The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-10-02


the convention that these amendmsnts
would pave the WAY TO such improve
ments in county government a. the
enlightened public sentiment Of the in.
habitants Of the respective counties
might suggest.
The revised Constitution continues
the Legislature as at present divided
into a Senate. whose members are
elected for two years. and an Assem-
bly,, chosen for one year. The Senate,
as at present. shall consist Of fifty
members, subject TO increase where
any county having three or more sena-
tors Is entitled on the ratio obtained
by dividing the number Of inhabitants,
excludi, e aliens. by 80, 70 an add
ticnaI ,enator. The Assembly con-
tinuce with $50 members. The rule
Of reapportionment Of Senate and As
seinbly districts adopted in the Con-
situation Of 1894 10 continued. except
that such rsepportionment ia to be
made every ten years on the basis Of
the Federal census. II me be avail
able. thus saving the State the ex-
pense Of about 100000 involved in
taking a separate census of it, in.
habitants.
One other modification Of the article
in the existing Constitution Ia made.
namely that in . city embracing more
than n county and having no board
Of SUPERVISOR. instead Of the entire
board Of aldermen or similar body Of
the whole city making the apportion-
ment for all the counties, the members
elected from each county to the board
Of aldermen o. other body most nearly
exercising the powers Of a board Of al
dermen are charged with the duty Of
dividing the county into Assembly
districts and making the ~reapportion-
ment Of Inhabitants to such districts.
The provision that every county shall
be entitled to at least one member
OF Assembly 10 continued. So Ia the
provision that no county shall have
more than one.third Of all the Sena-
tors; and that no two counties. or the
territory thereof as organised on Jan.
uary I. 1895. which are adjoining coun-
ties. or which are separated only by
public waters. meaning in effect the
counties Of New York. Kings and
Bronx, shall have more than one-half
Of the Senators.
The retention OF this provision was
the only partisan issue in the pom
vention. Because Of the opposition to
II on the part OF the Democratic
delegates from the city Of New York.
and their expressed unwillingness to
vote for the revised Constitution with
this provision In II, the convention d.
rected that the proposed amendments
containing this provision (sections .. 3.
4 and s Of Article III.) be submitted
to the electors separately from the
remainder Of the revised Constitution.
The Constitutional Convention OF
1894 felt compelled 10 divide the State
into Senate ana Assembly districts and
apportion the Inhabitants thereof to
and among such districts because Of
the fact that only two years before
that convention an apportionment was
made by q Democratic Legislature
which Is now admitted. eve by rep
resentatives Of the Democratic party.
to have been grossly unfair. The in
PRODUCTION Of the apportionment ques-
ton into the convention OF 1894, how
ever. resulted in bitter partisan strife.
the consequences of which were elo-
quently testified 10 by those delegates
from both parties in the convention
OF 1915 who had been members Of the
convention OF 1924.
In order to remove that source OF
discord from future conventions the
Constitution OF 1894 not simply m
bodied a division OF the state into
Senate and Assembly districts but
IL also established certain rules to
govern the reapportionments which
changes in population might require
to be periodically made. by the appli-
cation OF which rules reapportionments
might he made in fairness to all politi-
cal interests. At that time the CONSOLE
dation Of the cities OF New York and
Brooklyn into the Greater New York
was in contemplation. and to prevent
the control OF the whole State passing
to the inhabitants Of one particular
locality the convention OF 1894 in
serted in the Constitution the provision
above referred to. to the effect that no
county should have more than one
third OF all the Senators. and no two
counties or the territory thereof as
then constituted which are adjoining
counties, or which are separated only
by public waters, shall have more than
one-half of all the Senators.
The article containing this provision