The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-05-04

less sessions IN the ieBlsiatlNe hiSlofy Va sno
State, the Senate and Assembly adjourned
Yesterday, leaving behind them field
thickly strewn with the corpses of slaugh-
tered bills. 1t was hoped that the fivefold
increase in the compensation of members
would give us better class of men for law
makers, but this Legislature has been no
improvement on its ill-paid predecessors.
1t has been n nest Of faction and intrigues
all through the session; it has wasted its
time in busy idleness it has failed to pass
any of the important measures required by
public interests and, with the exception OF
the customary appropriation bills, which
pass every Legislature as a matter of course,
1t would have been quite as well for the State
if the Legislature of 1875 had never met.
We will not attempt complete catalogue OF
its shameful failures, but few conspicuous
instances may serve as specimens.
Let US begin with what is the most
utterly inexcusable Of all these failures
namely, the neglect to pass an appor-
tionment bill. By. the constitution of
the State ON enumeration of inhabitants is
required to be taken every ten years, mid
way between the preceding and following
federal census, and it is made the duty OF
the Legislature, ''at its first session after the
return of every enumeration" to reappor-
ton the Senators and Assemblymen in such
a manner that each political division OF the
State shall be represented in proportion to
its population. This imperative require
mcnt Of the constitution has been disre-
garded, and, for the first time in the his
tory Of the State the next Legislature fol-
lowing tho enumeration has failed to reap
portion the members. There is every reason
to believe that it was the deliberate inten-
ton of the republican majority, in spite of
their oaths, to prevent superintendent
Had they meant to deal with this question
fairly they would have prepared and intro
duced the bill at an early stage of the session.
They were in full possession of the returns
when the Legislature assembled; they were
not occupied with other important business
during the early months of the session; they
owed it to the Governor to give him an
opportunity to examine SO important bill
and return it with his veto if he found it
inequitable, and to weigh his objections.
But not having the majority of two-thirds
needed for passing bill over the Governors
negative, and not wishing to be put under
the necessity of framing another bill, they
postponed action until the expiring days of
the session, in the expectation either that
the bill would not pass, or, if it did pass,
that a veto subsequent to the adjournment
- Al
This scheme was equally adroit and dis
honest The gerrymandering bill Of the
majority would be less advantageous to the
republicans than to leave the old appor-
tionment unchanged. The growth of popu-
lation within the last ten years has been
chiefly in the cities of New York and Brook
Ign and other democratic strongholds, and
by leaving things as they are the republic
cans have deprived their opponents of the
additional members which any new appor-
tionment must have assigned them. In
stead Of getting less than they are entitled
to by the increase of population the demo-
Gratis get nothing. If the republicans should
elect the Governor next fall, as well as the
Legislature. they will fix the apportionment
to suit themselves, and meanwhile the DEM
ocrats are worse off than they would have
been if the defeated bill had become a law.
It's failure to pass the Legislature is better
for the republicans than its defeat by a veto,
because the Governor is silenced and de-
prived of the opportunity to make an effec-
tive campaign document by exposing the
bill. AS it did not pass he has no excuse
for making an official parade of his objec-
TONS The unfairness of the present APP
portionment is manifest in the fact that,
although the democrats had majority of
nearly fifteen thousand last fall on their
State ticket, the republicans easily carried
the Legislature.
Among the other bills that failed to pass
in the morning session yesterday were
Woodin's charter amendments, the extension
Of Comptroller Green's term, the Park Com
mission bill and the bill for reducing NUM-
cipal salaries. We group them together
because they are kindred measures Tam
many is jubilant over their defeat and has
reason enough for its rejoicing. 1t now ex-
poets to control the patronage of every
important department of the city government
in the next election. The passage of the
Parks bill would have taken away the
patronage of that department. the defeat
Of the bill for extending the term of Comp
troller Green enables Tammany to feed the
hopes of a dozen active politicians during
the canvass, although it will have to disap-
point eleven of them after the election; the
saving of the present salaries will enable it
to levy heavier contributions on the city
officers for election expenses, and the defeat
of the charter amendments saves Tammany
from serious losses. Everybody will ask how
it happens that Legislature SO strongly
republican has left all these advan-
tages in the hands of the worst faction