The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-03-16

The State Constitutional Convention.
The two branches of the State Legislature
have at length agreed upon a bill to provids
for the election Of delegates to the State Con-
stitutional Convention, and the Convention is
therefore to be held. The delegates are to be
elected by Senate districts, four in each dis
tlict, and thirty-two delegates at large are to
be chosen on q general ticket, sixteen only to
be voted for by each of the two great political
parties in the State. The right of suffrage in
the election for delegates is to be extended to
negroes; the election is TO be held ON the fourth
Tuesday in April, land the Convention is to
meet at the State capital on the first Tuesday
in June.
The people of the several districts should at
once set about selecting the best candidates
they can find to represent them in this inn
portant body. The questions involved are OF
grave interest, and upon the wisdom and
prudence with which they are considered
and decided will depend the prosperity OF
the State for many years to come. The
tenure of Office Of the judges will Of
course be changed. n.shhi l::cc sentiment de-
mands that the judiciary shall not be kept
down to the level of party politics The
courts must no longer be controlled by the
men who are most powerful at the polls, but
must be made Independent and fearless, so
that the name Of justice may not pass into
byword and a mockery. If good men are on
the bench they should be retained in Office,
and their appointments should be for life or
during good behavior. The legislative system
requires remodelling, all the salaries Of public
officers need to be increased, and the powers
of the Governor of the State must be enlarged.
The decentralization principle which moulded
the constitution OF 1916 has proved failure,
and concentration of power and direct re-
sponslbility to the people must take its place.
So far as the residents of New York are con-
cerned no duty that will devolvc upon the Con-
vention of Revision will be of more import
ance than that of providing . responsible
and efficient government for this city. AT
present the citizens are extravagantly
taxed and the city is mserably gov
erned. The elective branches and the State
commissions are constantly clashing; in the
absence of any controlling executive power
each independent department is expen-
sively managed, and order, efficiency and
economy are alike unknown. II is absolutely
necessary that the existing state Of affairs
should be changed, and that we'll considered
system, by which one executive head shall be
made directly responsible to the electors for
the good government of the city, should take
the place of the present disorganization and
confusion. This will no doubt occupy the
serious attention of the Convention, and there
is consequently no necessity for the passage of
any new laws for the city Of New York by the
present Legislature. They should all be re-
jected, whether relating to new boards, exist
ing commissions, railroads, or anything else,
and the whole subject be left to the Constitu.
tional Convention. When we get q well con-
sidered, efficient and responsible system Of mu-
nicipal government, it will be time enough to
reform existing evils and to provide for local
improvements