The New York herald., 1878-03-13
7HE STATE CAPITAL.
Municipal Memorial to Regulate
Railroad Freiights.
SELF-A B N EGATION (!
Albany Statesmen Threaten to Re-
duce Their Salaries.
TOO MUCH LEGISLATION.
Important Information Demanded OF
Comptroller Kelly.
f r. T. l. G x n A l. 5 :.
TOO MUCH LEGISLATION
F r f. T. @ 4 N A l. S


Mr.. Brooks presented memorial rom the Mayor,
Comptroller and chairman OF the Finance Committee
Di New York, together with resolution from the
Chamber Of Commerce. the Importers and Grocers'
Board Trade and the Board of Trade
ana Transportation The memorial represents
that the producing and commercial inter-
ests oil the State, and particularly those OF
the city OF New York, have suffered greatly. and are
still suffering by reason the unjust
part of the railroads chartered by the State
carrying freight of foreign countries at
lower rates than for of this STATE and giving
Individual citzens special privileges and rales out OF
proportion 10 those charged by The general public,
1t asks tho appointment oil special commission
investigate the alleged abuses IN these respects,
inquire into the powers, contracts ana oD!isa-
,Ions of railroads in this State, and ascerai
what legislation is needed TO extend and protect
the commerce OF the State, sucn commission to take
testimony IN the city OF New York aud report by oll
or otherwise during tho present the session
OF the stature The memorial urges that although
the revenue collected by The railroads exceeds by
moro than .tonold the entire revenue derived from
VACATION in this State, and notwithstanding the I'M
portance OF honest and equitable railroad manage
aud Tho changed conditions OF the age there has
been suspension or regulation OF such interest,
aud but little legislation, except that sought By the
railroads, these modern highways were IN their
infancy.
Mr. Brooks also offered the following resolution -
Resolved df the Senate concur. That special commit
tea OF five pers1ns DO appointed with power to send Tor
ana papers ana 70 employ tenosrapher whose
IN the OF tho railroads chartered by this
contaess ana obigations said committee to take est
ony the city OF New York aud such other places
tie, may deem necessary ana to report TO the
wise what d any Legislation is
extend the commerce ot the State
Laid over
PAY oUR'LEGsLAToRs.
Until 1875 the pay OF members OF the Assembly had
been $500 u session. The constitutional amendment
then adopted the present of ST. 500
Ii having since alleged that This increase
cedcd 10 by the people under mlsapprehension, Mr.
willers introduced about month ago The following
concurrent resolution proposing TO amend section
Oi article oil the constitution
the Legislature shall receive for his
services an annual salary OF SOD ne mebes OF either
they snail in going and returning thoir
pace OF meeting once In each session, on the
Senate alone convened in exraorqnay session:
or Shsn serving as % te e @ hs INA OF
reedng in number snail be appointed managers
Iesoiyel it the Senate concur). That the oregon ng
referred the Legislature be chosen
the next general election Of ssnators ana that in con
published for three months previous TO the time OF such
election.
When the resolution called this morning
Mr. Alvord moved substitute 900 in place OF the
$3.50 1t. Alter u long discussion ana much
buncombo the resolution as th US ded wusadopted
by the following vote:-
YKAs-Messrs Abbott. Alvord, Andrews. Berry Brooks,
Branda @ Case Chase, caep. D. A. CLARK Converse Cor
breok, urd Keater Kellogg, Lovelaad Lowing, Matt-
Noyes Palmer, Pattengili, .. c. Peck, Dewitt c. Peck
Peek Prssso.I' hey"d' SSwyr
Valentine, wedsworth. wilOOr. wiiers. Williams Willis
NAYS Messrs. Allen Astor. Batho. Beard Bsrrigcn.
Browning Clancy j. Clark, Crawford, Curan, DAILY, Day,
yin, Grady. Graham Hamilton. l. l. Hayes, j. Hayes,
Langner Masses neDonongh s A " H. Miller Meynoorg'
shaney Sitter story. strack. lhain airing and en-
ABSENT OR Nor vorlsG Messrs. Baker Bergen Bruck.
Burns chappel Cosad Crowley Fitzgerald Gilbert iiep-
Sutherland, }. T. Taylor. Terry. Wakely, Wheeler and
PROPOSED BlENsIAL SESSIONS.
Mr.. SINNERS concurrent resolution proposing an
amendmen section OF article 10 of the coDstitu-
ton as 10 provide Tor biennial instead oi annual
sessions o. the Legislature was next called up by It's
author who maze an interesting speccn upon IT, 1t
that each session OF The Legislature costs the
slate $780, 00O aud that the tendency is toward
nn Increase oi TINS direct expense year after
year. Should propositIon to hold session only
once every Two years accepted, the Result, says
Mr.. Skinner, would be Immediate annual SAVING
OF $3.50 OOO The indirect SAVING, by the decrease
liilgai ION, &c. would amour, Ia much more The
oi laws IN consequences OF too frequent
ana nrolon sessions of the Legislature is a positive
evil, IN the judgment OF Mr.. SKINNER and is becsm-
ing more anu more distractng 10 even the best law
ycrs In the state Excepting the appropriation bills
sidereu by the last Legislature which could
not have been postponed 10 this one without harm,
ana measure os yet brought before this Leg
isature would suffer by being transferred TO the
Last year 4I5 new laws went on TO the statute
books. OF these l44 consisted o amendments OF
old laws and 10 repealed old laws: VI the whole
number l16 applied solely TO ctics-2S 10 New York,
Toto Brooklyn IL 10 buliao and TO Utica There
we're 40 which apped to towns, G2 10
villages, 80 70 counties aud 90 70 the al
Tairs OF individuals and III were minor laws
relating to insurance companies, &C. 80 laws in-
corporatsa public institutions In small localities, 10
related churches of no general intercsl 10 RAIL
roads, anu were special amendments 10 unim-
por,aIt acts Seventeen were amendments to general
laws. There laws ol a general Character,
proydipg for the extens on the tno collecting
lakes There were II referring 10 The canals TO
pfIsoBs ana 10 general financial bills including the
Appropriation and supply biils Eleven related to
general character related TO patent rights, to pool
selling / 10 the census, l TO oieomargarine TO
county treasurors ana prohiDiten the uclacement
TRIPPING LEGISLATION.
All these enuctmehts, Mr. skinner thlnks could
have been covered by less than twenty general
laws; yet nearly nyc huudrcd now statutes were
passed most OF them absolutely worthless, VIII! !ch
cost the State 600 apiece. Taxing the pres-
ont 10 Illustrate by, up To tins morning hlly
laws have passed by the Legislature twelyc oil
which come under he head oil special icgislhtioh.
Seven relate particular cities, Two TO villages,
seven 10 towns and i've 10 individuals the general
laws passed consist OIL
l. he law transferring the cemetery at Antiotam
20 the care OF the United States
Tho law relating TO field books In tho ONCE Oh the
State Engineer and Surveyor
8 Tue law extending the time for the collection OF
taxes.
4. A law relating to diseased animals.
8. Tho supply bill
g. Three or four amendments to the Revised Statutes
reat ny ordinary repairs the canals. the removal
OF noxious weeds IN pubic highways, &c.
Ine remaining fourteen laws are general ones OF
littic importance
Twenty STATES HAVE BIENNIAL SESSIONS
Biennial sessions Of the Legislature, Mr. skinner
says have been adopted in twcnty-four states. Ia
none OF which do the people ask Tor return 10 the
annual system. vermont 10 the only Eastern state
which has adopted the biennial system yet, al
though Massachusetts Is thnkng OF doing so ana has
appointed commission TO examine the question,
Nncn has reported on economical gfouDds decidedly
Va iavUr OF The cnansc. Among the Middle states
Pennsy yvan,a aud Delaware nave adopted the bi-
eupll system. Quo, Indiaba, Illinois, Michi-
gan, California and Iowa have adopted &C.; also
kcDraskn, Nevada ana Kansas. Among the southern
States Arkansas, Georgia FLORIDA, kentucky, Mis-
sissipp NorIh Carolina Tcnnessse, Texas, Virginia