The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-03-29
Governor Robinson and the New
Canal system.


Governor Robinson's veto of the bill IN
relation to the Office OF Superintendent OF
Public Works. after the rejection OF General
McClellan's name for that position by the
Senate. was entirely proper. and demanded
in the public. interest. The bill. as origin
ally sent to the Executive Chamber. swept
entirely away the whole machinery Of the
canal management, abolishing the Offices OF
superintendents of repairs and OF all
engineers, division. resident and assistants
If this bill had been suffered &c become
law on the Goth inst, which was the last
day it could remain in the Governors
hands and Superintendent Of Public
Works should not have been con-
frmed by the Senate before the
second or third week of April, nothing
could have been done on the capals in the
interim, and they could not have been
put in readiness for navigation by the
LIST of May. If General Mcclellan had
have been different. since he would have
had ample time in which to rearrange the
engineering machinery and to remedy other
defects in the law without delaying the
opening of the canals.
The Legislature has, however, recognized
the justice of the Governors position, and
has happily remedied it's former mistake
by promptly passing another bill which
omits all those portions of the first
bill which destroyed the present engi-
neering force. Under this new bill it will
not matter at what moment of time the new
system supersedes the old, since the change
will only be in the responsible manage
ment, and such reforms in the subordinate
machinery as may be found desirable can
be made leisurely and without throwing all
the work on the canals into con-
fusion. 1t will, of course, be tire duty
of the Governor to approve this new bill,
and then to promptly send to the Senate
another nomination for superintendent
There will be no difficulty in finding demo-
Gratis in the State fully qualified to fill the
position, and whose familiarity with our
canal system and with the canal interests
the old machinery and work it to tho adj
vantage of the State and of those who use
the canals 1t is essential that the new sys-
tenn, inaugurated by the constitutional
amendment, which received nearly half
million majority in the last cleo
ton, should go into operation at
once. The present Canal Commission
ers, holding on IN uncertain tenure,
can scarcely be expected to give their ear
nest attention to the management Of the
canals. The object of the new system is to
make the Governor directly responsible to
the people for the efficiency and fidelity Of
the future canal management He has the
absolute power to remove the Superintend-
ent of Public Works, and hence will hold
supreme control over that officer. For this
reason the Senate will scarcely venture to
reject any unobjectionable nominee the Gov
ernor may now select. At all events, it is
clearly the Governors duty to approve the
new bill, to nominate superintendent of
Public Works from among the many men Of
his own party who are well qualified by
capacity, character and experience to fill the
position, and to allow the new system so en-
phatically Endorsed by the people to super
sede that which has long been stamped with
popular disapproval.