New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-01-17
ALBANY.
WORK OF TIE LEGISLATURE.


GOVERNMENT OF NETWORK CIrY-sPEEcH OF
L. C. COwDIN.
ALBANY, JAM 16-The State Legislature
got fairly to work to day both branches the sessions
were long there considerable debating, and reports
were for the received from the standing COM
mitees upon bills before them The Senate, as usual
did its work in the most busnesslike manner there
being little useless talk Tho ACKNOWLEDGMENT however
consumed great deal Of their time in speechmakng oil
a rather discursive nature
In the Senate there no bills OF pubic interest III
troduced except providing for the RELIEF OF the ~
lies Of the shnneock Indians drowned when the Crcas
sian wrecked. Mr. Bixby put forward resolution
considerable importance IL calls upon the Superih
of the Department to secure from tue
insurance companies OF state detailed statement OF
the paid their officers In support OF his reso
luton senator said that he had compared the gross
incomes Of two great insurance companies Win tue
amount of their expenses. One. Connectlcut
COMPANY, had an income of S9s00,0OO; the other, d
Ncw-York company. had an income OF So3Oo'ooo. Iho
Connecticut company's expenses amounted to S4S94s
the New-York to S9lG,7Ol company had recently
failed with assets reI,Sred worth &3,Gs3,OOO but
actually only 96S300o seven years ago piece
of New-Jersey sold for 100000 ana marheo
ont with town lots No town had yet been built nut an
insurance company had disposed OF $4,000 IN mort
cages on the lots. The cash in hand" OF one com
pany, which represented 10 De Sl'2'SSo' "ao
In fact only - 900; and the premium notes OF one COM
pany asserted worth 81 100000, we're WORTH aooue
three cents pound FOR tho paper they were prhtHo
upou He desired to learn the names OF the companies
that were improvdent aud that made wastefnl expend
tures and Thought that he should partly accomplish !
purpose by learning what companies were wasietni IN
the matter of salaries Senator'S stIrbUok ana SriNcS
smoke In favor OF the resolution Senator Harris thoush'
thai IL did not 30 far enough
senator Gerard offered c-olution, which was adopt
ed calling upon the Controller OF the City Of Now-iorR
Ri IN A
estate held by that city than wharves, piers water
lots and sucli property Ia now used Tor Pubic pur
poses state the reasons. there he any, why tiS
property should be sold at public auction or ny
sealed ODDS and put in the Treasury or SINK
ing Fund MI Gerard said that there was ten million
dollars worth of property owned by the City OF
NeU-Yorb that might far better be sold than
to be managed II now Is by lhemtirht
officials 1t also involved waste and pohucai
corruption This resolution applies to tha markets III
NewYork a. well as other of property The only
market that brings in profit to the city, it IA asserted
"a w,sb;n0ton Market Senator Gerard claimed In
speerb before some taxpayers recently that the mar
ket1 would far more efficiently managed II ehuIey
under the control private citizens The other KINDS Oh
unproductvc city property. If sold would Then DC put
on the tax lists and thus would bring in an annaai IN
come to the city treasury.
hill 10 create board OF railroad comm ssioner> SINH
lar IN that Of Massachusetts, introduced in the AS
semby by Mr. Hayes OF NcwYork 1t provides Tor the
appointment OF three commissioners by the Governor
tho Senate consuming 70 serve respectively lor t"o
three and four years The COMMISSIONERS are EN-
powered Ia supervise all railroads, and keep themselves
informed As 70 their condition and the manner N which
they re opcrtei with reference the security and ac
couploaaton Of tho public and the compliance OF the
corporations with the provisions OF Their char
ters and the laws Of the state. The colnls-
sioners are given the power to examine 'he
books OF the panios subpoena Witnesses, and compel
Tho
copnc such examinations the city, the chief
Office OF the railroads under examination are situated
whenever companies violate law or neglect 20 com
py with the provisions Of their charters the coAs
sorers may The CONF anes attention to the fact ana
II the warning is disrcgaricd call the attention OF
the Attorney to the violation OF the law Inc
commissioners also may employ counsel Of their own to
proceed in the Of the State against the ds0bedent
railroads The commissioners also requested IL pre-
pare a report setting forth the evils OF the exist
ing system and prepare uniform system OF
keeping accounts, and 10 submit the report
o the Icglsature in 1873. The system or bookkeeping
of every company may he examined. ANY ten citizens
of city, jlayor Aldermen or Supervisors decline
To do So MAJ request the railroad nissoncrs to MAKE
an examination ~ a road. Accidents must be in'es'-
gated by board, and their cause II possible acer
tanned An annual report must De made upon their work
done The annual 'alary Of the commissioners Is pat 1t
81 800 each The annual expenses of the commissions
must not exceed 81 900. The expenses OF the commits
soners TO the amount OF 10000 mu't he borne by the
railroad corporations. the apportonment OF each to be
made by the Controller
Mr. Nachtmann presented bill amending the law OF
1872 in regard 10 professions md paTade in cities on
SUNDAYS II prohibits all professions except those Of
religious societies. SIR Marvin of Kings County miro
duced bill which provides that no public auctions shall
be held after in cities except they he authorized by
the Mayor Common Council An exception II made,
however in behalf of auctions at which books, prints,
pariaz IN anV.a NJ
sold the original package fine of $500 is incurred
by any auctOneer violating it, provisions. Mr Santee
introduced bill amending the general election registry
law the State. in effect applying to cities as low ~
5000 in population the Limit under the present law De
Mr. Eccesine of New-York called up hs resolution de-
indictments file IN his Office and statement OF his
IN each ease for not bringing the hdgen person
luton "bc cent the Judiciary Committee ard OPP
posed the passage OF the resolution tht the Assembly
was detective agency IL also sail tat the ONCE
OF the DstrictAttUrney Of Newiork had been iuyesti
sty and energy Of Mr. Phelps 1t was habit OF Mr.
PHELPS to take P H w h c kcB tie court busy
on motion OF Mr. Hustled the consideration OF the ieso-
nitcly or practically killed
MR.. COwDIN'S SPEECH.
Mr. Elliot G. COwdin then called his resolution IN
strucng the Committee Cities 70 draw bill for
the more economical government OF the CITY Of New
York listened to with marked attention by the
Assembly Mr. COwdn said:
The entire debt or the city Of New-York OF all kinds IN
1865 was in round numbers Si5,OooO0O. IL IL now
SI45 100000 An OF the city DEBT OF rlOOOOo-
900 i'm about years not by the avoidance of taxes,
but IN addition large and constant taxation NAV weu
alarm the Chief Magistrate OF state ana tie cty
Let s back 20 1880, and deal only with the bonded
debt and in round numbers;
In 1885 the bonded debt was............. S9OO,OOO
In SO the bonded deb was.......,.... l3.OOu.JO0
In the bonded debt Has............. l5.MOUD
In 1850 the bonded debt ...... l30OO,JOO
+, isG5 The bouded debt was............ $4,000 900
--O ne bonded debt 1900 900
t.Tll,r. b IA MN