New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-12
THE GOVERNORS INVESTIGATION.

The canal investigation bill, which was draft
ed and subsequently modified to meet the views
OF Governor Black, is awaiting his sig
nature, which 1t will, Of course, receive. AS
passed It Is q better measure than 1t was when
introduced the main improvement being the
provision that the commissions report, having
been submitted to the Governor not later than
July l. shall thereafter be open to public inspec-
ton. That change alone is worth much for 1t
deprives the Governor Of a dangerous power
with which though he may have had no thought
Of abusing 1t, the people would not have been
pleased to have him intrusted. One Of the chief
objections to the bill is that 1t leaves to the
Governor the selection Of commissioners who
are to investigate the operation of an important
branch Of the State administration under the
direction of one of his own appointees, and thus
may subject them at the outset to suspicion
of partially Another is that there is doubt
and the commission may be hampered II not
halted by an appeal to the courts.
Some Of the amendments upon which Demo
cratic Senators insisted with much show OF
virtue last Thursday were really Of small inn
portance, and their defeat is not especially to be
regretted. For example. though it is generally
advisable that Governors nominations should
be confirmed by the Senate, nobody doubts that
in this case the Senate would have confirmed
any canal commission which Governor Black is
capable Of appointing and there Is no reason
to suppose that his choice will be affected by
the circumstance that 1t is final. There was
some sense in the contention that the Demo
cratic party ought to be represented on the com
mission, but the, Governor Is not unlikely TO
quiet criticism on that score by appointing at
least one Democrat AS for the point that the
opposition 10 canal expansion Is entitled TO
representation, we think it Is we'll taken, and
we hope that the Governor will so determine
The commissions powers in case they are held
to be valid will prove ample, we think, If the
right sort of commission is set to work.
That Is, after all, the main thing. AS Sen
ator Brown well said in sensible little speech,
1.-The success of the investigation will depend
upon the character and intention Of the men
named by the Governor" The responsibility
now rests upon him, and no other man In the
State really has so strong an interest in the
result. He has It In his power TO select COM
missoners whose names will guarantee an abb
solutely thorough and honest performance Of
a serious task, and we do not for n moment
imagine that the results Of an inquiry conduct
ed by such men could possibly be so injurious
to his reputation and political prospects as the
mere appointment of dlstrusted commission
would be. The intmation that he will request
the Chamber Of Commerce OF this city and other
commercial bodies Of the State to designate n
majority Of the commissioners is exceedingly
gratifying. Such a course would certainly go
far to dispel the suspicious which many good
citizens have not been able to avoid and which
many Democratic politicians have made it their
business to foment; and it would presumably
lead to such an investigation as the situation
requires and the people demand