New-York daily tribune., 1858-12-20

The new Legislature of our Stats, which is soon
to assemble at Albany, will find itself confronted
by grave responsibilities. The necessity of pro-
,iding for the immediate completion Of our Public
Works is urgent and palpabe, while the Financial
condition of our State is such as 70 rem Ter the duty
as onerous as il is imperative. To increase taxes,
no mstter how clear the necessity, is to arouse
prejudice and provoke hostility. The more igno-
rant and stold the taxpayer, the easier is he to be
convinced that the enhanced tax is an imposition
and fraud-that il is levied to III the pockets OF
those in power rather than TO .ubserve great
public interest or discharge pressing public OBJ
legation. The Republicans Of our State fId the
Csn,ls nearly finished, yet requiring additional
means to secure their prompt completion as well
as to pay for work already done; and their only
course is to DO the work and pay the deb! by en-
banced tax,tion This will afford promising and
coveted opportunity for knayes who know right
well that 10 other course is practicable, but who
know also that the ignorant will not see and
the niggardly will not realize this-will realize
only that they have more to pay next year than
last and will lend greedy ear to the suggestion
that this is the consequence Of Republican as
cendancy, and Republican prodigality or proai-
gacy. But letus be able to say to the People, "The
completion Of the canals is provided for-you
fare to have done with paying contractors and en-
"gineers, estimates and extra allowances, forth
with and we shall not fear the ordeal.
But il is essentially in view of this heavy respon-
sbility, that our new Legislature shall study the
most rigorous economy in all thines-in its appro-
priations its timc and it's Incidental expenses. II
it be possible 70 make the session short one,
that circumstance wonld be hailed with satis-
faction by the whole Republican constituency. As
TO grants to colleges and charitable institutions,
they cannot now be considered, but must await a
more prosperous condition of tho State Finances.
A new Office or an increased salary is not to be
thought Of. And, in view of the urgency aud i'm
portance Of the public measures to be mstured and
acted on, we submit that the forty or fifty score Of
"priyate bills" so called, should remain very pri
vate this Winter-should stand over in batch to
another session. There is not time TO consider
them-there is not money to be devoted TO /" the
"relief Of" this or that petitioner. Let them
all lie over in lump, and no one can complain
An act providing for the Registration Of the
the Legal Voters Of our State, in their several
municipalities ard election districts, is most ex-
plictly and emphstically demanded. The protec
ton of the purity of the ballot-box requires it;
the public voice imperatively calls for it, To
frame and perfect such an act is a work Of con-
siderable difficulty, requiring thought talent and
experience. We trust it will nevertheless be done,
and so well done that it will withstand every
effort to overthrow it.
There is great need also Of legislative action
with reference to the Liquor Traffic. The present
law is yitally defective in that ii does not provide
efficiently for the execution Of its penal clauses.
AT least Six Thousand dram-shops are daily cor
rupting our City in defiance Of its explicit inhibi-
tionr. while the Sunday Traffic and the sale Of
drueced or adulterated Liquors go on brazeny
in violation of its special and wholesome interdcs.
Practically, the Liquor Traffic, in oil our cities,
proclams itself above law and regardless of law.
1t is neither right nor seenly that this should be
endured Twenty or thirty thousand voters most
of them heads of families living in daily and open
violation of law, supporting their households on the
fruits OF such violation, are the natural allies of
other law breakers, while their houses the dens
of decentralization and the nurseries of crime. If
these are 10 be allowed to persevere unchecked in
their evil courses, il will be mahifestly unjust to
punish other law-breakers, who are mainly their
pupils, their yotaries, aud ultimately their victims.
Three courses with regard TO the Liquor Traffic
are open to the Legislature. |. To abolish al re-
strctye legislation, make the business free as air,
and welcome every one who will to share in the
harvest of death: 3 To prohibit the Traffic utterly
and infexibly: 3. To preserve the License System,
but endeayor to render it more stringent and
effective. The first Of these courses seems to US
out Of the question. There never so far as We are
aware. has been even considerable minority ia
our Legislature in favor Of absolute Free Trade in
liquid posons. Az to inhe1ibe Prohibition We
regard that as precluded by the spirit of the de-
cision Of our Court of Appeals which oTerthrew
our Maine Law, and BY the diff culties iuterposed
by that decision in the gay Of making any Pro-
hibitory measure operative. Absolute Prohibition
We regard as the best and most bene6cent mode OF
dealing with the Liquor Traffic but Prohibition
which is merely verbal Prohibition known only
to the statute book-a Prohibition defed and sub.
yerted on every street-corDer and in every village
seems to us mos. undesirable. Yet such, in view
of the ruling of our hiehes. Court. is the Only
Prohibition now attainable.
We trust, therefore, thai Our new Legislature