The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-01-04


In which they had no real sympathy.
The Now State Govern ment-Me etfng
OF tho Legislature.
The importance of the legislative session
which begins tomorrow depends but little on
the success of the democratic party in the
State election. The only solid advantage
gained by the democratic victory, SO far as
the action of this Legislature is concerned,
consists in the ability of the democrats to
elect Senator Fenton's successor. Their great
popular triumph will prove barren of legisla-
tive results because the republican Senate
chosen In 1873 holds over. 1t requires the
joint action of both houses to pass any bill,
and the republican Senate will de-
feat every measure which would bene-
fit the democratic party This check
will be mostly felt in legislation relating
to New York city. The present charter was
passed by q republican Legislature two years
ago, and the Senate will not permit changes
in it tn a democratic sense 1t is of little
practical consequence what democratic meas
ures Governor Tilden may recommend, or
the Assembly may pass, so long as they are
obstructed by an adverse majority in the
Senate.
This deadlock between the democratic
Assembly and republican Senate will be
broken in electing Mr. Fenton's successor by
the fact that the party majority is greater in
one house than it is in the other. After
voting separately and giving majority for
different candidates the two houses
will meet together as one body
and elect the United States Senator
by joint ballot But no law can be
enacted in that manner, and, consequently,
no bill will pass this Legislature respecting
whose necessity or expediency both political
parties do not agree. In some respects this state
of parties in the Legislature will be of advan-
tage, and especially as regards the legislation
consequent on the adoption Of the new
amendments. They were adopted by the vote
Of both parties, and there is greater likeli-
hood of their being carried fairly into execu-
ton by Legislature in which each political
| party holds check on the other.
We have great confidence that the laws
passed by this Legislature will not only be
non-partisan, but, in the main, pure. This
character of members Of the Assembly, 80 many
of whom are trying to evade the new oath Of
Office, but on the excellence of the new amend
ments and the known integrity Of the Gov
ernor. The amendments have interdicted
the special and local laws which have always
been the chief source of legislative corruption.
Another excellent feature of the amendments
is the power they confer on the Governor to
veto separate items in appropriation
bills. Many of the most outrageous
swindles ever practised by legislative
bodies have been engrafted on indispensable
appropriation bills near the close of session,
leaving the Executive no alternative but to
give effect to the swindles by his signature or
to stop the wheels Of the government by veto
ing the whole bill. The Governor of New
York cannot again be reduced to this dilemma
| by the knaves of the Legislature, and with so
honest and intelligent an Executive as Mr..
Tilden we are confident that bills or parts of
bills which receive his approval will not pro-
mote any corrupt private interest. In
this view Governor Tilden will WELD greater
power than any of his predecessors, though
in o party sense he possesses next to none.
The important part of the Governors
duties grow out of his participation in the
State legislation, consisting of his recommen-
dations at the beginning OF each session and
his vetoes. We print this morning long
communication addressed to Governor Tilden
by "a Democrat" rendering advice as to his
policy. The writer cannot, of course, expect
his advice to be taken at this late day when
the Message is either completed or only
awaits q few touches of final revision.
His letter is merely o convenient form
Of laying his views before the
public, which we enable him to do without
expressing any opinion Of our own as to the
soundness or unsoundness Of any part of what
he says. 1t is given out in Albany that the
most prominent topic in the Message will be
the canal qoestion-a prominence which is
| justified by the Importance Of the subject, by
the changes in relation to it just made in the
constitution and by its bipartisan character,
which may encourage the Governor to hope
that sound recommendations on this topic
1
may be adopted by the Senate. The
canals are subject to which Mr..
Tilden has given much thought and
study, his speech on them having
been altogether the ablest made in the last
Constitutional Convention. The authority
conferred on the Legislature by the new
amendments to sell the worthless lateral
canals lends some novelty to On old question,
but in other respects we presume Governor
Tilden will merely repeat the substance of his
former views. 1t is understood that he will
not recommend sale Of the lateral canals
for who could be found to purchase them -
but simple abandonment by ceasing to make
any further appropriations for keeping them
in order and working them. We have no
doubt that the Governor will be able to