New-York tribune., 1881-09-02

WIS
brought to bear in favor OF @ special bill, the
trifing fact that the proposed law vas in
downright conflict not only with the spirit but
the precise letter of the Constitution, seems to
have been thought of no consequence. The
fact that the Constitution provides that mo
"county, city, town or village shall hereafter
give any money or property, or loan its
money or credit to- or in aid Of any indivfd-
"ual, association or corporation" did not
prevent the Legislature from passing bill to
pay Jacob A. Hatzel duplicate of the salary as
Alderman of this city which was drawn by an
other candidate afterward proved to have been
fraudulently elected nor from passing O bill
to bestow the same gratuity upon the widow
of candidate for another Office, who had
suffered the same injustice. Offences against
this clause of the Constitution seem to have
been one of the favorite sins of the Legisla-
ture. A bill was passed to refund to Kings
County Charity Commissioner the cost of de-
Tending his title; another to authorize
the town of Canandaigua to pay an
Excise Commissioner who had refused to
grant Licenses for cattle which some rovengeful
persons, it was supposed had poisoned and
so on. The provisions of the Constitution for
bidding the enactment of local bills increasing
or decreasing the compensation of public
officers during their terms, and fOrbidding the
granting OF extra compensation to public
officers, agents or contractors, either by the
Legislature or by any Common Council, were
also selected for special violation. The Legis-
lature tried to legalize the act of Erie County
Supervisors in raising the pay of certain court
officers seventy-fve cents q day tried also to
repeal law reducing the pay of some officers
in Sullivan County; tried to raise the pay of
the Judge and Surrogate Of Seneca County
and tired to increase the fees of the
Albany County Clerk. The Constitution
forbids the Legislature to recognize any
claim against the State which would be out
lawed between citizens, and yet the Legisla-
ture tried to compel the City of Brooklyn to
pay an outlawed claim Of $3,975; tried to
legalize an Outlawed claim against this city,
which was void, at the outset, under that
provision of the charter which forbade city
officials to be interested in furni shing city
supplies; tried also to legalize ten-year r-Old
claim of John Foley against this city for
salary as a Supervisor for four years after the
Board was abolished; and so on. The Con-
stitution forbds the enactment of local laws
providing for building bridges; but this did
not prevent the Legislature from coolly pass
ing bill for building bridge in the me-
tropolis of Big Flats and another for bridge
in Rochester The Constitution provides that a
local bill shall contain only one subject,
and that shall be expressed in the
TITLE" but the Governor was more than once
compelled to show the Legislature that the
titles of bills were defective. The Constitution
prohibits local legislation granting to any
corporation, association OF individual the
right to lay down railroad tracks," but this
was calmly disregarded in the passage of a bill
for the benefit of the Metropolitan Transit
Company.
The extravagances and blunders of the Leg
islature are still more curious. The existence
of general laws seems to have been totally ig-
nored whenever n local object was to be gained
by special bill. There is a comprehensive
general law of long standing for the incorpo-
ration of villages, but the Legislature, to Sc
cure local object, passed bill to amend
that law "as far as it relates to the vii
lage of Dresden, in the County OF Yates.n
special bill was passed to crafty cornell
Hose Company No. 2 of the City of Kings
ton" in spite of the existence of ample GEN
eral laws There is general law for plank
road companies, but the Ulster and Delaware
Plank-Road Company wanted q special prvi-
lege, and law was passed. The best legis-
lative bull of the year was when the Legisla-
ture paSScu u Dlu 10 amend the Town Audit
ors' act, and the Governor discovered that the
number and year gwen belonged to bill re-
lating to the Town of Glenvile, in Schenec-
tady County. Some eccentric bills were passed.
One was to release the interest of the State in
certain property left without heirs to n lady
who was engaged to be married to the de-
ceased, and "on three occasions" took care of
him when he was sick. Another was to
legitimatize the birth of one Robert John
Ehlers. Another was to regulate the
proof" in ease against New-York CITY.
SO rs TO deprive the city of its defence.
Numerous other examples might be given.
The obvious lesson is that neither the Con-
stitution the statute book will, with the
ordinary Legislature stand in the way of Clog
rolling" combination of the men who have
determined to help one anothers bills through
is usually large enough to control any Loeisla-
ture. That State is fortunate which, under
these circumstances has so careful and con-
scientious an Executive as Governor Cornell.
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