New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-04-19
THE STATE CONSTITUTION.


events, theOretc one. The present OOstlVuVh ms io
semote ancestry in the eighteenth century, and looking
even further back wo fd traces of It's origin About two
hundred and fifty years have gone by since civilization
began to govern what Is known as New-YOrk In
that all sorts OF nagnates and powers have rnIedl
The Amsterdam Chamber and the line OF Dutch Cover
nors OF whom the warl Peter Stuyvesant was chcf'
introduced the despotc immortal system into the Cons
tuition Of the colony relics Of which foudasm have re-
tuaned 70 perpex the state long after the system IL
self ceased to exist But in about 1876, the enlightened
.6tuyvesant planted his executive foot firm on inc P
cple OF Taxation by Consent" and elective government
was permitted the people Of Manhattan ana an"oen'
being directed choose nine men, nine other 10
be chosen by Governor and Council, to act as trustees
for the people whenever lawfully called together "heh
IN 1905 the English seized the Colony It's organ1aoh was
composed OF royalty appointed Governor Win aDsou'o
veto power Lieutenant also appointed Dy INC
Crown; council Of L. general assembly, ana attorney
general general and auditorgenera all electeu
Inv the King There existed in the year 1858, Court OF
Sessions for every county also Court Of oyer and Ter
miner and Chancery Court and beside this Court OF Tx
ohoauer court held monthly sessions in every town.
and there was also Court of Admiralty Trial by jury
was established in 1911 IN all courts but those OF Justices
Of the peace Courts Of common pleas and supreme
court OF iudcature (which had excheGuer and oyer ana
t-rmner duty) were decreed about this time court OF
assze was then considered the court OF last resort
court Of appeals made its app earance in lC In 1885,
general assembly OF delegates had It's existence oDe
lent to the refusal OF the towns TO be taxed without
some sort of Representations On the 10Th OF Juy
provincial congress assembled under the style OF Inc
5nveDton of Representatives OF the state OF New fork
aud unanimously ratified the Declaration OF Independ
From this eonySntcn LroceGd5eGd m AnT
but never submitted TO the people; ~, .n ,oo,+,o
power in Assembly and Senate and to check careless
and precipate legislation. it provided for Council OF
Judges Of the Supreme Court any two Of them with the
Governor, making quorum for business Inc aegSabe
strict twOthirds vote Of all its members but sRod Ine
Legislature adjourn before the end OF ten specified days
the Council were TO return the vetoed Dill on he rst G
OF next sesson-a provision obviously unpopular. SNent1
members duly apporoned constituted the Assehpy, H1
census was required every seven years Every male aaut
inhabitant, six mounths county resident win rec
hdd OF 500 9r renting tenement OF forty sihigs an
nual vaus ind paying taxes could vote Tor Assembly
men, after taking an oath TI 70 four Districts Of
the state, according to their popuahon me soutnGrn
sio eht Vote for Senators whose term Of office was
-four years The number Of Senators was never 10 eX
coed 100 nor Representatives TO exceedSOo The Cover
nor elected by plurality Of votes, to be General
and Admiral could and prorogue the Leglsla
ture for time not more than 60 days; eouu
aud pardOns except In cases Of treason and
ne could only suspend sentence tl the LeSat9e v0u
be advised; was empowered TO Correspond Nlt IT'S
aud other States, and to do general executive du ING
senate could elect acsnt The
Legislature elected Treasurer and oieers whose 9l
was mot %h w made Of
senator from each District, chosen annually by the AS
nomination in each Of the Legislature or by Joint
Convention but the Federal G4nsusSIon ssIS Ss
ana County Court Judges, held during good beha-
yiOr aud were ineligible srafeS 5AsS ehate 1t
Courts, aud Leo -sed accordingly Sorffs and Coronets
appointed yearly Town officers were elected Inc
forbidden and English common law and local laws too
necessary to abolish, were continued IN force. -
chosen'in the Same manner Congressman The power
OF impeachment vested IN the Assembly, vote OF
and majority of the Supreme Judges constituted a
court for the trial Of impeachment and tho correction OF
The next Constitutional Convention was held in 1901
its main purpose being enlarge the Legislature and TO
define nrcestiy the powers of The Council of Appoint
ment The amendments adopted by this convention
made the Senate consist of 80 members, and the Assem-
Div OF 100 and not to exceed l5O two members being
added TO 1T at each census. The nomination OF all
declared vested coneurreny in the Governor and in
each Of the members OF the Council OF Appointment.
Aaron Burr was President Of this Convention.
CONVENTION OF 1921.
The state Convention for the revision OF the Consttu
ton held August, 1s2l authorized by an act OF
Assembly. passed March 1 1921 and amended April Of
the same year. The Enabling Act provided in the first
section that at the regular annual election held the
last Tuesday In April 1921 the people should vote Con-
setion OF Contention" they might eeet and that
all free male citizens this state of the age Of2 years
upward who shall possess freehold within this State,
who shall have been actually rated and paid lakes to
the State or who shall actually enrolled in the
militia OF this State, legal volunteer uniform
CORPS aud shall have served therein either officer
private who shall have BEEN exempt by
law from taxation militia duty, who shall have
been assessed to work On ths public roads or hghway
communication therefor, according to law shall be allowed
during the three days Of such election, 10 vote by ballot
aforesaid in the town ward in which they shall have
actually resided.
THUS the question Of Convention or no Convention was
settled by impartial suffrage. The act further pro-
sided that in the people voted TO lave Convention
delegates 20 said Convention should be elected The
third Tuesday in June that the number of delegates
should bc the tie number OF members Of Assem
bly, from the respective cities and counties Of tie state
and the qualifications for voters shall he required
on the election for delegates as Is presented IA the frst
section Of the act; and that al persons entitled TO vote
should he eligible 10 be elected"
Under the PROV sons OF tnis act election was held
wherein the people decided by their ballots that Con
venon should be held and, accordingly, election for
la most cOuuteS the State, the selection Of
delegates the Convention had been made party qGes
ton and ma ority Of those elected OF the Demo
cratic party. The following, among the party leaders in
the state we're the abest sent by strict Democratic
party vote to the Conventions Daniel d. TOmpkins Rufus
King, Nathan Sanford. Jacob Radcin, William Paulding,
williams John Duer. SAMUEL Nelson, Martin Van Buren,,
Samuel Young, Jacob sutherland, Erastus Root:
Among the most distinguished in the opposition 10 the
Democrats were Gen. stephen Rensselaer, Chsucel-
Tor Kent, CefJusticc Ambrose Spencer Abraham
Van Vochten, Judge william W. Van Ness, Elisha vii
lams j. r. Van Ressselear, Peter a. JAY Judge Patt,
and Ezekiel Bacon
Gen. James Tallniadge and Peter Il. Livingston, two
most distn guted citizens but life loDg political Oppon
ents, delegates to the Convention
Pursuant tothc act OF Assembly and the voice Of the
people o'clock the 18th Of August the delegates
elect assembled ia the State Capitol ~ Albany; AZ
O'Clock EIasts Root OF Delaware County called the
that the Clerk of the Senate was present with
Of the delegates certified 20 the Secretary OF the Com
Eauy Of the most able and dsngu men in the state
were present having been sent to Albany by the people to
represent them In tho ructiOn ~ their organic law.
The delegates proceeded at once 10 ORGANIZE ExGov.
Daniel d. Tompkns was chosen President OF The Conyel
Chancellor Kent. Two days expended IN the work
Of g e fsa the GS tie @ nor s eee
directed 70 invite the Clergy OF the City OF AZ
third day. motion OF the Hon. Rufus King committee