The New York herald., 1869-03-07
Pro.pec,. In ebe LEGISLATURE.


it is to be hoped, return to its duties to-
morrow with all the vigor of giant refreshed
with new wine. Up to this time the labors OF
the Legislature, although very large in the
way of bills presented, resolutions adopted,
special committees appointed, and SO forth,
have been merely preliminary to the rush Of
real business which will come on after the re-
cess. There is great deal of important work
cut out which will require more than the re-
mainder of the allotted hundred days to accom-
plish. First perhaps, in Importance is the
new Metropolitan Excise law. 1t is conceded
now by the Board Of Excise, as well as it is
demanded by the liquor dealers and the
majority of the people Of the district, that some
notifications must be made in the existing law
which will reduce its stringency and put it
upon basis less obnoxious and oppressive.
To this end some four or five bills have already
been introduced in both houses, but this is
evidently not the way to reach the desired
end Unity of action is the thing wanted.
There is one bill upon which the law adviser
Of the Excise Board and prominent member
of the New York delegation held conference
on Monday, and although the concessions which
the Board is willing to make are not entirely
satisfactory to the other interests, q bill may
be yet reached more acceptable than this.
The present complexion Of the Legislature,
with joint radical majority of twenty six,
forbids all prospect Of repeating the Excise
law, as it also precludes all hope Of the Sun
day clause being removed, which the Germans
done. Having shut up the Sabbath liquor
traffic once, the country members, who for the
most part represent Sabbatarian constituent
cies, are not likely to throw open the doors
again. But the operations of the law have
become so odious and demoralizing that a
modification will be agreed to; but it will not
be such one as the liquor dealers may look
for. Not at all. 1t will in all probability be q
peddling, halfway affair, which will please
nobody.
The regulation Of the wharves and piers is
measure in which the largest interests of the
city are involved, and it is one also in which
''there is great deal of money fact to
which the Albany men, neither in the lobby
nor On the floor, we may be sure, are not
asleep. we trust that whatever is done in
this matter of wharves and piers will be
complete. As they now stand they are dis
grace to this great maritime city, and in a
sanitary point Of view they are nuisance
whose ''offence is rank and smells to heaven"
poisoning our earth in the meantime. Our
two rivers should be girt around with piers of
stone and iron. Nothing short Of that will be
sufficient The bill before the Legislature
contemplates this in part-but it ought to
include the whole water front-and pro-
vides that the commissioners to carry
out the work shall be appointed by
the local authorities. It is too much
to expect that this business can be free
from jobbery. OF course good many nests
will be magnifcently feathered; but, then, we
can afford little bleeding for the sake of
seeing respectable line of wharves and piers
on our rivers.
The railroad monopolies claimed early atten-
ton from the Legislature. The special COM
mittee of the House is composed of competent
members, who, if they perform their duty with
out favor or bias, can relieve the community
from great and too long endured evil. The
Senate committee have already taken large
amount of evidence concerning the manage
ment of the Erie, Hudson River and New
York Central roads which is not yet before u.s.
The disclosures relative to watering stock for
the purpose of putting millions of dollars into
the pocket of an individual, and other sharp
practices whereby the stockholders are de-
frauded and the travelling public are imper-
illed, will no doubt be exceedingly interesting,
if the investigation should succeed in drawing
committees must be held to a strict accounta-
bility. That their path is beset with difficulty
and temptation is true, but then they must
remember that their trust is one not to be
trined with.
Among the earliest actions of the Legisa-
tnre upon its reassembling will probably be
upon Mr.. Mitchells bill providing bureau
of gas inspection, which will then be pre-
sented. The committee now sitting at the st.
Nicholas Hotel invites all afflicted gas con-
sumers-and their name is Legion-to appear
and relate their grievances. It has summoned
likewise the officers and men employed by the
gas companies to answer such questions as
may throw light upon the management of their
departments. We hope that some more in
telligent representatives of the many thousand
sufferers by the infamous gas monopolies will
accommodate the committee with information
as to the wretched quality of light furnished
the exorbitant prices charged and the general
insolence with which complaints are blufred
of by the officials Of the companies, such as
Mr.. Pike has furnished.
Mr.. Mitchells bill provides that superin-
tendent, deputy and Eve inspectors Of the
gas bureau shall be appointed by the Mayor,
whose duty 1t shall be to inspect the quality Of