New-York tribune., 1884-01-22
rur c0rEEylJyyy or CITIES.

The Legislature Of 1882 passed an amend
ment to the Constitution relating to the govern
mcnt of cities. Section 8 of Article OF the
! Constitution as il now stands reads as follows
! " II shall be the duty of the Legislature to pro-
"vide for the organization Of cities and incOrpo-
rated villages, and to restrict their power OF
"t0yation, assessment, borrowing money, con-
'tracting debts and oaning their credit,sO as to
"prevcnt abuses i'm assessments and III contract
''ing debt by such municipal corporations The
amendment in question is aimed at this section.
Itprovides that the Legislature shall be restrict
ed to the passage of general laws only, appllca-
bic alike 10 all incorporated cities. No special
or local bill is to be passed affecting the local
or municipal government of "A city, nor any bill
providing for the organization of cities under
local or municipal gOvernm ents "other than
republican in form" The Legislature Is also
prohibited from filing any municipal office now
existing or hereafter to be created otherwise
than by popular election or by appointment 10y
the Mayor. The people of every city are given
the powcr tOOrganize their own local and munic-
inol government, and to administer ii for local
and municipal purposes, subject only to such
general laws as the Legislature may enact. The
amendment concludes as follows. "N0 city
shall permanent debt or raise the rate
"of taxation above that prevailing at the time
"of the adoption Of this amendment 0rundertake
"newpublc works or divert public funds into
"ncw channels of expenditure 0risSuc It's bonds
sothar than revenue bonds, until the act
"antbolizing the same shall have been pub
"lished for at least three months and there
"after submitted to the people of the city at
general election and have received Il majority
"of all votes cast for and against it at such
election"
We have outlined the amendment thus care
fully because it is 10 be eithcrpaSsed or rejected
by the present Legislature. If passed it will
20 to the people. The history of recent at
tempts to reach the government of cities in this
way is not Of Il nature to cheer those who arc
pushing this measure. The most important Of
such attempts was the bill framed by the Com
mission on Cities Of 1S7G-'17, of which Mr.
Eyarts was chairman. The bill was introduced
in the Legislature of 1877, but failed to get
through. Three years later another ConStitu-
tioual amendment having the same general
purpose-the promotion of the welfare Of cities
was brought forward, but without success.
And so too the Legislature of 1881 killed the
amendment pending in the present Legislature.
Ii is not surprising that so little disposition
should be shown to change the organic instu
ment. People prefer to endure the ills they
have rather than to lily to others that they know
not of. That is he rule. and it is hard work 10
induce them to make IN exception. The Eyarts
Commission BILL which contained so much that
was admirable, encountered opposition because
il was regarded as a limitation upon suffrage.
This latest proposed amendment, which also
has excellent features, is not likely to commend
itself to our law makers in the present state of
the public mind in regard to this shamefully
city.