The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-01-03

| of returns. witch has been agreed upon after
companies, IN a conference of the Commission.
| ers If tho3e States. ma the IT &c Engineer and
Deputy state Engineer Of this State. Tho me-
| object in view Is that the returns shall
be OF one and the same form in all tho
this unIformitv VIII be extended to those
oft,e whole eonnir;. It Is Obvious ihat whore
| l. frequently the case. 1t must be more or less
! tnconvonient to the company to make up its
moreover, there viii be advantages to the pub
| lic IN having these returns uniform. | sugRe {
| law. giving to the State Engineer the power to
| prescribe the form OF tho returns-the same
| power that IL vested In tho Railroad Commits
sioners ia Massach Isetts-and such other power
| pertaining In that State to Railroad COIumis-
sioners as may be necessary to insure aud en-
| force iropcr exposition OF the actual condi-
| ton OF these companies. You will De able to
| judge of this matter better after an examna-
| ton OF the memorial. ana the PAPERS accom-
piuvng II, which shall cause TO be sent to you.
| NE form upon which the lnemoriai>ts agreed
| Will be found la the possession Of tue State Eu-
ginecr.
INSECURITY or PLACES OF PUBLIC RESORT.
The recent calamity at the BROOKLYN Theatre,
said ~ ne uncquaed In horror by any hike event
heretofore. calls our attention most forcibly TO
the duty oi providing by law. and by the sever
est penaltcs,acalns' such disasters In the future.
| Fnosc who seek to make money by gathering
| the people III crowds into their buildings, IRE
! bound to take every precauiion to insure their
absolute safety. The Legislature should enact
| regulations Tor all such buildings, so ms to pro-
VIDE Tor the prompt suppression OF fire and
fact the provision for safety and for exit should
| be So complete and 50 manifest that punics
| would not occur
The danger il not limited to theatres and
places Of public amusement; rooms used for
| lectures or Tor public meetings olm large scnooi-
| houses aud even churches are. furthe most part.
| 50 constructed that tn case Of pane large
| number oi the crowd within II likely TO he ia
tally injured IN the hcice natural struggle to
esuApc.
TIE buildings owned bv the public are 50
faulty as those used for prtvats purposes We
are fanl ar VII one or more fatal disasters
! anon. the children who. in cities, are crowded
into tOur-st0Ty schoolnousea. Attention shO aid
also be civcn to the security OF passengers in
cases 81 IRE upon steanib latS aud railway trains
Nothing more than TIL Orief ailusiOn t. the
tong can be nece 'suri Even without ", am
! confident that YOU would promptly nave given
| yOur attention to the subject.
MUNICIPAL REFORM.
The report Of the commission appointed by
m, predecessor e. consider the subject Of the
government II otto hls not yrt Deen received.
tope tia snall ne enabled to present it to
you early ~ YOUR present session. In some re-
specie the goyernment Of the city OF y Nv YORK
/, IN almost a chaotic condition; apprOpria ions
OF MONEY ate resultted, nos Nv the Com mon
Council. but hN "a board OF four tersOns. Of
whom onlv one is ch son 10y the people. rhe
distrihution Of administrative and Legislative
powers Is imperfect and uncertain. An ou'-
going Mnyor has iower to appoint, IN some
eases. subordinate a. al .tr.;iys unicsrs for "A
term exceeding that Of the Incoming Ma,or. OF
the en- rtloue Geot Testing unon the city. as |
aflu i..i nf ssiyluD la. hc m cgsttsl ia itre Z
arti IN nf tnc tite legislature without being
us,"l for or APP. we'd 10y the Common Council
Il thec'ty az the DO ard OF supervisors of the
cuIntv. or by its taxpNer~ or NJ pcODle. There
.re tNo uty-one % these Objectionable laws -till
m rr'c. under wht,n tue full amount 81 dent
Huihg. zed 90 htn' has not I'D vet been contra l.
Ell. IL woli. toe VOL to eX .minc INTO tnis maj
;"t 40 once. for the purpose OF rep" LING such of
tht.' acts a. ~ YOUR Judgment -lNUlI not be
lef IN iure-. In so,ue ~ the acts tAe amount
OF Indebtedness mas no limit. but i Is provided
that on the simple r,uIisition Of "A subordinate
AIM .ni>traiive dep'r. meni boir's " The city
NAV be- issued. provided that they do not eX-
coed a certain SAM per unnum. me NUMBER OF
years 1urins wAi'h ne acts NAV continue 10 ap-
many inst ances Imperative requiring the debt
The evil praciice OF commanding the creation
OF dsof; i'r I zeal purpose. 10y local govern
mrut-. i NOS ruuine TO laws relating tnc citv
OF N,v loiN alone. Tpan our statute books
VIII "r i"uta many acts authorizing ani re-
gtt'in- D. .id II supcrSi On. truii 'e. Of wi
nary eat tuAes. Tor purely local nurpO-.s. bat
| to incur mo- Jteancas Or -uch plrpo-s-. Tue
duty oftne l-eis'lturei m erch matters is proper-
" defined ~ ar cl' :, lection .. Of the Consttu-
| ton. winch says: " II shall be the day Of the
Lesislaturr 20 provide ir the Organization OF
car e. nd inc9t Iorhted VILLAGES, aHd 60 restrict
their pos cr ~ Tax tiipu. contracting debts" etc
Whichever tn iesissatur' Indert az To inIpose
on a usisahurhUJi La al taxes OF local lude ptel
tess e. lpva' purp1rs.. d 20 sline- - nave q
knpWiedse II ,ne Ease winch none 90 "a have tx
cept those whp tive III the heighh nruoad affect
ch, 1t UNDERTAKES t. uis, large sne iunrl MS of
VIII t@e ifu-le s.town IA 'crs. ere aldermen. ur
| supervisors Of cpuutia-: Tor wuitI functions
t.. men selected esp idly Tor tn, p.ac.s are
better /, tel. Mh hoover evils ma, occa nnnaiIy
appear ~ local government snnlli h- reni. died
| bi the iru1l' 90 home, upon whom ca reh punsi
bility should rest.
CORgvpT UsE OF MONEY IN ELECTIONS.
The Constitution and laws OF this ~'i.1 con-
tam many very stringent aud tAcnllcn nj pro-
visions for securing tn" purity of ths ptio'-uI x
ana preventing tnr corrupt use Of money IN
elect ions Inc penalties which they irni,.t
ul ln those criminals WAC violate thea are very
seS e.. L. H.. however, apparent tnat in every
important electiun tue laws upon TINS subject
90 4 It'd ftslff IA ! tfltl
thorough rrSkImtuaiipn aud revislpn ~ them,
with view of rrnderin: convection more ce--
tain and with aIuIIipnil ana sevrrer penaltlcs
- VIZ ilIy important Is NE prse 'rvauun of the
pulA ~ elections 60 tne permanent exi,tenc
~ Our for of Government. thut m nv opinion
an IN III WHO buy OF sells vote should he tor
ever thereafter uisiIanchised and subjected "a
~ucn otarr peu4ltie, II viii be most i<viy IL
prevent Tue commits ION Of tine crime.
Another gigantic evil. closely allied TO tie
urJn III" results Of ciecupus. rms pra ice n,'
always existed % some eXtt e; but II, tuI tao
evis resulting from 4, have Iecoltl' orrn de-
yeiopcd u an alarming extent. u rs unqdes-
''rnIriy iru' tHat many millions of dollars weru
siaRed upon ~" result Of the late election
Every person interested IA such bets h I'd
strong motive Tor c1rrupting and orioing vol ~
and there Is no Doubt that many yielded 10 the
tenptltiun rhe neat ana excitement Of the
contest were Also greatly intensified ~ the
saDe cause. | recommend the enacttueut Oi O
Law. s.th severe penaltie.. enii,eiy prohibiting
all het,, direct or indirect, upon the result oi
NArIoNA Al AFFAIRS.
The recent Frrsldeuutl ui cli1n threatens q
prove an epoch of solemn porteut IN our his
tory. For the hr-t time III the Twenty-Five elec
lions winch nave b8cn hrid Tor Prrsldfut an,
Wee President Of the United StlJcf. the re all
r remains "A subject of cOutriNtr after the e n
| Vass Of tus woes within the states mas beet
| IA de aud announced. ih" Two n Iu+rs II Con
grr-s u .Ve b zen nor, tpfor" r-pe teulN rruDIrrt
to pa. ulJl the authenticity ANA NLltdllY n
| elcc-nin votes. hut m no former Inst uc- ID .
the election turncd ulun the uhestiuuabie vote
| la rs re- lYfiI'r case the result ht, n,rn dee
terhincd by electoral votes wnlch w"re not II
| controversy. Va tue rre-ent instance one ttndi
| uutc tor Pf-nideuf and one can1iuate Tor wee
| Irrsld Al have received III undirputed circtpf
Npte-. ~ arl ~ popular majority exec itn
- auI.rt'r of million. Another cinIidate TO
. Ir.~tdeut auJ another cHudl1atr Tor Ntrc-irt-t
{ denf nave received l0j undHput u ,lociora
/, votes. Al tn votes of three states -four n
I FONDA eight III Louisiana. aud seven ~ : luLi
ttrnlIut. making nlnc,ren Ia all. uir st lu dl-
I quite. uiSl one % the tnree y tcs Of oregon
IL IN All these cases two -c's ut return htvr ba"
'fliu-iult lod to the scat ui Government, arr 60
ei to tIr Pre- cent ui th @rulte,' To HW 90 tn
action OF the twp Houses ol Congress. wao-
' dDb % is e. verify, ascertain aud count ia
" electoral votes.
- Ina siiuatipn involsiu. such mOmentous re-
suite fAs cnici inAgirtrt'h Of tnir rtpInllf, I'd
10 are naturally rmpatiled 10 secure the priIe.
4 D. a. Surh ctiso- ~ nistnry tnhi tine cuntrutliu
" i1rrs Of cardinal princiii'' ls l..ir 90 be- wc .