544 



NEW YOKE. 



was pending in the Legislature, it received the 

 support of nearly all classes, the Citizens' Asso- 

 ciation of New York presenting a memorial 

 for its adoption, and a large number of the 

 wealthiest citizens signing a petition for the 

 same object. It finally passed the House by a 

 vote of 116 to 5, and in the Senate received 30 

 votes, and only 2 were cast against it. The 

 Board of Supervisors of the county of New 

 York was abolished by a separate bill, and 

 there is no longer any distinction kept up be- 

 tween the city and county government. The 

 provisions of the charter were speedily carried 

 into effect by the mayor, and seemed to meet 

 with general approval. 



The question of authorizing some plan by 

 which rapid transit through the city of New 

 York could be attained occupied considerable 

 attention, and many schemes were submitted, 

 none of which were adopted. A bill, for what 

 was known as the Arcade Eailroad beneath 

 the surface of Broadway, passed both Houses, 

 but was vetoed by the Governor, on account 

 of the extraordinary power given to the corpo- 

 rators over the streets and adjoining property, 

 and the general impracticability of the plan. 



As usual, several bills were introduced, 

 granting aid to railroads, and passed both 

 Houses, only to be arrested by the veto of the 

 Governor. The sum involved in these ex- 

 ceeded $5,000,000. 



Matters connected with public education re- 

 ceived considerable attention in the Legisla- 

 ture, and an act was passed for the completion 

 of the school system, putting all the educa- 

 tional institutions of the State under the con- 

 trol of a department of the government. An 

 effort was made to secure the repeal of the 

 clause of the New- York tax levy of 1869, for 

 the aid of charity schools, but without success. 

 The number of school-houses in the State is 

 11,V05 ; the number of children attending 

 public schools, 1,029,955; number of students 

 attending normal schools, 4,734. The finances 

 of the Department of Public Instruction, for 

 the fiscal year ending September 30th, are ex- 

 hibited in the following statement : 



Total receipts from all sources, Including 



balance on hand at the beginning of the 



year $10,919,460 45 



Total expenditures 9,929,462 92 



Amount paid for teachers' wages 6,501,173 37 



Amount paid for school-houses, repairs, 



and furniture 1,980,546 70 



The estimated value of school-houses and 



sites. 20,417,329 00 



The condition of the canals of the State oc- 

 cupied a good deal of attention, both in the 

 Legislature and the general community. The 

 Commercial Union, which was an association 

 of merchants and others interested in the sub- 

 ject, was formed in October, 1869, for the 

 avowed purpose of securing reform in the 

 management of these great public works. A 

 convention was held by members of this body 

 and other delegates, at Rochester, on the 19th 

 of January. Many speeches were made de- 

 manding reforms in the repairing and the gen- 



eral management of the canals, the prevailing 

 spirit of which was embodied in the following 

 resolutions : 



Whereas, The prosperity, wealth, and importance 

 of the State of New York are mainly due to its 

 canals and the wisdom that projected them ; and the 

 necessity for the great water-ways, to transport the 

 commerce of the West and to develop the resources 

 of our own State, was never greater than at the pres- 

 ent time ; and 



Whereas, Owing to official mismanagement and 

 dishonesty under the contract system, by which the 

 canals have sunk almost to decay, ana owing to the 

 unwise adoption of high tolls, which has diverted the 

 trade from the canals and State, the great public 

 works are falling into decay and becoming inefficient, 

 unsafe, expensive, and ruinous, instead of becoming 

 every year more useful, convenient, flourishing, and 

 popular; and 



Whereas, This convention, called by the Commer- 

 cial Union, and composed of all those persons in 

 every section of our State engaged in commerce, di- 

 rectly or indirectly associated with the canals, is as- 

 sembled to consider the foregoing matters and pro- 

 claim the feelings of the people regarding the mis- 

 government, errors, and corruptions, which threaten 

 the existence of our canals ; to suggest a remedy for 

 existing evils, and to ask for a speedy relief thereof: 

 therefore be it 



Resolved, That this convention is of the unanimous 

 opinion that upon the preservation of our canals and 

 increase of their trade depends the future prosperity 

 of our State. 



Resolved, That the present system of repairing 

 canals by contract is wholly inefficient and grossly 

 corrupt ; and that such contract system and laws cre- 

 ating it, and the outstanding contracts under it, must 

 be abolished, if the canals and their trade are to bo 

 preserved. 



Resolved, That the canals must be immediately put 

 in a state of efficient repair, and power must be given 

 to State officers for that purpose, and such a system 

 for repairing the canals must be adopted as shall pro- 

 vide against the possibility of disastrous breaks and 

 delays. 



Resolved, That the canal tolls on such freight as is 

 competed for by other routes of transportation must be 

 reduced to such rates as will make such competition 

 impossible, and secure all such freight to our canals. 



Resolved, That the necessary improvement of tho 

 canals would lead naturally, and without great loss, 

 to improvement in the general system of canal navi- 

 gation. 



Resolved, That the canals must be put and kept at 

 all times needful in such a condition as shall insure 

 safety, certainty, and speedy transportation, and that 

 such official and legislative action should be had as 

 will cheapen such transportation and increase the 

 trade of the canals to their full capacity. 



Resolved, That the State Central Committee of the 

 Commercial Union be and are hereby requested and 

 authorized to prepare and present to the Legislature 

 immediately a bill framed so as to secure the benefits 

 and improvements above enumerated ; and that such 

 committee, on behalf of this union and of this con- 

 vention, and of the people, and their interests through- 

 out the State herein represented, urge the passage of 

 such bill or bills, and take all active measures in re- 

 lation thereto, to secure preservation and improve- 

 ment of the State canals. 



Resolved, That inasmuch as the demands of the 

 present constitution require the payment of the canal 

 debt within the next six years, we believe that the 

 true interests of the State require that the said debt 

 be funded to an extent over a period of not less than 

 eighteen years, in order that the toll-sheet may be 

 redivided to a point which will retain the business, 

 which, under the present excessive toll-sheet, is 

 being forced into other channels. 



