Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-01-31
Correspondence os the Free Press and Tis
The NeE York Legislature.

THE NEW y Y. CITY CHARTER BlLL>.-THE SEW
SPEAKER AND PRESIDENT or TIE SENATE &C
ALBANY, n. y. Jan l..
The gathered wisdom Of New York State.
in Senate and Assembly convened, adjourn-
ed this afternoon in time to catch tlp 40
train going south, after it, first regular
week Of work Neither house viii NEE; till
Monday evening, which means really Tues
day morning, the time being fixed to save
passinga concurrent resolution, which i.
required fo-sln adjournment over two legis-
lative days. There i very little to
be said Of the legislation 50 iai accomplished
The wheels of the machine in the shape
Of committees. have not fairly got to work
yet, but the grist is coming rapidly to the
mill, % bills having already been intro
duced in the House, and an equal number
in the Senate. The main interest of the
session viii of course, centre in the legis!a-
ton affecting New York City The Re
publicans have been up with their charter,
which it may confidently be said viii be the
successful one; and Senator Tiemann has
another, which Represented in the Senate
day or two ago. 1t is a formidable-looking
instrument il manuscript, about the size,
when rolled up, Of a substantial - back
log - and doubtless it will be destined to
the same purpose a. that aid to winter
comfort The Democrats sarcustically term
the Republican charter, the - Custom
House" job. 1t is emphatically broom,
OF the most thorough cleansing qualities,
and if it goes into effect in its present form
viii make clean sweep Of nearly every
city department in New York as now con
sttuted Only Comptroller Green, and
Corporation Counsel Smith, are spared.
Every other official i legislated out,
and the departments are to be all re-
organized. under responsible heads. The
- commissions are done away with en-
tirely. They are looked upon as altogether
too costly for the work done BY them.
Four men at salaries Of $1,000 per year
each. are found to do no better than one
man would at $50, 900; 50 it is proposed to
put in the one man, and keep an extra
sharp eye on him while there.
Much curiosity was felt at the
opening of the session. As to how the
two presiding officers in the Legisla-
ture would prove then selves. Speaker
Cornell in the Assembly has more than
answered all the expectations of his friends
lie i undoubtedly the leader of the House,
and one of the able~t politicians in it be-
L. J.
fitted to govern the rather turbulent Assem-
bly, he pre>ides over. Bat poor old Lieu
tenant-GOvernor Robinson, who preSides
over the Senate. Is a lamentable failure
in that position All Of the old gentle
mans battles lin one of which he lost II
leg) have been on other than Parlia-
mentary fields, and | think he confessed
himself, that he was never in legislative
body till he came 20 the Senate here His
helplesSne~S l. quite amusing. He has only
a gathering of thirty-twO members TO deal
with, but he can remember any members
name, to save his life Each desk in tho
semi-circle around him Is cOnspicuOusly
numbered according to the number of the
Senatorial district its occupant represents;
50 the old gentleman gets over the difficulty
by recognizing senator's as Senator from the
10Th. Senator from the Sth, etc. As to the
order of business he Is totally at sea, and has
to depend entirely on Mr. Dayton, the
clerk of the Senate This morning, bills
were. for the first time this session, reported
from the committees To which they had been
referred. Under the rules they then 20 to
the committee of the whole. bat the Presi-
dent knew nothing of rules; when the first
bill was reported, he looked imploringly at
the clerk The clerk, rapidly and in loud
whisper behind his hand The bill for
the encouragement of setting hens has been
favorably reported from the comuittee on
salt, and Is now referred 20 the committee Of
the whole
President of the Senate. rising with a
painful effort -' The bill-mumble-en-
enlargement - humble, mumble-hen
humble, humble - iavorably reported -
humble, mumble-now 10 q to committee
Of the whole
Sits down with an expression Of intense
relief. And 50 it goes on all the session.
Unless the President improves in knowledge
of his duties, of which at present there Is
no symptom, there will be a pretty mix up
on busy days. C-M