Year: 1869

City Lesislation in Albany.


in reviewing the condition Of legislation In
Albany 1t is safe to say that unfinished busi-
ness is now in order, and there is plenty of It.
Both houses have their hands full. But there
are few measures that must materially affect
the interests Of the city, which command the
attention of the legislators and their constitu-
ents and attract the eager appetite Of the
lobby The Tax Commissioners bill, trans
ferring the management Of the Department Of
Taxes and Assessments to the Comptroller,
who is the responsible agent of the people, is
one of these measures. II has already received
the sanction of the Senate by very respecta-
BILE vote, only four Senators voting against 1t
but it appears to be confronted by sturdy re-
publican opposition in the Assembly, where it
was made strictly party question in caucus
the other night, with SO very strong feeling
against 1t that its chances Of success look
rather dubious in that quarter.


The Tax Levy, which was also reported in the
Senate, is anxiousy watched by the multitude
of hungry people who have little and big axes
waiting to be sharpened upon the various
small homes that are to be tackled on to the
gigantic grindstone of the Tax Levy proper.
The taxpayers, who have the largest interest
in the bill, must be content to leave It to the
mercy ofthe Legislature, with its usual chances
OF having its enormous bulk cut down by
amendments.


Tie very stringent gas bill, which we are
glad to see is in shape calculated to afford
some protection from the odious monopoly of
the gas companies, and to give some chance
to the public of fair dealing in the price and
quality Of gas, is not yet put upon its trial. but
we hope that the same spirit which seems to
have governed the Investigating committee,
from whom the bill comes, will prevail in the
Legislature when the time arrives to act
upon it.


We are very much afraid that the Excise
law is in a muddle. Two or three bills pro-
posing wide modification have been pre-
sented, but although there may be a DISPOSE
tion on the part of the majority in the lower
house TO make some concessions the republi.
cans in the Senate have made a caucus mea-
sure Of Mr.. Creamer's bill and pronounced



fear that the old proverb, ''too many cooks
spoil the BROTH" may prove applicable to the
Metropolitan Excise law, if all the members
who are urging their bills do not see the wis
dom Of harmonizing upon some one measure
that may be acceptable. The principle of
half loaf is better than no bread would
work pretty well now in this matter of
modified Excise law.


The great question Of railroad management
and the liberal issue of stock has as yet gone
no further than the accumulation of great piles
Of testimony, the purport Of which the public
are kept carefully in ignorance Of, because the
special committee chose, for reasons well
known to themselves, to conduct their pro-
ceedngs in the dark, excluding reporters,
keeping their action from public view, and by
other suspicious if not stealthy practices re-
serving to themselves such Information as they
may please either to communicate or to sup
press. We need not say that the public desire
to obtain all possible Information upon this
subject, and that they look 10 the committee
for the facts which may come to their knowl-
edge in the course Of their investigation, and
which they have no right to withhold. If
their report is looked upon with suspicion they
have no one to blame but themselves.


These are few of the leading fragments Of
the immense mass of legislation now occupy
ing the scat of wisdom at Albany; but they
comprise so much OF what is vitality important
to this metropolis that they will be observed
with more than ordinary attention, not only
here, but throughout the whole State, because
nothing which materially concerns the interests
Of the city of New York is inseparable, after
all, from the interests of the whole Empire
Commonwealth of the country.