New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-08-15

mart Of either house and left with the Gov
ernor to deal with during the thlrty-aaS
period after the final adjournment OF the Leg
islature. The Governor under such condi
tions has naturally aggrandized himself oy
,o.oiro large number Of bills which re
manned for him to consider, and by doing Sc
has brought the members of the Legislature
responsible for the passage Of such bills in''
dsrepute.
This is wrong. The Legislature is msd'
m of men chosen directly from the people
who are to a large extent fairly representa-
two of their constituencies. Under a SANE
and proper system they might be depended
upon 70 give fair consideration TO the I'm
portant problems Of state government oH
der the present system 1t is Impossible roI
the men who now compose and have hereto
fore composed the Legislature 10 give sucf
consideration 10 the business before them
and it would be equally impossible for any
body Of men Of whatever average intelh
gence to do very much better work than ma
been done by recent legislatures. AS re
suit of the system legislatures have finallI
adjourned usually the latter part OF Apr
or early in May and subsequently, in recen'
years, it has frequently been found neces
sary TO summon the Legislature in extraordl
rary session.
Harold j. Human, for six years Re
publican member of Assembly from Albany
County has been during the greater part OF
that time the Republican leader in the AS
sembly. He is now member OF the Con
stitutional Convention. He has prepared anc
introduced into the convention provision
for the amendment Of the constitution II
such manner as to provide for monthly seS
sions of the Legislature. His proposition
contemplates a meeting of the Legislature II
January for the purpose of organization and
the appointment of committees. At such
meeting the members would be permitted &c
Introduce bills to be printed and referred tc
the committees The January session would
doubtless be limited to a period Of four OF
five DAYS at the most. Adjournment would
then be taken until February, and in the
meantime the bills introduced would be
printed. and under the rules of the Legs
iature mieh. be sent to the members at THEN
homes for such consideration as such mem
bers might be able TO give thereto. In FEB
ruary hearings might be had at which the
general public might be present and action
taken upon such bills by committees TO which
they had been referred Perhaps some bills
might be passed and sent to the Governor
Additional bills might be introduced IN
February and be referred in like manner 70
committees, but no bill should be passed by
either house during the month IN which II Is
introduced unless to meet real emergency
which emergency should be set forth IN de-
tail upon the journal of each house, and the
fact that such emergency existed should DC
certified to by the President of the Senate
and the Speaker of the Assembly. If neces-
sary it might be desirable also to have an
emergency message from the Governor
which should specify in detail the character
of the emergency and the reasons for i'm
mediate action.
Appropriation bills should be introduced
by April /, and should be in the form of a
legislative budget. No appropriation OF
money from the public treasury should be
permitted until the adoption of the budget
except TO meet an emergency. The budget
when prepared should lie over until the May
session, should be printed in full and copy