New-York tribune., 1868-04-04
TIE EYORMOUS TAX Levy.
CITIZENS ASSOCIATION OF NEw-YoRK, }
No. sl3 Broadway, April 9, 1868.

CITIZENS ASSOCIATION OF NEw-YoRK, !
No sl3 Broadway April 2, 1868.
IN, H0 RicHArD CaovLEY Chairmda Of me Committee on M4H
opal AGoirs er ne Sed,e Che stab Of Nec'fork
DEAR SIR The Citizens Association begs leave to direct
your attention TO the subject OF the Tax eyes OF the City
and County Of for the current year. These tax
leyies duly prepared by the Controller of this city,
submitted TO the Common Council aud the Board OF SUI
pervisors and sent TO the legislature They were ncor
pcrated I'm two separate acts, one authorizing certain
moneys he raised for the OF the County authorities,
and authorizing certain 20 be levied for City
purposes The Legislature NJ its session OF ast year en-
acted that the City levy should be prepared and sub
mlttcd 10 the Legislature IN January OF this year In
PURSUANCE OF this enactment the Controller dld IN
January last present the acts 10 the Assembly.
by the Assembly they were Immediately referred
TO its usual Committee on Cities The Committee consists
Of the following seven Assembly nen VIZ: messrs AlsA
ander FSaT Michael e. MITP Ana Jongs and iC m
Jacob Worth Of Kings County; Mr. George j. Baner OF
Erie County, aud Mr william Bristol OF Wyoming. THIS
Assembly Committee have kept those tax levy acts nthelr
possession ever since January last ana nave never re
know that after they have been reported debated h0h
and passed by that House. they have 10 be sent TO the
reported TO the senate, debated aud passed. and
then transmitted TO the Governor, who IS or ought to be
the event Of such rejection the acts would have to be
again the Assembly and TO the Senate and all
this too within the few da! that yet remain Ot the Le s
In preycns years tho custom has unhappily prevailed
OF reseryng these tax levy acts until the last days OF the
session. when the members OF the Legislature were anN
ious 10 end their labos and return to ther homes ana
mad neither time inclination 10 examine the acts WIN
last wear the city tax levy was sent from the Assembly
10 the senate five days before the session closed The
Senate Committee had but two days 10 examine H. ana
but abo, TWO hour altogether in these two days Many
of the Assembly provisions were disagreed with The
pressure OF business 80 great that the bill could not
he acted on I'm the last night Of the session; sent
bnck 10 tho Assembly ~ amended. The Assembly re-
ectcd the amendments 1t referred to Conference
Commlttee This latter Committee reported 1t about
hall an hour before the Legislature adjourned.
Tho hour was that the bill wac not read In either
House but was passed on the faith OF the Conference
committees report. and became law with the majority
of both HOUSES ignorant OF its contents.
With tho County Tax Levy the matter was even worse
n was sent tho Senate from the Assembly for the hrst
time on the very day Of final adjournment II came
loaded with extran'ous matters that could not be read
as the time was short. II was hurried through both
HOUSES yo minutes before midnight OF the Last nlgt
worst phase II this hasty legislation 10 order to prevent
fraud and mistake there Is stahIing rue ol le & III
aud clearly eugro--ed OF written out 80 that no additions
This salntary rule had to be transgescd In the
Of last years. tax levies They were passed In the very
strips Of writing paper, with alterations and inlefna
tous lead pencil pieces OF paper pinned on ana
ciplerhie mass. The Legislature adjourned sine die
For the next two days clerks we're busy writing out fair
cOuy OF the bills. What they were unable 10 decpher
was kindly explained for them by anhable persons VINO
had remained at the Capital ior iIe purpose; Aiter lae
had been inserted that had never been passed Trouble
The matter was let to TIE sltakeE oj we
from memory rha had ben siaeed and rhat hg9 20,
Thus Tho Cy and County le'les OF nc year 1897 W9te
portion q tie State wci6 duly taxed.
II not too much to say that such proceeding Is ont.
rageous No more important laws submitted 10
| The Legislature than the Ncw-lo lork Tax Leyies.
These loves take from the pockets Of the people Of
th, city over sg20o each year They regulate every
mans NpeIscs o the current year They raise or lower
the 5l u 'T Sy o 1T 5Sy e wbcs ~ g"gffnc6t SnG
nK the boundaries ofauthOty. They affect Oncthrd the
popuaon Of te whole state aud one half the property
~ he whole state They should be examined. weighed.
them The senate as responsible Tor them the AS
senate The people Of this city have the right TO know
! what the Assembly committee arc doing With these
/ lcsle-. and 10 have them report on them.
Bot tho Assembly Committee cbsiinately disregard the
following seven persons who compose that Committee,
| are taking tho very measure. which last year worked
Chr ,tophcr johnson II NewYork William G. Jones and
Jacob Worth OF Kings County George j. Ialmer Of Erie
holding back tho NewYork city and County tax leylcs,
vel knowing ,hat ther pt"reoug Hil n1hS % & lui Sa &
ported scores of other bills but they hold these back.
conduct ON the part of the Assembly Committee. The
MONEYS which 10 be raised In pursuance of these re-
or this current year 1868 one quarter OF the year has
already passed away. The work Of the local Govern
ment ha 70 go Gn 10 esry 1t On money has % Dc 0or
This money Is now being borrowed II costs the city
H ' about SS" sG@ EEery dsS that the Assembly Com
mittee retains those taxcyy bills Is an expense to the
ooIYs thus made Tho total is enormous. n rouid
pay ne Cby .or Ner Tort 10 support ,nad,d ne
n,rs. II Rese Tar Lery 6iGs iccre passed IL Jan
rarg ofcach ycor ps'cad OF being Kept back as heyhare
bcep. md rH BE- Ho'c fOhe md Of AWL There another
Wow o. the subject that demands considerato These
TaNIcyy for the city and county OF New YORK are
wholly different from every other act introduced INTO the
Legislature For other acts may or may not be passed at
the option Of the members GW ht~ tdJ tries "',S DC
passed f0r they support rhoie bhicpdf tdbrc More
-thcy support nearly half the institutions Of the whole
state Tie Legislature cannot reject those Levy acts
nor adjourn without passing them Ia such ease the
state and the city equally stand still go
The Legislature Is bound by an implied contract win
ttf tn
10 IN txcs I'm our city for the general purposes and this
night inscparab!c from tho duty OF doing So Ihe city
and county governments were created 10y me STATE ana
the State bound to support them This duty u shared
equally between the Senate and Assembly Tie body OF
winch you n member is much bound To see To TINS
matter as the Assembly In which the bills we're intro
duced. Ordinarily. the Assembly has exclusive power
over the bills introduced into It's body and the sem
ale has 10 power interfere. But IN the ease OF these
taKeyles the Senate has the power resulting from lts
maufcst duty to interfere and upon the Assembly 10
II il nOi too much To say that TINS dul on tue pat
of both Houses Is than moral one IL S legal
duty. -, T.,
Tke Association therefore earnestly ask yOu, Chair
man tho senate Committee which II TO examine and
report both those eyies 10 press the resolution ca
ing upon the Assembly to take up the cfy ana county
tax levy acts and transmit them 10 tie senate Inc Jaw
passed the Legislature last year chsng Tor he N
ley early rs January meant hOthlnS II IL uu no1
mean the abuse OF previous years should not De re-
peatcd. II formerly tho practice OF the ct5 ana
county authorities to send tho loyies To the
that this custom should cease To that end
the law was framed. The Assembly Committee are
daily violating the snrlt intenuo ana onJeet o nat @
law The senate should exercise Its right 10 Vlrca9
the authority of the state andO protect the people ana
Thc Citizens Association has made . very careful
analysis the City and County Tax Leyies as prepared ny
the Controller Of the city and Is anxious to be heard by
counsel In when these leyies shall come before
your Committee for consideration. Very respectfully
yonrs PLIER COOPER, Chairman
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