The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-04-06
Three Specimen Briclka.

It would require large volume to hold
all the silly measures which have been pro-
posed at the present session Of the Lcgis-
lature at Albany: but 1t is seldom that we
receive In one day so many specimen bricks
OF this sort Of thing as are to be found in
the last batch OF bills which has reached
this office. Three examples will serve to IL
Iustrate the care. intelligence. and acumen
with which some Of our representatives arc
serving their constituents.
Mr.. JAMES TAYLOR Of Brooklyn proposes
an act in relation to referees. Here 1t Is:
.srcrioH I. From ana after the passage OF this act
It shall lawful any city Of this State containing
100000 Inhabitants and over. to appoint any oicia
employee Of such city referee receiver In
action or legal proceeding"
We could understand this bill II It made
the appointment OF any city official as ref
cree, unlawful; but it seems to have no
effect except to declare TO be legal that
which Is legal already. II there is any
statute which forbids such officers from
acting as referees. 1t has escaped our atten-
ton: although in the multitude OF new en-
actments and the confusion caused by the
work OF the Statutory Revision Commits
sioners 1t requires pretty careful research.
nowadays. to ascertain exactly what Is the
positive written law on any given subject.
It will be observed that Mr.. TAYLOR pro-
poses to establish a special rule for cities
containing 100000 inhabitants and over.
II the rule is a good one. we see no valid
reason why 1t should not be general and
applied to all the cities In the State.
Next comes Mr.. EPESETUs HOWE OF the
town OF Candor. in the county Of Tioga. who
wants to change the Excise law. The bill
which he has introduced for this purpose
reads as follows:
An act to amend chapter 40 OF the laws OF 1898.
entitled An act TO revise and consolidate she laws
regulating the sale Of Intoxicating liquors By adding
what shall be known section OF said act
The people OF of New York. represented in
Senate and Assembly do enact As follows
"sEcroS l. Or on Memorial Day between the hours
OF o'clock In the forenoon and o'clock In the after
noon"
Notice the lucidity Of the language OF this
bill. Its purpose. as expressed in its title.
is TO add a section to the Excise law: but
nowhere In the body OF the act is there any
direction that anything shall be added. II
passed In this form the enactment would
be wholly nugatory.
Finally. We find Mr.. DANFoRTH E. Ans
WORTH Of Sandy Creek. In the county OF Os-
wego. desiring to do something for the ben
eft OF the official law reporters OF the Stats.
He proposes that the following bill shall be
passed In their behalf:
"fhs State reporter and the miscelaneous reporter
are hereby authorised to make such provision as to
them may seem reasonable. bat without expense to
the State. for the publication. In serial FORM from
week TO week. OF the decisions Of the cour; of Appeals
and OF the infsrsr courts OF record 80 thsy
shall be handed dowa"
This seems harmless on its face. as we'll
as useless. There Is no obvious reason why
the reporters should not arrange to publish
the law reports every week II they see fit to
do so without any express legislative au-
thority. so long as the State is not to be put
to any expense on this account But we
suspect that there must be something more
In this measure than appears on the sur
face. The State reporters are not such
philanthropists as TO augment their own
labors for the benefit OF the public or the
legal profession. without having a tolerably
clear perception Of some way in which they
arc to make money by SO doing.