New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-01-05

| THE MEETING or HE LEGISLATURE.
The lawmakers OF New ork will begin their
! laborS for the session of 1891 tomorrow. The
people. as a rule, contemplate the opening OF the
| Legislature with conflicting feelings. They
hope as they have a right to expect, that their
| representatives will enact only wise and neceS-
Sary laws ; but experience has taught them that
the advancement OF the common veal Is by no
| means the chief end which all Senators and AS
scmblymen have in view. 1t is the general I'M
| pression that the coming session will prove
c0mparatiyely unfrlitful one owing to the Tact
! that the Republicans control the Senate and the
Democrats the Assembly. The situation is not
promising since it means divided cOunSels 1t
warrants the fear that some needed legislation
may perish in deadlock, the Senate declining
/ to concur in the action of the Assembly or vice
versa. At the same time il is to be said that
if the leaders OF the two houses, conscientiouSly
respecting their official oath, determine to leglS-
late faithfully and to the best of their ability.
! there is no good reason why the session shOuld
not compare iavorably with the best of It's
many predecessors
Certainly every intelligent legislator must be
aware that a number Of subjects of large I'M
! pOrtancc. subjects in which there lN-or at all
| events ought TO be-no politics. Will demand the
! attention Of our Legislature this year. One OF
! these is rapid transit for the metropolis An
| other is the revision of the tax laws. third Is
! the protection of the AdrOndackS. 4 fourth Is
! llot-refOrm-thc amendment OF the new law III
| the light of the November election, at which II
was practically tested. \ fifth is canal ana
| Hudson River improvement. \ sixth Is the
! Capitol Bulding->hall or shall not provision be
made for promptly finishing it? y seventh Is
! he priSonS-is the present law under which those
! institutions are being conducted so successfully
| to be left undSturbed or to be repealed or crp-
! pied at the demand Of crankS and demagoguea
! An eighth is the pauper inSanc-Shall the policy
which was inaugurated last winter OF caring Tor
| them in the state aSylumS be continued or shall
the county asylum ring succeed in inducing the
| Legislature to decree return to the pernlclouS
system so lately abandoned? Here are eight
weighty matters of general concern, and, as we
! have remarked, il ought not TO he difficult Tor
the two houses to discuss and dispose OF them
all on their merits without reference to Their
! political bearings in case any Of them have such
| bearings We wish we might add high-lccnse
10 the list but that is out Of the question for the
one blunt reason tina, the Democratic Assembly,
whose real leader will be Governor Hill, can be
depended upon to refuse to do anything which is
| not agreeable to the rum power The senate, so
far as its course on the excise question is con
cerned. will be the exponent of reform and the
Assembly of anti-refcrm. The contrast is worthy
the attention of those who are fond of asserting
that one party is about as trustworthy as the
| other.
The Senate. which holds over, will have in
| 81, I I, ,r ay-
perienced and capable presiding officers. The
Assembly is to choose Mr. Sheehan Us IT'S Speaker
without struggle-thus starting of much bet
ter than its prototype the Democratic Assembly
of 1888, which became 50 dcmorazed by the
fight of the members Of its majority Tor SpolS
that i; took five or six weeks to provide Itself
with a Speaker. Mr. Shcchan has become per
fecly familiar with the duties Of the chair dur
ing his six years continuous service IN the AS
sembly, and if he fails TO give entire satisfaction
il will not be for want OF ability Whether his
purpose is TO run the Assembly in the Interest
primarily of the Democracy or OF the people OF
the State OF Newly Orll remains 10 be seen. HIS
construction of the standing committees Will
throw a good deal of light on that point.
Mr. Sheehan has golden opportunity TO advance
himself in the public confidence. Let us trust
for his own sake that he has the disposition and
the courage to embrace it. TIE TRIBUNE has
taken occasion to crticSe him from time t. time.
If he makes a good Speaker, If he Yields the
gavc in the interest of fair play for all his assoc
ciates and of clean legislation, we shall take
pleasure in awarding him all the praise which
he earns. As for the Republicans, who
constitute the minority OF the Assembly,
they must realize that their responsibility Is
scarcely less than that of the majority. If they
work together for the passage of good bills and
the defeat of jobs, they will prove wholesome
check on the majority and be "A power for good.