New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-05-02
THE LEGISLATURE AGAIN


Last Summer we insisted on the importance
of cleo D. as State Senators men who could
not be ,ribed. OF even persuaded out of good
nature to vote for bills which fellow Senators
had been bribed to support. We are SATISFIED
that we gave good advice, and after the cleo
ton we had the pleasure to find that our words
had not passed UNDECIDED. The Senate has
saved the present Legislature from much dis-
credit. Senator Robertson, as Chairman OF the
Judiciary Committee, has obtained q reputation
for reporting bills adversely. In conse-
auence thereof the statute book Will DC
smaller this year than usual, and the statutes
better. Senators Lowery and ID. p. Wood on
the Finance Committee have looked well after
the interests of the State Treasury. To the
efforts of Mr.. Lowery, aided by Mr.. Warner
Miller Of the Assembly, we owe the defeat oil
the appropriation of s125,000 for the academies,
which, so far as this city is concerned, has
been direct levy on our citizens for the sole
benefit of some of the other counties OF the
State. Another measure of economy lnaugu-
rated by the Senate of last year, and continued
by the present Legislature, is the refusal to
print gratis the reports of the Agricultural
Society and various Medical Societies. The
saving amounts to about $4,000 year.
In maturing the appropriation bills, Messrs.
Batchcer of the House and Wood OF the
Senate and their respective Committees appear
TO have We'd with each other in the interest
of economy and honesty There now appears
to be some prospect of checking the stream
which has flowed from the State Treasury and
been lost and dried up, like rivulet in the
4. boCnital1
lums. and reformatories under process of con-
struction by the State. The expensive system
of local Commissions is now abolished, and
work of this kind is hereafter to be carried on
under the supervision of an architect ap-
pointed by the Governor. We could wish That
something had been done to cut down the
cost of maintaining the various prisons of the
State, which is at least double what 1t should
be +; but the State Prison Ring, like the Canal
Ring is strongly intrenched. AS general
thing, when these Rings and the Legislature
encounter, it is the Legislature that is cap
turcd.
The result OF the years legislation has justi-
fed the commentator we bestowed at the
beginning of the session on Speaker Husteds
makeup of the Standing Committees. Owing
to the short terms which the members usually
serve there is always a deficiency in the
Assembly OF able and experienced Legislators.
The mass of work to be done by committees
is very great, and no man who is capable of
doing committee work well can be spared
or misplaced without loss. In making
ND the committees Mr.. Eusted'S long legisla-
tive experience served him well, and doubt
less contributed as much as his excellent
qualifications as presiding officer to shorten
the session. The Assembly has been fortunate
in having among its members an unusual
number of able and influential men, and I'M
fortunate in the abundance of incOnsequential
takers The former shorten the sessions and
the latter lengthen them. Upon the whole.
Mr. Hustled appears to have done his share of
the work of the Assembly in such a way as
to add to his credit. This Assembly is about
&" the wilingest to be bribed of any l ever
saw said veteran at Albany the other
day; e" but its members are the scariest lot of
"sheep ever gathered in the Capitol.
A big newspaper can't throw q stone
"among them, but they are running for dear
life, money or no money" This last trait is
a sign of improvement. The youngest of our
politicians can remember Assemblies that took
their money heroically, and never Ainched
when the newspapers exposed them.
But in spite Of its timidity, the late Assem-
bly, contrived to do some pretty corrupt work.
We doubt if any dispassionate man can read
the story of the life aud death of the
Eastman bill, as told by a well-informed
correspondent in another column, without
being convinced that all that were needed had
been bought, and bought cheap. Possibly the
revival of the legal newspaper was not at
tanned by similar means; but this is skep-
teal world.
A less carefully chosen Senate, and House
less under the fear of the newspapers, would
have given us whole statute book full of
legislation quite equal to this last measure.
What is the remedyq No matter what
ticket triumphs- Republican,
Reform-corruption still springs eternal
in the legislative breast. How is the down.
ward career Of our Legislature to be stopped7
We see for the present just two remedies.
The one is in constitutional amendment pro-
hbiting special legislation. This Legislature
has made an end to that for the present, but
we must try it again, and when we succeed we
shall have wiped out nine-tenths of the tempta-
ton to corruption. The other remedy is one which
has been found successful in some other
States, and which in the nature Of things
would at least be full of good promise here.
1t is to make the Assembly too big to be
bought,