The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-05-02
THE STATE CAPITAL.
Difficulties Attending the Adjournment
Of the Legislature.
THE SUPPLEMENTARY CHARTER.

The question OF the final adjournment OF the
Legislature is still giving the joint Committee on
the constitutional Commission great deal OF vexa-
tion and bids lair to give more trouble to the par
ties most concerned than the pet items In the
Supply bill. The committee are afraid to act
hastily In the matter, and say that they intend to
do the best they can In coming to decided con-
cluson on the subject without giving offence to the
great majority who are unwilling to stay here
much longer without pay from the State, or to the
Governor, who, 1t Is wei known, Is anxious that
THE AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION
should be acted upon this year. How the conflict
ing clements can be reconciled IL indeed knotty
question. for the Governor hesitatcs to call
special session, ana yet will be placed In a rather
tckllsh position II he does not and the Legislature
Should adjourn in couple on weeks from the pres
ent time without even making the recommended
ton about the amendments, much less acting
positively upon them. Ten days ago the
committee were inclined to recommend that an
adjournment should be taken on the 10th instant,
after all the absolutely necessary legislative busi
ness should be completed and that the two Houses
should reassemble on the following Tuesday, and,
without debate OF any great extent, pass the whole
batch Of amendments. When this determination
OF the committee first leaked out 1t had many
strong hackers In the two Houses, whe argued that
no great evil could be expected from the adoption
OF the amendments as whole, nasmuch as the
people when ca He'd upoh to vote them can vote
for or against any one amendment they see IT.
Still, as things look at present, am inclined to
believe that the strong feeling now being mani
tested in both the Senate and Assembly for
SPECIAL SESSION
will finally overcome the scruples Of the Governor.
II he does yield, and issues the necessary
proclamation for the extra session, 1t is
Or hath
to take 0 recess OF ten days before going
to work on the amendments The country
members win vote in a solid body for the recess
not SO much because they have been at all over
worked during the past four MONTHS but because
they have an idea that II they don't get home
barn yards and hen coops may get into the posses
sion OF the Sheriff. Even the members from the
cities are beginning to side with the village Hamp
dens, and declare that II the amendments are
worth making fuss over and are 30 important as
to distract the attention OF our State
from the consideration OF all other legislative mat
ters the sta te can well afford to pay the members
boz be- IN s the
does not act upon the amendments they cannot be
voted upon by the people before the Fall OF 1877.
action being taken upon them the responsibility Of
saving two years. time IN placing them before the
ali 0t the circumstances Of the case, cali for an
extra session is highly probable
THE SUPPLEMENTARY CHARTER
Senator Wo0din's bill, supplementary TO the new
charter, was introduced this morning, and Is here
with presented in fun. 1t will be observed
that the most radical changes proposed are
the placing Of the Commissioner OF Public Works
in the Board OF Estimate and Apportionment
o.
the Board OF Aldermen and President Of the De-
partment OF Taxes and Assessments; placing the
Corporation Counsel In the Board OF Street Open
ings and Improvement, composed now OF the
Mayor, Comptroller, Commissioner OF Public Works
and providing that, instead OF vacancies In the
Common Council being filled by the nomination Of
ing its own new members, the last a very unusual
and radical innovation ON the old customs. These
THE MAIN IMPORTANT ALTERATIONS
proposed In the charter as II now stands, but In
addition there are numbertof clerical and typo
graphical errors, and errors Of engrossing, one
Of which gives the President OF the Board ofAlder
men 80 600 instead OF So, 600 year, as provided IN
the charter One OF the amendments relative to the
THE CLERK OF THE BOARD 0 ALpERMENF
does away with the provision In the present char
ter requiring the Clerk of the Board OF Aldermen
to keep open for inspection the records and min
utes OF the proceedings, and with that provision
officers to $4,000 year. The duty OF providing
for the regulating, grading. tagging, curbng, gut.
terIng and lighting q streets reefs roads places
to the Common Council, though the
cognizance and control OF the same remains with
ton strikes "head clerksn from the list OF those
who on being removed, shall be informed Of the
cause OF such removal, leaving only heads OF de-
partments entitled to such courtesy.
Another amendment exempts from the necessity
THE CONTROLLERS CERTIFICATE
all contracts for work done or supplies furnished,
not involving an expense OF over 81, 900. matter
na senate discussion upon the charter andwas thus
settled adversely. The required residence OF can
IN the CITY is Changed to one year in the State, SO
that stout abe-bodied country boys may have
chance on the iorce
Section IA refers to
THE CONTRACT SYSTEM
for public supplies and jobs, and provides that
more than nvethousand dollars instead OF ST. 600,
shall be by contract.
THE REPEALED SECTION
| The section OF the new charter Q03) repealed by
this bill reads as Ollows-No real estate or build
ings, other than such as are exempted by general
| was thoroughly discussed in the deliberations Of
the Senate Committee OF the Whole when the char
Ter was before ~ and w ane section saus
| promise.
THE PUBLIC ADVERTISING
section is amended by making 1t mandatory that
all notices shall be published not only IN
the CITY Record, but IN two morning
paper published in the German language.
The section In the present charter makes BRIEF adj
weekly papers. The other amendments are all rel
alive to clerical errors.
1t is easily to be seen that this supplementary
bill Is likely to reawaken the charter controversy,
and to tune the pipes OF the anti-Custom House
men to as high pitch as ever. The clause In re-
gard TO exempted real estate Is left by the amend
ment doubtless just where it should be, but the
changes In the two Boards of Estimate
aud Apportlonment and street Openings
regarding the filing Of vacancies In the
Board OF Aldermen, which Is . matter Of In terest
now on account OF the recent death OF Peter Gsey,
viii all awaken the sharp criticism Of those able
opponents oil the charter VINO gave its adherents
much trouble In the last discussion upon It In tho
r. Y n
THE SUPPLEMENTARY BILL.
SECTION lso much Of the fourth section. chapter 1886,
Of the Laws 1873, entitled IAN rcorgaze the
local government OF New York city as provides for the
lng OF vacancies in the Board Of Aldermen hereby
amended 70 re d as foows:'A vacancy vacan.
ces existing in the Board Of Aldermen shall be hled by
the Board and the contained in the said
ton for the filling OF such vacancies hereby repealed
SIC. Assertion Is hereby amended as to read IS
follows :-"Sec Livery member expelled from either
Board shall thereby forfeit rights and powers as