VETO, ASSEMBLY BILL No. 295, TO AUTHORIZE THE COUNTY OF SCHUYLER TO BORROW MONEY. STATE OF NEW YORK. EXECUTIVE CHAMBER, ALBANY, March 13, 1883. To the Assembly : Assembly bill No. 295, entitled "An act to authorize the Board of Supervisors of the county of Schuyler to borrow money," is herewith returned without approval. Chapter 482 of the laws of 1875 confers upon the several Boards of Supervisors the power and authority to purchase real estate and to erect thereon county buildings, and to borrow money on the county bonds, or other county obligations, for those purposes. It is proposed, under this bill, to borrow money at a low rate of interest, and issue the obligations of the county for the same, and, with the money thus borrowed, to pay and retire a loan heretofore made by the State to the county for the erection of county buildings. This amounts to merely changing the creditor and keeping the original loan on foot at a lower rate of interest. Any obligations of the county given on the substituted loan, will, I think, be given for the erection of county buildings as authorized by the statute above referred to, and may be issued by the Board of Supervisors without further legislative aid. If there is any doubt on this subject, it might be well to proceed under the statutes passed in 1868, which especially provide for the issuing of new bonds to take the place of those outstanding, when by so doing a lower rate of interest is paid. GROVER CLEVELAND. VETO, ASSEMBLY BILL No. 135, TO AMEND CHARTER OF THE VILLAGE OF OSWEGO FALLS. STATE OF NEW YORK. EXECUTIVE chamber, ALBANY, March 16, 1883. To the Assembly: Assembly bill No. 135, entitled "An act to amend chapter two hundred and thirteen of the Laws of eighteen hundred and sixty-six, entitled 'An act to incorporate the village of Oswego Falls,' and the several acts amendatory thereof," is herewith returned without approval. This bill does not appear to have been drawn with the care which is necessary to make its provisions plain, simple and certain of execution. Among other things, it serves to make the expense of repairs of sidewalks, the removal of snow and ice, and the abatement of nuisances, charges against the village, and also provides that such expense shall be collected from the parties owning or occupying the premises in front of or adjoining which the work is done. The bill further amends the charter of the village by adding thereto a new section, which shall be known and designated as number forty-nine. The charter now has a section numbered forty-nine, which contains important provisions, and which by the bill under consideration is not and ought not to be abrogated. I am also informed that the authorities of the village who at first appeared anxious for the passage of the bill, have changed their minds since its introduction, and are quite willing that it should not become a law. now GROVER CLEVELAND. Assembly bill No. 142, entitled "An act to amend an act entitled 'An act to equalize the representation in the board of supervisors of Fulton county,' passed March 13, 1873," is herewith returned without approval. The original act, which is amended by this bill, provides that in addition to the supervisor by law elected in each of the towns in the county of Fulton, there shall be elected an additional supervisor for each two thousand and five hundred inhabitants that such town may contain, in excess of three thousand. Since the passage of that law, an amendment to the Constitution has prohibited the Legislature from passing a private or local bill providing for election of members of boards of supervisors. The bill now presented to me amends the law of 1873 in such manner as to provide that there shall be an additional supervisor elected in the towns named for every twenty-five hundred inhabitants, and one for each fractional part thereof, which shall not be less than twelve hundred and fifty. By the general law each town is entitled to elect one supervisor. Under the proposed bill, if the town contains twenty-five hundred inhabitants, two may be elected, and still another if it contains twelve hundred and fifty inhabitants in addition. It is apparent at a glance that the provisions of this bill are unnecessary and mischievous, beside being directly in violation of the provision of the Constitution above referred to. And yet the bill has been printed, and has presumably occupied some of the time of committees and of the Legislature. It is quite certain that the time and attention which have been devoted to the passage of this bill might well have been bestowed upon measures more important and valuable. GROVER CLEVELAND. VETO, SENATE BILL, NOT PRINTED, TO AMEND THE ACT FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF JACKSON AVENUE, LONG ISLAND CITY. STATE OF NEW YORK. EXECUTIVE CHAMBER, To the Senate: ALBANY, March 19, 1883. Senate bill, not printed, entitled "An act to amend chap. ter five hundred and ninety-three of the laws of eighteen hundred and eighty, entitled 'An act to improve Jackson avenue, in Long Island City,'" is herewith returned without approval. The law which it is proposed to amend by this bill appoints three commissioners to macadamize a part of Jackson avenue, in Long Island City, and to make and repair contracts as the same may be necessary, at a total expense not exceeding eighteen thousand dollars. The amendments consist in the alteration of every section of the original act, the addition of two more sections, an entire change in the character and amount of the work to be done, and an increase in the expense allowed for the same to the sum of fifty thousand dollars. The bill before me expressly ignores the local authorities of the city within which the work is to be done, and in effect transfers their powers in such cases, as contained in the charter, to the commissioners named in the bill. The charter of the city provides that work of this description can only be done by the common council when a petition is signed therefor by the owners of a majority in lineal feet of the land fronting on the street within which the improvement is proposed. This provision, perhaps, furnishes the explanation for the effort made to procure legislation in aid of this project, instead of leaving its expediency to be determined by the people directly concerned, and who are to be taxed to pay for the work. I have before me a remonstrance signed by many of the owners of lots fronting on Jackson avenue, protesting against the bill. This, and the consideration that it is directly opposed to my ideas of home rule, constrain me to withhold my approval from the proposed legislation. GROVER CLEVELAND. VETO, ASSEMBLY BILL No. 393, TO INCREASE THE STATE OF NEW YORK. EXECUTIVe chamber, ALBANY, March 23, 1883. To the Assembly : Assembly bill No. 393, entitled "An act increasing the number of notaries public in the counties of the State," is herewith returned without approval. The number of these officers has from time to time been UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN LIBRARIES |