New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-08-15
WORK FOR LAWYERS, oh, YES!
WHAT ONE OF THEM HAS TO SAY AFTER
READING THE NEW CHARTER

A well-known lawyer sat az his desk In OF the
upper stories Of one OF the tall Office buildings In the
vicinity OF Trinity Church the other day when
friend dropped in for a few m..:r;es' chat.
No. I'm busy ?lk," said the OF
law. laying down the sheep bound tome tina, he held
in his hands. The fact is" he went on, Il
having little diversion. II IL not exactly light
reading that I engaged In. for | was looking
over the charter OF Greater NewYork when you
In. As lawyer. feel. OF course. that
ought to be familiar with 1t, but nave never had
time to go into 1t thoroughly yet l have been
hoping to get at It this summer. but haven't had
chance 10 do a great deal thus far. Even as
citizen | suppose every ought to have pretty
good knowledge OF the law that this community has
got to live under after January next But how
many OF the three million people in Greater New
York know anything about the charter? mean.
how many have seriously undertaken 10 read it?'
The visitor shook his head. and before he could
answer the question the lawyer forestalled him.
II (, 4 free 10 say that don't suppose enc in ten
thousa I'd has read this charter. A great majority
Of the people have no knowledge worth speaking OK
about it. and those who have fair idea OF It's pro-
visions have got IL from reading the abstracts ana
comments printed In the newspapers Talk abou,
submitting thing OF this kind TO popular vote!
Why, an intelligent vote on document like tnl.
charter would be impossible in any community in
the world. let alone in the city of New-fork and is
neighbors.
ton; but the Constitution itself requires that they
he submitted to the people for approval or disap-
prevail When a single amendment is up 1t may
be possible something like an intelligent ex-
preston Of opinion on it, but when so many changes
are made as we're adopted in 1894 the party that
happens y be In the majority is sure TO carry or
defeat the amendments. the case may be. But
that is neither here there. was saying some-
thing about the new charter.
The lawyer paused offered his visitor cigar.
lighted one himself and resumed his monologue.
I'VE call II the charter OF Greater NewYork. and
1 have doubt in my own mind that the name
Greater New-York will be generally used when We
are speaking OF the city wnoie. OF course
that is not the official title. but nevertheless this
name is TO he found in the charter ITSELF |, occurs
in the first section. which concludes by saying This
act may be cited by the snort tile or Inc greater
There are some curious things in the document,
by the way. mistakes due to careessness. One OF
them is in this same first section. part OF which
reads follows: And All OF the duties and powers
united and consolidated aforesaid into The Guy
q New.York are hereby devel%PeG Upon the Me
fail to see that the word developer snou.a
in the original and in all the copies have seen.
But probably there will never be any extensive
In looking over the charter my attention has
been attracted by a comma In the wrong pace ~
BY the way this very mistake was commented on In
The Tribune few days ago by lawyer who wa.
should not have been. comma out OF place
may be small thing. but one put INTO tarir bllI
where il did not belong cost the Government a large
no ICs;D SAYS The Board OF Eipcatlon In the city
II New-York as constituted prior 10 the passage ot
his act shall be the School Board in and for tho
said boroughs' (of Manhattan and the Bronx. Tho
pOint was raised whether this meant the Board OF
EducatIon as existed at the time OF the passage
OF the charter. tina; Is In its membership. which
would be absurd, inasmuch a. the terms or several
members expire at the end OF this year But
careful examination shows that what Is meant IL
the city Of New-YOrk as constituted prior 10 ths
massage of this act Without the comma thar
would be obvious: but as II stands the comma at
taches the clause 10 the forepart Of the sentence.
There ought TO be no comma there.
cone can learn considerable that most az US
fancy don't know by reading this charter.
thought | knew something about New-Yofk. but
nor until read this document did | ascertain that
N,ittin Island is another name FOR Governors
island that Ellis Island may properly be called
RuckIng Island. and that there are oyster Islands
IN the waters OF New-York. Where the oyster
Islands are | don't yet know. but the charter tells
"Rut won't bother you further with these fine
noints You can read the charter and find them
ont FOR Yourself But will say that believe this
law IS going 10 make good deal OF work for the
LAWYERS and Il will he twenty-five years probably
before ,hings are settled by the courts that We
shall know where We are at. am not A consti-
tutional lawyer as you know. bu, think q would
he safe TO take any involving construction OF
any part OF the charter. with a fair hope OF vim
nj H."