The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-06-08


favoring such an amendment.
Prior to the constitutional conven-
tion of 1873 there was practically no
limit to the power Of the legislature.
the report will say, to pass local or
special laws, it being a matter oil rec
ord that during the seven years prior
| to the 1873 convention was passed no
less than S,755 private acts.
WAS RUSHED THROUGH.
The intensity of feeling against this
abuse led to what the committee con-
| siders a most sweeping, far-reachinS
and drastic measure. 1t was put
| through the convention, as one or the
sneakers in its favor advised, "at
| two-forty pace. word for word and line
| for line" Although the proceedings OF
| the convention fill eight large volumes,
| the entire discussion on the article
| relating to special legislation OCCUPIES
| less than forty pages.
| That a provision SO sweeping IN char-
acter and adopted under the impulse OF
| prejudice and resentment should not
have proven in all respects satisfac-
| tory is not to be wondered at, the re-
! mort saws. or the contrary it is sur
prising that so little evil has resulteu'
Many of its provisions have been suc-
cessfully evaded, as in the case OF cor
poration charters, upon which supJec'
the general legislation has graduallS
| opened the doors 50 wide that II 1T Is
not now true, it is lively very soon to
be. that persons can form corporations
for any purpose and write thelr own
charters without any necessity Tor III
yoking the aid Of the legislature TO en-
dow them with such special privileges
as they may desire to enjoy.
| After generalzing at length on tht
| calling and burdensome character o.
| the restriction, as evidenced especially
| by the large number of acts that were
| oyerthroWn by the supreme court pN
reason of their conflict with the pro
hibitory amendment and pointing on
the unreasonableness Of the proposition
that general laws for cities large anC
| small though they may belong in th'
| same class, can be satisfactory, the re
mort goes on to specify few particu
lars I'm which the amendment is unsat
isfactory and injuries, as follows:
GROUNDS FOR COMPLAINT.
"First-While the purpose of the con
| stitutional provisions was to prohlbi
: local and special legislation absolute
ly in the majority of cases, ana TO re
uuirc in excepted cases the publlca
ton of notice of any legislation pro
posed to be adopted, the effect Of clas
| sification has been to leave the leglsla
ture free to pass local and special leg
islation with reference TO the city O
Philadelphia, the only city of the hrs
class, and for the twin cities OF PITTS
, burg and Allegheny. the only ones O
= the second class, without any nollc
whatever.
"Second-the cities of the third class
now numbering about twenty-five, ar
, compelled to adopt themselves to
rigid, uniform system, which is nc
D | altogether agreeable to any and ex
| tremely cumbersome to some OF IN
| number.
"Third-This results as to the elite
| of the third class, in a condition Whic
| may well be described as that of al
, | rested development The problems in
| volved in the evolution Of municips
! government are among the most weigf
ty and serious which now engage I'll
, | attention of patriotic publicists. In ol
Q der that the efforts, all more or les
e diverse and experimental, to improN
/ municipal conditions should be success
full, it is necessary that there shouI
| be some degree of freedom for indt
pendent action. AS to the cities Of II
third class in the state, such freedom
absolutely precluded.
"Fourth-Thc principle of home ru
for cities. which has come to be rec
ognized as a valuable right and or
most jealously guarded, receives no r'
, cognition whatever in the present sy'
TEN.
"Fifth-As at present interpreted. II
. administration of public schools in a
of the cities. boroughs and township
varying almost infinitely in their popl
: lation. area and social conditions mu
be absolutely uniform"
THE COMMITTEES PURPOSE.
The constitutional amendment WhiC
the committee recommends is designC
to afford relief from the evils and il
cOnVeniences of the rigid constitution
- restrictions, without again thrown