New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-02-23

alan tbe amendment to prevent ouch counties
trom mourning debt.
NEXT FALLS ELECTION
,,oord,ry 70 the law under which the Com
,,,,ss,or % serving Greater New-York Is 10 De
,orst,,uted on January l, 1898. 1t will there-
rore no necessary to hold election TOT the
.Ascers of the enlarged city in the autumn Oh
ihis YEAR In the three counties Oh New-iorn'
Kings and Richmond, and in that portion Oh
Queens County that Is to be embraced wi'hh
the city of New-York In its temporary aspect
this situation necessitates the passage or the
act relating to the election Of city officers OF the
city of New-York as constituted by the Greater
New-York charter at the general election 20 DE
held in November In the year 1891 ana Tor the
canvass and return CT the votes thereon ana the
determination of persons elected thereat IN
asmuch as this election for city officers VIII be
carried in four different counties. IT appears
TO be necessary also to amend the General Elec-
ton law to provide for the city election or
1897 and also for subsequent elections to be
conducted under the same conditions 1t is be-
lieved that the amendments herewith submit
ted to Chapter 969 OF the laws Of 1896 known
as the Election law deal adequately with that
phase of the question
BY the provisions Of the Greater NewYork
charter the towns in that part OF Queens County
consolidated into the city and Long Island City
become wards Of the City OF New-iork. The act
TO provide for the election of Supervisors therein
and providing that such Supervisors shall be
members OF the Board of Supervisors OF the
County of Queens is thus made necessary.
Ii will be manifest to the Legislature that all
of the foregoing acts in substance and erect
must be adopted in connection with the charter
for Greater New-York. If consolidation is TO be
effected on January l. 1898. without unspeakable
confusion
ROOMS FOR THE MUNICIPAL ASSEMBLY.
An act in relation to the City Court Of the City
OF New-York and for the accommodation thereon.
and authorizing the fitting up and equipping of
certain parts Of the City Hall of the city OF New
York. though less fundamental in Importance Is
no less desirab bic from the point of view or pubic
convenience if the charter submitted by the
Commission is tc be adopted. The charter pro-
vdes for a Municipal Assembly consisting OF
two houses and also for a Board Of Public I'M
provements which is to have very important
functions in relation to all the public work or
the municipality. The act submitted by the
Commission is intended to provide quarters Tor
the City Court OF New-York outside of the CITY
Hall. and to authorize the present government
of the city to provide suitable quarters in the
City Hall for both houses of the MunicipaI AS
senlbly and for the Board OF improvements. Inc
Commission. therefore urges the passage OF 'His
bill elso in connection with the charter TOT
Greater New-York in the interest OF pubic con-
venience.
MINORITY REPRESENTATIONS.
The purpose Of the second proposed constitu-
tjonsl amendment is To invest the Legislature
with authority TO permit minority or proportion
ate representation in municipal elections III is
source of sincere regret to the majority OF 'he
Commission that under the Constitution OF 'he
State. as il now stands. ii has appeared 10 DE
impossible to provide for minority or proportion
ate representation in the charter or greater
New-York without making vital part OF the
charter depend upon provision or uncertain
constitutionality. Such representation is equally
desirable whether the basis Of division in munic-
ipal elections be political or non-politicaL 80
far both in the history Of Great Britain and Of
this country the complete exclusion OF ponies
from municipal elections has been found i'm
possible Many hope that in the future 1t may
not be So But if such expectations be realized,
some bas sis of division on local issues Will still
exist representing differences Of opinion, ana IL
Is important whatever such differences may be-
that the minority shall be represented
The Commission would have provided for the
election of some members of the Municipal AS
sembly at large and for a gradual retirement
of tho uembers of one or both houses. IL II
could have done so with the assurance that in
every year the minority. whatever that might
be. would have secured under all circumstances
lust representation. But in Greater New-York
where the political division of the citizens Is so
one-sided elections wholly at large for the Mu-
nicipal Assembly would be likely TO mean. IN
most years. the absolute extinction or the
minority. Partial elections al large in ordinary
years could only tend to decrease the minority s
inst and proportionate weight. A method Of
election that should make it impossible ever TO
change the membership OF the Assembly at one
time would be apt 10 give the control OF the
Municipal Assembly of the city to the majority.
heppen what would In the mean while it has
seemed TO the Commission of the utmost I'M
portance to the public welfare that the mi
nority however composed. should be repre-
scented in the Municipal Assembly at all times
even If it cannot hope often to secure control,
The Commission has therefore arranged IN
both houses of the Municipal Assembly for a
system Of representation by districts that VIII
secure always certain representation 1or the
minority.
The distribution and political habits Of the
people Of the city are likely in the Judgment or
the majority Of the Commission, often TO make
this representation less than IL ought OF rleh1
70 be and the Commission therefore urges as
strongly as possible. that the amendment TO the
State Constitution to permit minority or pro-
portionate representation IN muhlcipal eiecHons
be placed promptly in the way OF adoption III
does this also the readily because II
believes quite apart from the special condl-
tons prevailing in Greater -Iew-York. that MI
nority or proportionate representation is III
the interest OF good city government. such rep
resentation tends to emphasize the fact that IN
the administration of city the common In
terests Of the citizenship OF the place are more
fundamental than party divisions; while, IN
the mean while 1t tends to preserve the interest
of the minority In the effort 10 secure good city
government by encouraging them TO feel that
their efforts are not useless.
HOW THE CHARTER WAS MADE.
In approaching the discussion OF the charter here
with II is proper for the Commission to remind the
legislature that the task imposed upon them at once
delicate and onerous any task could be- has also
been very definite and precise in its nature. The
Commission has not been charged with the duty OF