes.

4th. Public Instruction, together with the expense of the College of the city of New York, $2,539,327.54.

These expenditures are under the supervision of the Board of Education, elected by the people of this city.

Thus it will be seen that the money raised for city and county purposes was to be spent as follows:

1st. By Common Council, elected by the people,. $3,908,582 68 2d. By Board of Supervisors, elected by the

4th. By Board of Education, elected by the people,

2,539,327 54

$9,273,579 30

5th. By the State Boards or Commissions,

$4,174,106 32

It will be seen that $9,273,579.30 was under the direct control of the local ballot-box, leaving but $4,174,106.32 under the control of so-called "irresponsible commissions."

Again, the real point to be attained is efficient and economical government; the question of practical import should not be who spends the money, but how is that money spent; and what do the people obtain for it; and if it be found that the money under the control of the commissioners is judiciously economically and honestly spent, then there is no cause of complaint against them; and if the disbursement of their money shows no such improper conduct as is manifested in the matters under the control of the Common Council and Board of Supervisors, then, in the commissioners we have attained the best form of government, practicable at present.

THE POLICE COMMISSION.

For the year beginning November 1st, 1865, and ending Novem ber 1st, 1866, the expenses for the city of New York amounted to $2,338,406.70, as follows:

There are now employed on the police the following number of

It will thus be seen that the great burden of the expense of the police is for the pay of the force.

The only questions that can be asked are: Is the force in this city too large? and is the pay too great? Of this sum of $2,338,406.70, about $2,240,183.30 was for payment of salaries of the force, alone, leaving about $98,223.40 for other expenses.

In the great cities of Europe policemen are employed at the rate of one to every 500 of the population. In this city the rate is about the same, with no standing army to aid it.

The main point is, can the opponents of this commission show any fraud or extravagance, or violation of law, in the management of its funds? It cannot be expected that the police can prevent every crime. Their efficiency to act in time of great danger was admirably shown in the July riots of 1863.

Great care is used in the selection of men. They are thoroughly disciplined, and held up to a strict and absolute performance of duty. That a few bad men creep into a force of over 2,000 men, is as a matter of course to be expected, but upon the whole the force is composed of men in every way well calculated for and zealous in the discharge of their duty. The better class of the community is entirely satisfied that their lives and property should be left under the protection of the present Commissioners, and would deprecate any change of system whereby the force could again come under the control of local politicians.

In addition to ordinary police duty, the department is the execu tive arm of the Board of Health and the Board of Excise; for it is by its energetic, prompt and efficient action alone that the city receives over one million dollars per annum for excise fees, instead of the paltry amount of less than $20,000 of previous years received by local officers.

It would not be safe to give this control of the police to a local officer, because by the improper use of so large a force such local officer could insure his continuance in office for a succession of terms. The polls could be under his control, for each man on the force would feel that his continuance in office depended upon his political efforts. If it be said the police are likely to be used in support of a particular State ticket, suffice it to say that the area of voting being so much greater, the influence of such improper action is far less felt, but in the local elections it would be supreme. The Commissioners of police should be entirely independent of their men, to insure respect and efficiency. If their positions are made dependent upon one who, in turn, would be in so great measure dependent upon the men forming the force, that independence is destroyed,