New-York tribune., 1867-05-16
THE RAILROAD SUBSIDY Bills
VETO BY GOV FEHTOR. 1. fr
srATE OF NEW YORK, EXECUTIVE pEPAkTAEEr,

-, ALBANY, May is, 1861. )
me Hon, FRANCS C. BARLOW, Secretary Of State:
DEAR SIR: Near the close OF the recent session OF
the Legislature the bills herewith submitted were pre-
sented for my approval in which provision is made ior
extending the of the State TO railroad corporations IN
modes not hitherto adopted In view Of the novelty OF
the forms of relief proposed and the Importance OF inc
interests involved think it due to the public to make
brief statement Of the considerations which control my
action in regard to these bills. T.. -.-
transmit to you without my signature the bill en-
titled An act to encourage and aid the building OF ran
roads"
This is q bill appropriatlng public moneys to an unde
fined amount-not exceeding s5OOoOoto encourage and
aid companies duly organized in the construction or com
pleton OF railroads. and adding TO the state tax one
third Of mill for that purpose. Its important PROVISIONS
SsS Whenever any railroad company companies duly
complete 20 continuous. miles Of arad IN any part q the s
an average distance q 10 s the railroad company
soSS !" S psa s1s upoa the %arrnt Of tie Controller per
each mile 80 eonstrud provided mat no snsn & and
saeyo that the said road and 10 good EaTn1g n soaaps 20 VII & %
portions any aod organized and in process Of construction 40
hsy Ger be constructed OF soEp petsd
,Sn s % real 60 aas s % sssg' 'a
SEQ eco bah te levied collected the collector Of taxes
Treasury by county to the credit Of the general faP
@ is t a sf a e & sSm 5rsS appropriated for public psse
aid in the construction Of rsrOaS Iss cG0,T % tde. na % & ~
morey shall required 70 pay M the work herein authorized
.As within days P.s1ge oi as &c vim the state
hp and 10 Hf n s y and ' on the
1862 and in meanng the state Engineer and Surveyor shah
Tbs a % and a1 % s sS SSS 1s s @ SaG @ az
orDg The auGbe Of completed nhs according 70 Tue terms ~
The practical effect Of the bill is to direct the levy of
State tax sC0OCo and to offer that sum as bounty 70
any and all railroad corporations who may chOOse 10
comply with its provisions by constructing or liz
the construction Of 20 continuous hies OF rahfou m
amount TO be paid TO any particular company as wen ~
the amount be paid the companies IN the aggrege
is not determined. It is not, however IN any event 10
exceed the of s5ooOOc The corporations to WHOM
the gift s to he apportioned are not asceraea d
TO be given them respectively are III IL
the of the tax to be levied OH tue peopeoi c
state is uncertain except as TO ts ~ the
locality or utility Of the roads the necessity OF state ad
in building them, or the wealth and resources OF te
corporptions engaged in their construction.
The bill my judgment is In connlct win inc prosi
ions of State Constitution The eighth section III the
seventh article OF that lnsruniehb ptoNlues a' ~,
money shall be paid out of the treasury except ia pur
OF appropriation by law ana tnat every nw
tho appropriated and the object To which u 10 o
applied; and it shall not be sufficient Tor sngh Jaw 10
refr 10 any other law fix such sum-" The thirteenth
section Of the article provides that every law
which imposes tax shall distinctly state the TAX, G anu m
the object TO which is to be applied ard II sha not De
sufficient 10 refer 70 any other law 10 nx such laA vi
object" -., l., ..., ,, ,ha
Language in the 18th section prohibiting the CONTRACTING
any debt behalf OF the State unless such DEBT sha pe
authorized by law FOR some single WORK UT opec' " W
distinctly specified therein. - -, o.,
II obviously the purpose OF the trainers OF inc Con
Ss SgYI Hy " SrnS aa 1ng the particular
proprat9d and distinctly specifying the particular OBJ
iects 20 which they are 10 be applied. a., -,
They declare that ii should not be enough even that te
specific cect sum be distinctly dehned by law unless
SO defined in the particular act making the appropriation
In this case there not only such distinct speecaton
but there is none Ia any other law Inc particular sus
10 be paid and the particular objects to which hey are ~
be applied depend the future pleasure Of the Vallon
railroad corporations, and not on precise declaration
the bl of the present Will OF the Legislature II Is MOI
sufficient say that the appropriated by the OlI
though indefinite, will be made definite by the sub
seuucnt action Of the several railroad .comaIes th
would be TO defeat the actual purpose OF the prohibition
IL is not 10 the objections to say tha
though the specific objects To which the particular SUM
are 10 be applied distinctly stated in the bill there
statement Of the general purpose of the Legislature
1t intended to guard against by the constitutional
provisions the appropriation Of public moneys Io
general Objects not specifically defined in the body OF the
prOpOsed9ct and the remedy was 10 require the partcu
lar objects be stated and submitted 10 each upon ts
own merits Ia the deliberate Judgment OF the Legisla
Entertaining these views cannot afA my sigma
The bills In aid of the construction of the Oswego and
Midland and of the Southern Central Railroads respect
lively, provide for the exemption from local 3i
issued In aid OF those objects, when held or owned oy
those residing in the counties through which the roads
Il may well be questioned whether would be wise Il
adopt the policy OF eXelnptIng securities Oh tiis ciS
in common with other property; ana IL Is not wtnou
hesitation that have concluded 10 ainA
ture TO those bills. The enterprises which they arr
designed aid menorous and the early cOmpletOI
Of the roads Is o seaI beH % dSnSes 1 add largely
the valuation OF property subject 10 general GAaon
az nd ses y the TO b snrf in Vor of e oc eSepOn
proposed No exemption is asked in regard To State tax
alton. H.. -.
In view OF these considerations, and without commit
ting myself To any future action In cases not present
ing the same special aspects, think my uy 10 up
prove these bills. X. T. fENroA'
BILLS SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR.
The Ready bill. in relation to tenement houses. was
signed on Tuesday afternoon IL authorizes the Board OF
Health require perfect system of ventilation In
such houses and to forbid, after lnext year, the
letting OF cellars and underground apartments for resi-
dences Mr. Ready, though Democrat, did not secure
the vote OF his comparisons for the measure Ie num-
ber OF bills already signed Is about nine hundred anu
twenty seventy eighty more will be taken up as soon
the Governor has an opportunity The Olll enargug
signed In addition TO the 'ODonnell Railroad bill.'
two other bills one relating to the licenses ana angt
and the other relating to similar shops in the Frontier
Police District have also been disapproved.
TIE STATE TAX
The State tax is sure he iS2OS mills on the dollar
and will embrace the following items Uses OF general
fund 2t mills; bounty debt sinking fund, mills; free
schools IL mills; canal certificate debt sinking fund
mill susguehnnna Railroad grant Si6 mill; whitehall
and Plattsburg Railroad grant ll3 mill awards Tor canal
damages, mill All the other measures fell through
The ascertain the amount OF local indebted
ness has not proved quite successful but the figures all
ready obtained are enormous II oppears from al the
Counties and already reported that their indebted
ness amounted 10 $iss 100000 The Counties however.
have hurried qudate il by the most monstrous taxa
ton ever known outside OF monarchlcal Government
In one County the aggregate nine and onehalf per
cent four others exceed five per cent They have been
successful TO reduce the aggregate TO 2o9oo in
these towns and Counties These be debts for
the debt OF City and County not much lower
than $4e,O000 900. ....
PLANS FOR THE CAPITOL.
The Commissioners have been in session for the last
week considering the various plans submitted for the
new Captol. The Commissioners on Tuesday finally
resolved to reject all the original plans and make the
following awards the following persons, in considera
ton OF the labor bestowed the respective plans sub
ioitted The plans are claimed the property OF the
state and subject to be adopted in whole or In part as