The New York herald., 1872-11-23
REFORM OF LEGISLATION.
Assemblyman L. Bradford Prince on the Modern
Methods Of Law-Making-special and Local
Bills-How the Overwhelming Busineu
Of the Representative Bodies Can
Be Lsssened and simpli6ed.

The rooms OF the Liberal Club in the Plimpton
Building were quite thronged last evening by it's
members and friends, who had assembled to listen
so lecture which had been announced
would be delivered by Mr.. L. Bradford
Pfince, the well-known chairman OF the
judiciary Committee OF our Legislature. The
subject upon which he spoke was "The Method
OF Legislation at Albany, or How New York Laws
Are maze" Among the distinguished persons who
were present were Stephen Pearl Andrews and o
beautiful blonde lady, who is correspondent for one
OF the leading journals Of st. Petersburg. She
watched the lecturer with interest, and seemed
greatly amused by the not very selfnattering pic
ture which he drew OF our American legislative
institutions.
THE NEW YORK LEGISLATURE EXPOSED.
Mr.. Prince was greeted with decorous applause.
The New York Legislature had unhappiy become
conspicuous and notorious for the dishonesty and
haste OF Its law-making Our statute books con-
tained much that was crude and bad. It was
fashionable some time since to lay the blame
OF this upon Mr.. Tweed. But year ago
reform Legislature was elected, of which better
things were expected. Its members were not bad
men. They were not brilliant men. 1t seemed to
be their idea that their responsibility was greater
than that Of an ordinary Legislature as If the
people expected more from them than from
any former body. Their character was not such
as to account for the marked defects In
their action The cause of this anomaly, in his
opinion, was to be found in the method OF our
legislation, This was then, question OF great
Importance. II the method OF making laws was
defective, the laws themselves could not be ex-
pected to be perfect. He looked upon reform OF
this sort as most essential. 1t would have to be q
constitutional reform.
There were provisions in the red book OF the
Legislature that each bill should nave three read.
ngs in each House before its adoption and intervals
of time to elapse between them. But there was
such an impulse and such
A NECESSITY TO ''PUsH THINGS"
at their utmost speed that the rules were
really Of little value to secure deliberate
and prudent legislation. Mr.. Prince mimicked
effectively the mummery practised by the Clerk Of
| the peoples assembage In reading the title Of o
| bill. At least five hundred bills passed in
| each House during one session. OF which not one
| word was read beyond the title.
| The work Of the first few weeks Of session was
usually very well done but the change from this thor
Ough and deliberate practice was soon apparent.
THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE,
whose work was usually slow and thoughtful, was
first gotten rid Of Bills, which take, perhaps, a
halt hours attention OF the Committee OF the
Whole are laid over for o few weeks, and progress
with by the House. and the bill is then referred to
committee. When 1t again comes up 1t is passed
does not come up again and is never heard from.
The modern step Is the subcommittee Of the
THE "GRINDING CoMMITTEE.u
The vast powers OF this committee appear in the
forteth rule. 1t takes the place OF the Committee
OF the Whole and acts generally with more haste
and precipitation It's limitations are OF some i'm
portance. and in fact Its original object was
the door to a great amount OF hasty immature
and even corrupt Legislation: Soon even the or
binary method OF referring bills becomes too slow.
resolution is passed empowering the Speaker
and Clerk to select bills from the rolls to be
icrred to the Subcommittee OF the Whole, and
probably fully onehaf the bills sent to thc grind
ing cOmmitteen are those excepted by the fOrticth
rule from its action. They are given, perhaps,
| three minutes OF scrutiny, which may be called
| deliberate. QLaughter.)
''Tne worst feature in the whole system,r con-
tinued the speaker, referring to the time previous
TO last year, because the last Legislature was in
some respects reform one, "was that OF sending
bill to q committee to report complete, because
| the grinding committee was trammelled sOmc-
what as to the character OF the bills which 1t should
TO REPORT COMPLETE
carries away all such limit and It takes the bin to
is amended-the amendments not being printed
and Is ignorantly voted lor by msimiormed mem
anre Eeas e. owve aboSed the svsem
measures to be reported complete and deserves
credit for that step Of REFORM"
Swiitness in calling the roll seems to be the
great accomplishment OF the Clerk. During the
latter part OF the session he is expected to give
only from one and half TO two minutes to the dis
posai OF bill The Assembly roll consists OF about
one hundred and twenty names. On days which
are given to third readings the actual number OF
votes generally amounts to five. Sometimes men,
bers are put down as voting when they are really
absent.
THE EvER-READY EXCUSE
is, s'We must get through. Why just look at tho
flies It will take us year to get through, There
are introduced yearly about one thousand three
hundred bills, OF which about eight hundred are
passed. The average time given to each Is fifteen
minutes. II the letter OF the law were complied
with it would be thirty-nne minutes. The annual
session OF 100 days includes about two hundred
and fifty hours OF actual work.
The consequence Is obvious. Either the time
must be extended or shorter methods must be
devised. There Is no possibility OF extending the
daily hours OF the House, as the remaining time is
needed by the committees. 1t will be seen that
these 'shOrt cuts' have been necessary, and until
the necessity Of haste is done away with there can
be no reform In legislation.
| glance at the session laws OF the last few
| years will suggest the wOmOst essential remedies.
| for which could be 0bvated by avery small amount
| of general legislation.
THE FIRST AND MOST NECESSARY STEP
therefore, Is an amendment OF the constitution
striking out the few words which authorize special
laws.
The Justice and propriety OF leaving local legisla-
ti0n to the Boards OF supervisors in each county or
village was well shown by the lecturer.
These two suggestions would certainly reduce
the bulk OF legislation one-half. Last year but 90
laws were enacted, against 936 laws passed during
the year before.
Some measure of still more radical reform is
necessary. 1t can be done by limiting the time for
the introduction OF biils. UP to the 1st OF April
bills coming in with greater rapidity than there
Is any hope Of their being disposed oil. The
time for their Introduction should not extend later
than March 1. Having reduced the bulk OF legsla-
tiOn to the proper amount all "short cutsn would
be avoided and hasty legislation need never occur.
constitution, would do away with all possibility OF
ignorant voting and OF hasty legislation.