New-York tribune., 1871-04-24
reaching Paris, the Versailles Government will
not haste; the payment of the first installment
Al Ill
LEG EGISLdTTON At ALBANY.

party and predicting that this would be inc
end of corruption, johbery and special icgs-
latiOn. That our just defunct Legislature was
all that he promised it should not De- every
one knows; that it was little more pu'r'u
than any Of its predecessors is the geheia'
and lust belief. We do not mean that hioie
of its members were "On the make" lts proi-
icacy. save in the single instance or Wlnans'
was about tbe same as usual; but bOrner
leoislafures did something else than job, whlle
This did not. OF the thousand or more bllls
which nossed one House or BOTH not hity Con-
tomrl,tod any other than personal or local
o5,,antooo The other nine hundred and Fifty
,,,oro ocis for the relofr of somebody or
somethng-many of them for the relief OF the
Treasury of any loose cash that might at any
fine be found therein. 1t was job. job, job,
from early in January till late in April; Tam
many's Jobs taking the lead because these had
most power and most money behind them;
every petty iobber seeking to push his little
lob by an exhibition of zeal in behalf OF the
"Boss's" big ones, expecting him to rccipro-
cate in due season. Such is an epitOlne oil the
session.
This absorbing devotion to petty and mer-
cenary ends was not dictated by lack OF
graver topics. Our Canals imperatively require
searching, radical Ovcrhauling. Their cX-
penses might he reduced at least One Million
per annum; their receipts might and should
be increased At present, we have more than
hundred miles of canal that cost at least
twice their receipts annually to run and keep
them in repair the cost of maintenance IS
everywhere too great in short, the whole sys-
| +o,, l..tro 10 UpT
sequence was done to improve it.
! Taxation has become grave subject. Our
State and local taxes are thrice what they were
few years ago. and the conviction Is general
that thew are most nequally assessed and
levied. Commission was last year organ
lied to investigate the whole subject and Mr.. ID.
A. Wells placed at its head by Gov. Holman.
That Commission did its work, and reported a
sweeping recast of our whole system; but
nothing was done with it, and every inequality
and abuse goes on as before. We believe there
were important portions of Weiss scheme
that might wisely have been adopted.
Then our Salt system is if the Democratic
journals are truthful, perfect mine of abuses.
The Salt Springs belong to the State; they are
under the absolute control of her Legislature;
and it is stoutly claimed that "the Syracuse
"ring," "the Salt mOnopoIy,"is is coming money
at the expense not of distant communities,
for New-York Salt is sold cheap enough in the
West and on the seaboard bnt OF the interior
of our own State. The World has the follow
ing:
HOW TIE QYoNDAGA MONOPOLY Is RIvETED on U.s.
TO the Bditor Of The World.
SIR: 1t is rather remarkable that in the vigorous
criticism which the Onondaga salt monopoly has been
subjected in your columns reference has been made
to ingenious piece OF legislation which gives the salt
Company practical monopoly OF the salt business in
this State without fear OF competition In thc lel'ia
tive enactnents f reoOcct rightly, in lS59-e0 which
constitute present code for SALT the yseyenth sec
ton DESTROYS all freedom of competition with tho Onon-
daga Company. 1t declares that whenever any indvid
ual or company shall obtain salt water by Dor
ing their own wells on their own property
the State authorities may at pleasure take
possession Of the wolsif they successful paying
the owner something like the cost of boring but not pay
ing for the sat-naDg machinery which may be erected
OF in operation If the boring should prove total fall
ure the loss falls upon the fOolhardy individual who
made the venture under such law and If II proves
success state is ready to cOncae the enterprise
nnicng still greater loss the mere cost Of boring Is
but a small part Of tho preparation and outlay necessary
Under this system of repression C heads win tails
you lose y what chance is there FOR private c0mpe-
ttion with the Onondaga ganti The stata III
this matter is represented by the superintendent OF
the OnOndaga Salt Works, whose appointment Is OF
course procured by the Company, aud III
their interest and thus gives them the power OF sup
pressing any rival enterprise While the sword of Da-
nOcles thus suspended over the head OF every rival
the Company has the power Also by It's huge capital ana
influence OF smotherng buying up any feeble effort
at competition Hence il is that the brine resources OF
the State are developed only at Syracuse. Valuable
brnes exist at Monezuma, Canastota Sodu ard several
other localities but under the shadow OF this monopoly
they will not lie used-the giant will not allow it, Have
we not in the Legislature honest Democratic friends OF
Free Trade who will the repeal of this 9th section
and open the salt business TO free competitions little
editorial thunder this subject would not fail to break
these riyets. DLmoOHAI'
Now we do not know that the Democratic
raid upon " the Salt monopolists" is just; we
do know that the accusations are very grave,
and ought to impel rigorous investigation
If "the Salt ring" supply Canada and the
Northwest, Philadelphia and down East, with
Salt at lower rates than they charge the dairy
men Of Central New-YOrk, let us ascertain
why, and judge whether the reasons assigned
are sufficient. But our late Legislature had so
much hard work TO do for Boss Tweed g. Co.
that it could give this subject no attention
whatever, and the as Salt monopoly" goes un-
scathed.
The bills passed with regard to this City
will be quoted i'll future ages as curi0sitles-
nay. m0nstrosities-Of legislation. Increasing
salaries and emouments, already large, right
and left directing the Controller to pay
Sheriff O'Briens claims and decreeing that
judgments against the City long since docketed
shall not be collected; disorganizing tho Law
Department, and decreeing that the Corpora
ton Attorney shall no longer be subordinate
TO the Corporation COunscl abOllshlng elec-
tions and appointing men by statute to public