New-York tribune., 1872-10-11

Je taxed three mills on the dollar, 10
provide for these deficiencies, amounting
to $4,000 900, or whether they will vote for
an issue of bonds to raise the amount. Now, we
ara going TO show, by certain plain provisions
of the State Constitution, that the people
have n6 choice in the matter. The money
must be raised by an addition of three mills
TO the State tax to be collected in 1873. Chap
ter 700 of the Laws Of 1879, even though the
people vote unanimously for an issue of bonds,
will be null and void. In support Of this
declaration, for which, by the way, we have
the highest judicial authority, we quote the
following sections of Article VII. OF tho Con-
stitutiOn:
SEC TO- The state may TO casual deficits or fall
ures In revenues for expenses not provided or con
tract debts but such debts direct and contingent sfngy
or in the aggregate shall not at any time erceed one MT
lion Of dollars and the arising from the loans
creating debts shall be applied to the purpose for
which they werc obtained to repay the deD 50 CON
tracted, and 10 no other purpose whatever.
SEC H. In addition to te above limited power TO con
tract debts, the State contract debts to repel nV
son suppress nsurection, defend tho State In war;
but the money arising from the contracting Of such debts
shall be applied to the purpose for which 1t was raised
repay such debts and TO no other purpose what
ever.
SEC 70. Except the debts specified in tho tenth ana
eleventh sections of this article, debt shall be here
after contracted by behalf Of this State unless
such debt shall be authorized by law, for some single
cork or object to be distinctly specified therein; ana such
law shall impose and provide for the collection OF direct
annual tax to pay and sufficient TO pay the interest on
such debt as IL falls due and also TO pay ana discharge
the principal of such debt within eighteen years from
tho time OF the contracting thereof No such law shal
talo effect until it shall ut general election nave Deeh
submitted tho people. and have received majority
of all tho votes cast and against 1t at such election
ON the final passage of such bill ia either House OF
the Logsature the question shall bo taken by Yeas ana
Nays TO DO duly entered on tho journals thereof ana
shall be: Shall this bill pass and ought the same 10
receive the sanction Of the pcopleW The Legle1-
ture may at any me after the approval OF such Jaw
by tho people, II no debt shan have been con'racted
in pursuance thereof repeal the samei anu may at any
tme by law forbid the contracting Of any further deDt
or liability under such law but the fax imposed ny eucn
act in proportion the debt and liabinty wmch may
have been contracted, in pursuance OF such law sha
remain in force and be irrepealabic, ond be anhuay
collected until the proceeds thereof shall have nado tne
provision herein before specified to pay ana dsch1rge
the interest and principal of such dcbt and liability Ihe
money arising from any loan stock creating such debt
or liability shall be applied TO the work or object specl
fed in the act authorizing such debt or liability OF LOT
the repayment OF such debt or liability ana ior no oer
purpose whatever No such law shall be submitted 10 DO
voted on within three months after its passage or al any
generaL election tcen any other aD or any 6i or any
amendment 10 the Constitution shall be submitted 10 Dc
voted for or against
Now, first, section 10 does not apply 10
the proposed debt, since the debt 10 De
funded exceeds one million dollars; second,
the proposed issue of bonds is not for
single work or object, but for several separate
and distinct purposes, which are specifically
stated in the act; third, even IL the Other
objections could be surmOunted, the proposed
law cannot be submitted to the people at the
approaching election, since Chapter 7oh pro-
posing "tO perfect an amendment 10 the Con
'' stitution relative to the Court OF Appeals"
is to be at the same time submitted to vote
of the people. By another act or the late
Legislature, the money to meet the above
mentioned deficiencies must be raised by tax,
should it be found impossible to provide
it by an issue of bonds. We would respect
fully remind candidates for the next Legislature
that there is such document as tho COnsti-
tuition of the State of New-York; and we
would further suggest that, during the fire.
duent long recesses and intermissiOns of legis-
lative business, it would be decent and profit
able to give this brief document, or the index
thereto, hasty glance. Had members of the
late Reform Legislature done this, we should
not have had such an absurd law on our
statute books as Chapter 700; and we might
have been relieved from the heavy taxation
which the bunglng of the incompetents,
whose work the Liberal Republican Convention
so appropriately denounced, seems to have
fastened upon us.
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