The sun., 1895-04-17

be to open the valves and "let
her go" in all directions In view
Of these considerations, can the Commits
sioners consider themselves living con-
cern, with any future possibilities 1t will
he remembered that at a recent meeting of
the Commissioners of Estimate and APP
portionment, the Counsel to the Corpora
tion charged that the high rate of assessed
valuation which had prevailed, was "a
fraud" and the Comptroller agreed with
him in that regard. Consequently, it is
clear that any important immediate i'm
crease of valuations, and larger margin
for the debt, are out of the question.
There are two important considerations
that the Legislature should bear in mind in
determining the propriety of the proposed
legislation now presented by the Commits
sioners' lawyers. These are, that a majority
of the voters at the late election did not vote
in favor of rapid transit construction by the
city, or in favor of the law naming and inn
posing the Commissioners. If the latter
Issue had been presented, the scheme would
not have received ten thousand votes. The
total vote cast for candidates for Governor
at that election was 27O,16O. The vote
in favor of rapid transit construction by the
city, with all the deluding statements in
operation on every hand, among others the
bait to laboring men that they were to have
unlimited and immediate employment. was
32,G4T, and the total of those who either
voted directly against it. or refused to vote
for 1t, was consequently 135.OS1.
According to all previous legislation, when
aquestion arises of incurring such an un,i-
snal debt. for which the assent of the taxpay-
ers is required, all those not voting for the
burden have been, by law, counted against
it. At the late election, in addition to the
confusion arising from voting thirteen bal
lots, including constitutional amendments
and rapid transit committal, there was
general belief that not voting for the latter
was equivalent to voting against it, and the
ballots were very generally torn up. The
project is said to have been carried by
technical construction of the law; but the
substantial fact remains that majority of
the voters did not declare in it's favor. The
Rapid Transit act of 1894 Chapter 7o2) dis
tinctly provided against the opportunity to
vote on the various provisions of the law.
1t declared (section 12) that ballots should
be printed, one-half of which should read
For municipal construction of rapid
transit road" and half against that propo-
sition. Consequently, the only issue voted
on was that of "rapid transit at the ex-
pense of the city"
The legislative majority have long treated
this metropolis as legitimate prey for every
sort of aggression. They have given away
its franchises for surface railroads to favor
ties and coparceners, and for nearly half a
century down to recent period there has
not been valuable privilege belonging to the
city, conferred by legislative grant, in which
the rights of the city have been respected.
1t was estimated by late Comptroller that
if the surface railroad franchises alone had
been disposed of at their value for the ben
eft of the city, they would have paid the
entire debt; so that our revenues, pledged to
the redemption of the debt, would be free
to reduce taxation annually. This city
embraces very large constituency, the
full extent of which is not generally appre-
ciated Its total vote at the last election
was greater than the combined tota! votes
of the State of Alabama with SO counties
and the State of Florida with 45 coun-
ties, on the vote for Governor, and
larger than the entire vote of California
votes of the States of Maine and Connecti-
cut. 1t was in excess of the total vote of
five States, namely: New Hampshire, Ver-
mont, Rhode Island, Delaware, and Nevada
This city is the commercial and financial
centre of the continent.
1t has been established satisfactorily that
our citizens are capable of self-government.
Mayor STRONG has we'll emphasized the in
tensity of the feeling of our people on the
question Of Albany dictation in his recent
letter to Mr.. O'GRADY, Chairman of tho
Committee on Cities of the Assembly
Unless my observation as to the temper
and sentiment of the people of this city is
entirely at fanlt," he said, "there is an
almost universal feeling in favor of what
has been dcnominated home rule. There is
profound belief in the community that the
city of New York. by it's chosen officers, is
in much better position to judge as to how
its money should be spent than any other
body of men can be, no matter
how wise or intelligent" He protested
against the passage of mandatory bills by
the Legislature, "leaving no discretion
whatever to the authorities of the city," He
animadverted with much force upon the
greatness of the task in the administra-
ton Of the finances and business of large
corporation like the city of New York"
That " it must be proceeded with cautious
ly, carefully, and with foresight" He con-
cluded with this stern appeal: 81 there
fore protest, in the name of the city, against
the adoption by the Legislature of manda-
tory laws imposing on the city the expendi-
tnrc of moneys, in large or small sums, and
leaving to the officers of the city no oppor-
tunity to exercise their judgment or discre-
tion rs to the amount to be expended"
The Chamber of Commerce and its high
stepping offspring, the Committee of 20,
have also resolved some high-toned itali-
cized and explanatory sentiments in favor
of home rule" They would not have Po-
lice Commissioners or magistrates named in
the pending acts of the Legislature under
any circumstances even If the nominees
were extra-sized angels with the widest