The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-08-27
The Fifty Million Amendmen t.


r, The Fifty Million Amendment.
The State Constitution In Article VII
makes minute provision for the regula-
ton OF the States power to contract
indebtedness. Its second section pro-
vides that debts not to exceed u ZOO, 900
may b incurred ito meet casual def
otis or failures in revenues" Section
3 grants authority to contract debts
'sto repel invasion, suppress insurrec-
ton, OF defend the State in war The
fourth section is in part as follows:
( Except the debts specified in Sections and
u this article. no debts shall be hereafter CON
sracted BY or on behalf Of this STATE unless such
debt shall 30 authorized by law, for some single
work or object 70 be distinctly specified therein;
end such Law shall Impose and provide for the col
lection Of direct annual tax to pay, and sufcient
70 pay, tho interest such debt falls due, and
also 10 pay and discharge the principal Of such
debt within eighteen years from the time Of the
ecn.gec.!as thereof. No such !sw ahs.l take effect
until II shall, at general election, have been sub
mitted 70 the people. and have received ma
5onty Of Gil the votes cast for and against at such
election. : No such law shall be submitted,
70 be voted within three months after It's passage
or 81 any general election when any other law.
or any bill. or any amendment TO the Constitution
shall be submitted TO be voted for or against
The intent Of the trainers Of the Con-
stitution, Endorsed by the people when
they adopted it, Is set forth plainly in
this section. 1t was deemed unwise to
empower the Legislature alone to in
crease the States indebtedness except
( IN time Of great emergency, and 1t was
!, written in the fundamental law that no
statute authorizing the contracting Of 3
debt should become effective until it
had been Endorsed at the polls by the
voters. So important was this held to
be that the provision was inserted that
no law authorizing the contracting of
debt should be submitted to the people
n q year when other measures were
placed before them for their action.
Thus, in 1908 the law Chapter 147, Laws
q 1909 authorizing the State to con-
tract a debt Of SOL ,O0O, 900 for the sim
provement Of the Erie Canal, tho Os-
Nego Canal and the Champlain Canal"
{ IS submitted to the people, and no
her questions were put before them.
The object Of this was, plainly, that the
voters attention might be directed
aplely toward the one question of the
advisability Of mourning debt for the
object described, and not distracted by
other and perhaps more technical ques-
lions involved In amendments to the Con-
stitution. 1t Is wise provision and pro-
hibition, with the principle Of which no
one can disagree.
It h apparently too wise a prohibi-
t3on to suit the wishes Of all. For years
/ agitation has been continued for State
! cid In highway improvement. This agi-
tation, holding out alluring promises
to tho taxpayers Of fine roads through
out the rural districts Of the State, built
vt low cost TO the benefited taxpayers,
l resulted in the adoption by the Legisla-,
J tzlre elected in 1902. and by the Legisla-
tnre elected in 1904, Of the following
proposed amendment to the Constitu-
ton Of the State, designed to repeal, for
the benefit Of the highway improvement
cause, the closing sentence OF Section of
Article VII. Of that Instrument:
A debt or debts Of the State may be authorized
~ ~ for the improvement Of hishwaya Such
highways shall Do determined under general laws,
WAieA shall also provide for tho equitable appor-
Npanaut thereof among the counties. rhs az.
Grsgste OF tho debts authorized by this section
eban not At any ono time exceed The sum Of go.
0o0o. Tho payment Of the annual interest on
mn debt and the creation Of sinking fund OF n
leae Der osntum per annum 70 Discharge the
4 prino'pai " maturity shan be provided BY general
laws. whose force and effect shall not be dimln-
iahsd during the existence Of any deb, created
tAseuuader. Tho Legislature may, BY rereral
lava require the county or town or both to pay 10
~ apking FUND the propoYtionate part OF the
- Of any such highway within the boundaries
( - sach county or town, and the propor.lona,e
4 pan Of tbs interest thereon, but no county shall
y aay time for any highway be required 70 pay
nsfs than thrty.hve hundrcdths Of the cos,
4 ~ such highway, and no town more than ffteen-
husdrsdths. None Of the provisions Of the fourth
sscoa q this article shall apply to debts for the
Arsoveneat Of Highways hereby authorized
This proposed amendment to the Con-
stitution, which excerpts a highway
debt Of $4,000, 900 from the operation Of
the safeguards thrown around all other
debts. b to be submitted to the people
Tor their action at the general election
Nov. 2. with six other proposed amend
ments. making seven propositions on
which the electors must vote Eyes" or
No.. On the Official ballot the ques-
ton to be answered will appear thus:
sAAn the proposed amendment V Article VII.
4 - W cons'itutioa. relating to improvement, Of
hishvsys Be appUved'-
In that form tho voters must answer
. question involving the creation Of
sdsbt half - great - that proposed
- To Improvement of canals, and