New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-01-08

general law which must be passed 10 street
road without the previous consent Of
the local authorities having control OF the street or
highway used and that or the owners or One-haH IN
value OF the property on such street or nghway or IN
default OF the latter. the favorable on
three commissioners 10 BIO appointed 0y the supreme
Court.
already settled obvious that the greatest care WIZ
have TO he exercised In the framing OF the entire ao so
~ 70 make IT comprehensive and liberal enough 10 en-
courage DC sraoe enterprises and to facilitate ths sou
non or the rapid transit problem in New York City ana
YET 10 proDect inc rights OF adjacent owners ana 10
insure the proper accommodation of the public. Any
general act for the Incorporation and government OF
litigation regarding almost section before all
questions assisting under t arc finally settled; that it
VIII require the OF the best talent In both
Houses to frame statute which Ivy ciearness and
lrg precision eau stand the test OF judicial inquiry
ali Its parts
HOW TIME CAN BE SAVED AT ALBANY.
These. | believe. are all the cases to meet which the
Legislature obliged, In terms TO enact general
laws But this Is very far from the limit OF s true
duty in this respect In Sec 1s Is the sweeping clause
The Legislature shall pass general Jaws providing
and for all other which IN Its Judgment
may be provided for by general Laws" and S'c % pro-
ydes as have said, for comforting on boards OF super
vi-Ors additional powers % local Legislation. IL X IRON
compliance with the language and the spirit OF these
two paragraphs tnat the greatest good 20 ne attained
II the LEGISLATURE VIII proceed IN good fath TO carry
them mo effect, by the enactment OF few compre-
nensive general acts which viii multitude of the
the county board with the Of ali purely local
affairs within their respective Jurisdictions we VIII nave
fortunately. experience has shown great reluctance
IN LEGISLATURES to part with any Of tDs power. ana
preference on their part special rather tlan general
legislation but II is to be hoped that the pressure OF
public opinion az demonstrated III the vote on the
amendments, and the Influence OF the VIII haVo
tine effect of producing better results this year With
out entering TOO Tar into detail 10 may be said that the
only comprehensive general laws
proper act increasing the powers OF boards OF super
vIsOr Will reduce bulk OF legislation more than
haf This is moderate estimate, based on exam
aiOn OF our own statutes. In Illinois, az n well known
the laws enacted was reduced IN one year
%, l
briefly lew OF the subjects ON which these general laws
most needed.
The General wings Bank act. required by Article
WILL VIII cut off rom 25 30 special laws each session
general act for supplying villages with water,
the reference OF that Subject local authorities
Will save aboqt 20 laws annually. On an average 70
| the Supervisors.
Changes OF locality OF cemeteries and permission to
remove Inferred bodies. also matters entirely local
IN their character which should properly be acted ON in
the respective counties. They now call Tor about 20
| DIlls each session.
From 40 50 bis are annually passed relative the
laying out or altering or streets IN cities. Nothing can
be more unstatesmanbe than that such subjects should
DE considered at tue state CAPITOL rather tlan ny me
authorities OF tue cities themselves. IL IL 70 be hoped
tuat thls mater Will De referred to the proper local
| boards and officials
The recent amendments 10 the Benevolent and Social
Society acts, Dy rendering them more comprehensive
nave mad an excellent effect III reducing special egisla
ton relating 10 such organizations but there IS vast
| body OF corporations Of "a miscellaneous character
which do not come within any OF our general laws ana
each OF winch consequently requires special charter
For considerable number Of years the number or
! special acts OF Incorporation or acts amendatory
| tnerUi, averaged $50 at each session. Ine
necessity for nncienths Of these can he obyated by
the enactment OF proper General Corporation act
exists most foreign countries ana states "a
| our own Union. Such an act should be drawn wth
much should be scrupuOusly guarded, aud should
EXCLUDE from It, PROVISIONS corporations Tor Danking
INSURANCE, savings Oanks aud few other specned SUD
rcts. II should cover the great mass OF nondeserpt
prgunz atoms 10 existence Of which there Is no
objection, but which at pleseat nave TO apply separately
Tor special charters The shaping OF tns statute VIII
lose much OF its dIcultV RON the IacL that SIM
laws have been in operation elsewhere long as 10
nave been thoroughly tested aud TO have received sucn
| amendments erlence has suggested.
shown "Aere tne pain NJ the Legislature lies
purposes % Out the spirit OF the dnondnauts
aud also how elective rev general Laws WA De IN
reducing the amount Of bill passing t cannot be
called Law maklng) which now renders careful ana de
hneiate eSlsatOn almost impossible There eau he no
that the people IN passing the amendments IN
tended this should De pursued, anu That
special aud local legislation Win AL theif dItenuAnl
Evils should be removed from Albany. No IN
aurnco Will b. more potent III accomplishing tAs IMAM
| mat Of the press.
SALE OF TIE LATERAL CANALS.
There are subjects which the amendments give
the Legislature power TO act which It dld not before
posses These are AT. III. Sec. 81, to abolish Ham
ION County and territory 10 some other AMI
art VII sec 81 to sell dispose of the lateral canals.
The first OF these Of course, merely OF local Interest
although tho sparse population OF Hamilton County,
which contains less than three thousand inhabitants
g6D IN its immense territory. and the amount Oh cor
fupuOu winch existed IN it, Local government snort
time ago arising rom the small vote req lred 70 elect
supervisor many OF the towns ana The fdct Jhat tne
taxes are almost entirely paid Nv non-resldents may
make us annexation 10 Fulton or some other county DO
srtbe TIE new power conferred on The L.Elsil-
urp-that OF the sale of the lateral cindlSs however,
OF the very Importance, ana should engage the
! carly attention of the two houses
For years these canals have cost the State nearly a
million dollars annually over and above their receipts
day or usefulness TO the p'Ople mas passed. as
railroads have superseded them; and they SIMPLY remain
m burden the taxpayers and prevent the necessary
improvements 10 the Erie and 0ther through r"uttS ny
swallowing up all the profits derived RON those trunk
canals No subject 10 COME before Tue Legislature POS
sesses interest 30 New-IOrk CITY than tIls Ile
maintenance commercial supremacy lmperatiYely
demands better aud cheaper COMMUNICATION WIN the
great grain producing regions III the vest II he otAte
Is relieved OF the burden OF maintaining the now useless
lateral canals, the income or tine trunk lines can Do EN-
pOyed Tor their enlargement anu lus RIeAty hcIc7o
the facilities for direct water transpOrdtiOB 1H pro-
prety, Ousiness point oI view VI selling he liera
canais has oug been conceded, put the
urbtbtOn prevented 10. This Is now removed ana
the Legislature eau act as the Dest vi 30
require The merchants Of NrW-1Jrk snOulu SEQ IAdt
! THIS 10 done without loss OF time
SWEEPING prohibitions.
These are all OF subjects which occur 20 me on
which actual legislation Is called for by the amend
ments There are many other points in which the work
# the Legislature will be largely affected either by pro-
nbition or otherwise and in all cases. think, bene
nctally. few OF these 1t may be well enough TO
! enumcrate. - TF'- F~
ira compensation" TO any officer or empioYe This Will
the unseemy scramble 80 often seen near the
close Of the session, also various Items or greater
| moment which sometimes appear In the supply Dill.
Section OF Article VII similarly prohibits " extra
compensation" % canal contractors and thus az one
blow does away with what has been source not only or
great frauds the Treasury, but Of most uemoriznS
influence the themselves In some sessions.
few back, many "a 20 Or ~ OL THESE extra
| compensation " bills passed.
section OF Article Will prohibits in express forms
the Appropriation pubic money 10 private purposes
md 50 only prevents renewal OF the abuses OF the
I'D Charity bills" which grew from Ss636O5 1859 TO
S775i5O 1870, ana reached sOf055 IN 1871 but also
ms of many smaller and less familiar RAIDS on the
Treasury.
tire from granting power 10 countess Giles towns, aud
villages give lend their pubic money or credit 20
individuals or corporations Ihls VIII prevent any
repetition OF the railroad town bonding system, or the
passage Of any OF the numerous schemes by which