Year: 1868

was sent back to the Assembly as amended. IEe
Assembly rejected the amendments. nt was re-
fered to hont half ns an soar
before the Legislature adjourned The hour was 80
late that the bill was not read In either house, bns
mittee's report and became law, with the
majority OF both houses ignorant Of its contents
It 00%a %as ssn s's to the senae from the
Assembly for the first time the very day OF nnai
tt Loaded VII M ts Ws ss
short 1t was hurried through both houses at five
minutes before midnight on the last night Of the
worst phase Of this hasty legislation In order TO
prevent fraud and mistake there Is q standing rule
has been fully and clearly engrossed or written out.
so that no additions or alterations can be made.


This salutary rule had to be transgressed In the
the very shape in which they were reported-yiz.,
cut up into strips OF writing paper with alterations
pinned on and wafered on here and there-the whole
an almost undeclpherable mass. The Legislature
adjourned sne d For tine next I two n days
they were unable to decipher was kindly explained
for them by amiable persons who had remained at
@ engrossed it w was found that whole sentences had
been inserted that had never been passed: Trouble
House. the @ President Of the he's Senate S and others who
had to decide from memory what had been enacted
and what had not Thus the city and county levies
OF the year 1897 passed into laws. Under these


laws the citizens Of this portion Of the State were
duly Mxed. It Is not too much to say that such a
are ever Submitted to the Lesslature @ than the New


These levies take from the pockets Of the people Of
this city over $22 000,0 ,00O each year. They regu.
year. Thsy raise or lower the rent Of the poor.
They increase or diminish the income OF the rich.
bouadaries Of authority Tkey affect one third Of the
~ property Of the whole State. They should be ex.
amlhed weighed and debated for weeks before final
action is taken them The Senate is as respons7 st7
holds them back from the Senate. The people OF
this city have the right to know what the Assembly
committee are doing with these levies and to have
their report on them; but the Assembly committee
obstinately disregard the rights Of the people
and the rights of the Senate. The following
seven persons who compose that committee are
taking the very measures which last year worked
such an outrage ~ MS Ma e Mu5
Barnier Of Eie County; William Bristow, Of Wyo-
city and county tax levies, well knowing that their
proceeding viii make fun examination OF the bill bills
an impossbility They have reported scores OF other


Another view will present serious result Of this
singular conduct ON the part OF the Assembly Com.
mittee. The moneys which are to be raised In pur-
OF these retarded levy bills are for the use
of this city and county for this current year, 1853
The Work Of the , local has to GO
carry 1t on money has to be borrowed In anticipa-
rowed. row II costs the city and county seven per
cent per annun The amount borrowed is
about six millions Of dollars. ,oaiey Every Gay Gay
tax levy bills IS expense to the people or this city


the rate OF per cent year on the loans thus
made. The total is enormous 1t would pay the city
OF New York to support unaided. the entire cost OF
whole session Of the Legislature If these tax levy
bills passed In January OF each year. instead OF
being kept back rs they have been and will be now
to tine end Of April.


There is another view of the subject that de mands
consideration. These tax levy acts for the city and
county OF New York are wholly different from every
other introduced into the Legislatures for other
acts may or may not be passed. at the option OF the
menbers but these tax leves must be passed, for
they support our whole municipal fabric; more,
they support nearly half the institutions Of the whole
STATE 1he Legislature cannot reject those levy acts
nor adjourn without passing them. In sucn case
the State and the city equally stand sslll;
with the people to pass those acts Ii has reserved
the right to lay taxes on our city for general pur
poses and this right is nseparable from the duty or


the city and county governments were created by


no STATE ana rne MSsn oSua thu snat end
Assembly. The body OF which you are member IS
much bound to see to this matter as Is the Assem-
bly, In which the bills were introduced.


Ordinarily the Assembly has exclusive power over
the bills introduced into its own body, and the Sen
ale has power to interfere. But In the case Of
these tax leves the Senate has the power resulting


from its manifest duty to interfere and call upon the
dnty on the part of both houses is more than moral
one. 1t is u legal duty.


The Association therefore earnestly asks You, as
the Chairman Of the Senate Committe which Is to ex


anime and report ON both these levies to press the
resolution cailiug upon the Assembly to take up tho
city and county tax levy acts and transmit them to
the Senate.


The law that passed the Legislature last year call
ing for the tax levy as early as January meant
nothing II 1t did not mean that the abuses Of pre-
viOus years should not be repeated 1t was formerly
send the evies to the Legislature as late March.
1t was intended that this custom should cease. To
that end the law was framed. The Assembly com.
mittee Is daily violating the spirit, intention and OBJ.


ect of that law The Senate should exercise its right
TO vindcate the authority of the State and to pro.
tect the people and their property.
The Citizens Association has made very careful
analysis Of the city and county tax evies as pre-


TO be heard by counsel In erteaso when these levies
shall come before your committee for consideration
PETER COOPER, Chairman.