The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-05-25


When the new amendments to the State
constitution went into operation last year
it was supposed, or at least hoped. that the
larger compensation given to members OF
the Legislature would elevate the character
of that body by drawing into it men OF ca
pacity and efficiency. There was no reason
for disappointment that the good efiect
was not perceptible in the Legislature OF
1876, for when candidates were nominated
in the preceding autumn the amendments
had not been ratified by the people, and
it was not known whether members
would receive three hundred dollars
or fifteen hundred dollars for their
services during the session. But the
Assembly chosen last November was certain
| to receive five times the old compensation,
and the Legislature Of 1877 ought to have
consisted of better class Of men. The
long, wearisome and fruitless session which
ended yesterday has disappointed that ex-
pectation, if such an expectation was enter
tanned. 1t has been imbecile and barren
beyond the most worthless of its prede-
cessors. No Legislature which ever assem-
bled in this State had greater reason on the
day of its adjournment to adopt the peni-
tential language of the liturgy and say,
1--WE have left undone the things we ought
to have done, and done the things we ought
not to have done, and there is no health in
u.s."
This has been the longest session we have
had in thirty years, and the emptiest we
ever had. Its barrenness in practical re-
suits cannot be excused by paucity Of in
portant questions. There were subjects of
great pith and moment with which it was
the duty Of this Legislature to deal, but it
leaves them all, or nearly all, in the same
state in which it found them. 1t was its
duty to reapportion the State and give all
its parts fair and honest representation in
accordance with the census of 1875; but it
has adjourned without passing an appor-
tionment bill. This neglect of duty is all
the more indefensible and scandalous by
the failure Of the last Legislature to obey
an explicit command Of the constitution.
When duty is not performed at the time
required by the constitution, the earliest
opportunity should be seized to discharge
the overdue obligation. 1t was also the duty
of this Legislature to pass the necessary
laws for giving effect to the constitutional
amendment which substitutes Superin-
tendent of Public Works for the Canal Com
missioners; but we are to 60 on still another
year under the old system, which has been
such fruitful source. of abuses and mis-
management. It may be said that this is
partly the fault of the Governor, but We do
not think so. In his Message at the begin
ming Of the session he asked for prompt, 40
ton, in order that the new systam might
be organized and set in motion before
the season approached for opening. the
years business on the canals. He recon-
mended o simple law fixing the salaries
and sureties OF the new officers at once
and leaving other details for mature con-
sideration. Instead Of this the Legislature
waited till near spring, and then passed q
crude and clumsy oct, which the Gov
ernor vetoed for very solid reasons The
Legislature then passed, at a'late day when
1t was necessary to be making active pre-
parations for the opening Of the canals.
precisely the simple kind of bill which
Governor Robinson had asked them to enact
at the beginning Of the session. It was then
too late to organize the new system for this
seasons navigation, and the Governor der
clined to make an appointment which
would have introduced confusion into
the business Of the year. Another great
subject on which it was the duty
of this Legislature to act was rapid
transit, and on this also it has done moth
ing. Still another subject of first class i'm
portance was remedial legislation for this
city, but although there was great deal of
fussy activity nothing has been done for
our relief One very good bill was framed,
but it was SO mutilated and disfgured by
ill-digested amendments that the Governor
was justified in vetoing it in the form in
which it came to him, although with sew
eral forcible he assigned some lame and
ridiculous reasons for his negative The
dilatory and unbusiness-like Legislaturegot
this measure into its final deformed shape
at 80 late a,period in the session that time
was not left after the veto to repass its
good features in q more carefully
drawn bill. The Governor was not averse
to wholesome legislation for the city. He
had admitted its necessity in his Message
by saying that sin some respects the gov
eminent Of the city Of New York is in
almost chaotic condition" and proceeding
to point out the necessity for changes The
Legislature botched this part of it's work,
and deferred its botches to so late period
that no time was left for framing better
bills.
Besides these great and necessary meas
ures which have utterly failed by legisla-
tive bungling and procrastination, there is
a multitude Of minor but still important