602 



NEW YORK (STATE). 



of Appeals, William C. Ruger; Associate 

 Judges, Charles Andrews, Robert Earl, George 

 F. Danforth, Rufus W. Peckham, Francis M. 

 Finch, and John Clinton Gray. Judge Gray 

 was appointed by the Governor on January 

 22 to fill the vacancy caused by the death of 

 Judge Rapallo in 1887 until his successor 

 should be elected. 



Legislative Session. Laws were passed amend- 

 ing the Revised Statutes so that inventories 

 shall be filed more accurately; authorizing a 

 compromise by executors and administrators 

 of debts due their testators relative to the sale 

 of doubtful claims ; extending the time for the 

 payment of capital stock in certain corpora- 

 tions ; providing that in making assignments 

 the nature and place of business shall be stat- 

 ed ; providing that dealers in grave-stones 

 shall have a lien upon the property ; exempt- 

 ing railroad equipment or rolling-stock, sold, 

 leased, or loaned under a contract, from the 

 law requiring the filing of contracts for the 

 conditional sale of personal property on credit. 

 The Legislature made scant appropriations for 

 the State prisons, which will probably result in 

 keeping the prisoners in idleness for a part of 

 the year. A law was passed providing that, 

 whenever it can be so arranged, the sentences 

 of convicts shall expire during the summer 

 months. Several bills were introduced as the 

 result of an investigation by the Senate Com- 

 mittee on General Laws into the working of 

 those combinations known as "trusts." But 

 none of these bills were passed. 



The Governor vetoed a bill for the preven- 

 tion of bribery at elections ; also a bill, based 

 upon the Australian system, providing that 

 ballots shall be printed at the expense of the 

 city or county ; that voters shall have separate 

 compartments in which to prepare their bal- 

 lots ; and that no electioneering shall take place 

 within one hundred feet of the polls. The fac- 

 tory-inspectors were required to see that the 

 obligations of employers to their apprentices 

 are enforced ; and mechanics' liens were ex- 

 tended to cover gas and electric fixtures. 



A bill passed the Senate, but was adversely 

 reported in the Assembly, providing that every 

 adult citizen, irrespective of sex, shall here- 

 after be entitled to vote at any municipal elec- 

 tion, or at any election for supervisor or excise 

 officers ; and that no poll-clerk or inspector of 

 election shall refuse to register or receive the 

 vote of any adult citizen at such election on 

 account of sex. Another bill providing that 

 there shall be no discrimination on account of 

 sex at any election was not reported from the 

 Senate Committee. A third bill, killed in the 

 Committee of the Assembly, provided that at all 

 municipal elections, for five years and no long- 

 er, all females who pay taxes on property, or 

 lease a whole building or premises in which 

 they reside or carry on business, may vote for 

 municipal officers ; and that at elections where 

 only male tax-payers can now vote, female tax- 

 payers can vote under the act ; and that, if 



registered, every female voter shall describe 

 the property which she leases for business. 

 The Governor vetoed a bill to amend the act 

 of 1887 so as to give half-holidays during only 

 June, July, August, and September. 



A law was passed providing that, instead of 

 taking fees variously estimated at from $50,000 

 to $100,000, the health officer of the port of 

 New York should hereafter give the fees to 

 the State, and receive a salary of $10,000. The 

 Governor vetoed a bill providing that quaran- 

 tine commissioners should be elected by a joint 

 ballot of the two Houses of the Legislature, 

 instead of being nominated by the Governor 

 and confirmed by the Senate, as at present. 



A concurrent resolution for amending the 

 Constitution was passed, and, having passed a 

 previous Legislature, will now be submitted to 

 the people, which provides that the Governor 

 shall oelect seven justices of the Supreme Court 

 to act as associate justices, and to form a sec- 

 ond division of the Court of Appeals, for the 

 relief of the latter. Another concurrent reso- 

 lution was passed (but must pass another Legis- 

 lature before it is submitted to the people), 

 which prohibits the manufacture and sale of 

 intoxicating liquors as beverages. A bill was 

 introduced (but not passed) providing for a 

 convention to revise and amend the Constitu- 

 tion of the State. It was similar to the bill 

 vetoed by the Governor the year before. 



A law was passed appointing a committee of 

 five assemblymen to investigate all the reserva- 

 tions within the State, and report to the next 

 Legislature what should be done in regard to 

 civilizing the Indians. Another bill was passed 

 allowing a commissioner to investigate the 

 claims of that branch' of the Cayuga Indians 

 which has lived in Canada since the war of 

 1812 because it fought against the United 

 States at that time. The Canadian Cayugas 

 claim a portion of the annuity that is paid by 

 the State to the nation. 



A bill was passed appropriating $570.000 to 

 continue the work of lengthening the locks 

 and improving the canals. A law was passed 

 providing that in New York, Brooklyn, and 

 Buffalo, the charges for elevating, receiving, 

 weighing, and discharging grain shall be five 

 eighths of one cent a bushel. The former rate, 

 including five days' storage, was three fourths 

 of a cent. 



A bill was passed appropriating $143,260 

 to finish the State Library and the Law Li- 

 brary, and to remove the books, the work to 

 be in charge of the Capitol commissioner and 

 three of the officers of the Senate and Assem- 

 bly. Another bill appropriates $287,000 to 

 repair the Assembly staircase, and to replace 

 the stone ceiling of the Assembly Chamber 

 with a ceiling of wood, the work to be in 

 charge of a committee composed of the speaker 

 and four members of the Assembly whom he 

 should appoint; $20,000 was appropriated to 

 lay out the park in front of the Capitol. 



Laws were enacted amending former acts 



