New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-04-16
IBr rrlnenArm TO THE rHIpuSr.I

on Cities on the result Of the inquiry maze Dy
that committee in 1890 in regard to the gov
eminent of cities, and especially of the Guy Oh
New-Yerk. The REPORT contains LOG printed
pages and has Incorporated within 1t eleven DIS
together with many statistics upon presenting
his report, Senator Fassett said: :,
ask unanimous consent at this time 70 nn MAN.
port and desire Ia mako statement IN cohleo,ioh
with it, Mr. President desire TO submit submit pel elm
mary report from the Committee on Sy !" o the
ence to its administration under the resoiuhon vi 'c
Senate passed last JannaIy peSe esyan Ss ana
some LOG printed pages ,o s. 'fatstics digest Of in
formation obtained from an nyesugaom int 5e soa
eminent OF the thirty cities 81 te stats mrSn o ' ~
gsther with tabuiaons 2nd satlSes IN Ieletenee 10
the municipal goI crnment OF New Si & f
which reference is made in the body OF the report WIN
reference to recommendations' s .,oo,,od tho most
careful and elaborate attention and dsenSe OF Se
committee Without respect 70 pT renor There
nothing the element Of personality o sd
feel like cor graduating myself upon the calm judi
cai tone which characerizes the report from begin,
ming 10 end and the counsel 81 the committee and all
who have had hand in forming and formulating the
phraseoogy of the report wc as the substance Of
its contents Every criticism Made in committee on
member Of the COMMITTEES the Criticisms came Every
SSs Of iG the Committee H @ report have been
entirely without acrmony and we have acted IN ente
moi signed by the two minority members of the COM
mttee. they do not desire, as understand them TO
sSm the %xixth icNaaghton) and the senator from
the With Ahearn) both here each in mis- place. and
do not feel called upon to make any statement for
them, believing, II they deem proper they can make
for themselves am fSs he rsssr
abe 6gOt as rf fS s sGy snst6T o
the XXTXth should make his own statement.
We recommend eleven bills, Mr.. President; first.
mot S Sqt Snt Of s o
bids the Legislature in the future, ater It's aaOpuon'
from charterng any city by special law Second,
that the Legislature shall formulate general law;
The third accommodation Is in the form 3pa OF Dill
Stature Just such general law We report OF
course facts and statistics in connection with the ne
mort in this direction Mr. President, is in the line
Of the old familiar doctrine Of home rule for cities
In the present condition Of the law the committee
have felt that there is such thing as satisfactory,
permanently assured home rule. The effort OF the
future laws in the direction of possible permanent
home rule for all the cities of the state The third
reports as to the financial arrangements OF each OF
the hirtytwo cities in the state annually with the
make a report to the Legislature such statistics,
and also TO append to his report each such report
That is regarded by the committee, who believe u
the value Of reliable statistics to be perhaps the
most important recommendation made by the com
mittee, except that providing for UNIFORM oharter
" Other recommendations, Mr.. President, are in the
III hne the si etg Of YewYorK They believe are not
objected to by any of the authorities TO whose atten
As to the expenses, Mr.. President, Of this com
COMMITTEES is fairly Wen attested by the fact that the
pile OF manuscript the Presidents desk Is only
small percentage Of the evidence taken At the rates
fixed BY the Controller our stenographers bill was
over $4,000 We have taken thousands and
regular rate per diem Of men whose work good for
anything with his assistants, has put In bdl which
g. sanli fragment Of ks work. The counsel have
presented 10 b whatever tsTthe COMMITTEES e .s @
mittee is that this report viii be received by the
f sOS By th 99oSP It the fSe S
an earnest and enduring desire and effort on the part
Of this committee to solve what we nave or ue
ton of the day and that is the satisfactory goger
moment It win be, is bound to be, must be-. the
absorbing question until it is properly solved ana we
believe that this report. the tabulatons and the
statistics win prove most valuable, 1t is in many
respects an absolutely novel, contribution to the
dent that the report may be received and printed
and ordered to lie upon the table
Senator McNaughton, one of the Democratic mem
bers Of the committee, said that in his opinion it
was an admirable report that had been presented by
Senator Fassett 1t mine of information
about city affairs not accessible in any other
form. It's statistical information was especially
valuable.
Senator Fassett asked that the bills presented be
made a special order for Friday morning. The
Senate ordered that they should be considered in
the first Committee of the Whole not full.
Senator Ahearn said that he had not signed the
report, because the evidence taken was not suf-
fcent to justify such radical changes as were sug-
gested in the bills
Senator Fassett said that in his opinion the only
reason why Senator Ahearn opposed the bills was
that he was Democrat.
Following is a summary of the report:
- GENERAL CONCLUSIONS.
Our Investigations result in the conclusions that the
chief difficulties which underlie the government Of
cities in this State are fourfold.
INSTRUMENTATION and too frequent yielding on
the part Of the Legislature TO the opportunities Of
representatives of the various cities for the passage
special or local bills in our opinion the Constitution
power Of individuals to appeal to the Legislature
and TO protect the Legislature from the necessity o.
entertaining such appeals by restricting It's power tC
legislation by general laws.
second-The absence of general law for the gov
powers should be granted 10 local authorities and the
legislature corespOndingly relieved.
as incident this the necessity for the enactment Of
reports to be filed BY each municipality, with some
proper state officer setting out with sufficient funess
and detail the classes of administrative and financial
fscts which refer to hereafter, in order that tho
legislature and the people may be enabled TO advise
themselves fully and at all times. with regard to the
general condition OF the government OF cities, SO fal
as the same can be made apparent by means OF al
accurate and systematic publication OF reports show
ing the Indebtedness, taxation and expenditure Of
such cities.
Fourth-Th subordinaton of city business to the
exgencies Of State and National politics.
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.
Having come to these conclusions, we have taken
up first the question Of the proposed Constitutional
smendment.
Chief Justice Church's remark in the 62d New-YOrk
Reports, at page 49, is true to-day IL was when
lit was made, that 1T is scarcely safe for any
one TO speak confidently of the exact condition of the
law in respect to public improvements In the cities Of
New-YOrk and Brooklyn. Enactments In reference
thereto have been modified. superseded and repealed
oflen, and 10 such extent that it is difficult 10 as
i'm at fcul