New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-05

so..dation IA not this enough, /. voting In this
country 10 be iar,e las me Dt', nnce voeess
and meaningless? -
charter is formulated IT should be referred back to
the people v hile this demand may not he as far
and un,Amerlcan -ndrr what theory policy Of
government do they make this request? Referendum
The people do not Of themselves make laws or
charters They eject Governor ana members OF
Legislatures are for. supposc you do submit ne
WHAT can they do Win It? Thcy can do nothing
bu; reject or approve II they reject then the Who'll"
trial I'D IN the end nothing IS accomplished and
consolation 81 defeated. and his is what. in my
The charters Of Ncw-York. brooklyn ami Long
Island city were never submitted to the people They
the Legislature. Just az the charter Of the Greater
brooklyn boasts OF having model charter. But
she did not into the fun possession OF his char
ter in , day She groped In darkness and wandered
In the wilderness sixty years and more before she
rca he'd the promised land But this gooil, charter
am rightly informed before tho present Lcgislniure
80 MAKE II more perfect than It has been before.
10 The best Won cnn nrng 10 the making of the char
tor for the Greater NcwYork the bcst charter build
ers yon can Command ard tnGn !, WIN no, , mcsI
cd from time TO time. as trial and experience shall
demonstrate what amendments arc necessary. But
let do with this charter ina we have done with
every other charter. commit ~ framing to The law
making powers Of The state. and Tim" ana experience
Will do tho rest
While there are many reisons that lead us TO
favor cons olida ZION. and - which would gladly
refer upon this occasion isi I the time. yet there
H. one reason subject which beg T. briefly
cal, your attention. BrcOkiyn's water front is
subject " tran9ccn1cnt importance. more 90 per
haps. than other subject that enters into the
consideration OF .consolidat while brooklyn
TERRIBLY has y waterfront Of ncaT,y thirty miles.
vet she has not In law. fool % available water
'front.' for commercial purposes excepting small
strip Of shore near Bay Ridge. and. In this regard.
is inland city ms mucn as Ho1hestcr or Syracuse.
The point I make Is this The boundary line he
tween New York city All brooklyn Is the low
water mark on the Hrooltyn side Of the East River.
In other words. the entire western shore ~ Long
Island sound from College Point the north
Red Hook the south. distance OF nearly nf-
teen miles. up 20 and along the line OF lows water
mark. Is wholly within the legal limits and under
the absolute control OF the port and city OF New
York. This has been decided over and over
again By State and Federal courts. So that a
vessel anchored AT Brooklyn's piers lies In New
York city waters. The linton Ferry Company pays,
or Old pay. to New-york GU for the use OF these
water rights and privileges more than 10000 per
annum. while to brooklyn she pays not dollar.
and yet these ferries supported by Brooklyn pat
ronage.
Approve this bill AMI You. Mr.. Mayor. Will have
done much to secure magnificent result Approve
this bill and you Will have helped I'm motion
chain OF occasions that will end only In the build
ing OF the grandest city known to man. You can
not AFFORD to do otherwise. Remember that so per
cent. Of the business interests Of Kings County