THE BONDAGE OF CITIES - The Community Environmental Legal ...

398 THE CITY FOR THE PEOPLE.CONSEQUENCES OF MUNICIPAL DEPENDENCE.Some of the consequences of the present condition of municipallaw are :First. A chaotic mass of legislation and decisions, mightyin bulk, complexity and conflict of opinion, but weak in thedefinitesimplicity, uniform interpretation, and steady harmonywith fundamental principles that characterize the perfectlaw.Second. An eternal running to the legislature for speciallegislation. Turning to a pile of notes on special laws, thefirstsheets I pick up contain a list of twenty acts passed bythe Virginia legislature in one year to authorize the buildingof wharves by persons named in the acts. Here are a fewspecimens. They are all substantially alike.Major W. Pilchard to erect a wharf at Greenbackville.C. W. Warner allowed to erect a wharf.Tomlin Braxton to erect a wharf in William.King1E. H. Atkerson to erect a wharf on Chuckatuck Creek, etc.Taking another random handful of papers, I find a mass oflocal laws enacted in Mass, in 1896, '97 and '98. Look in theindex of any Mass, blue book under the titles "Cities" and"Towns" and you will find materials enough for a lengthy sermonon special legislation.In 1896, there were 49 specialacts relating to street railways in 5 cities and 44 towns, and 25acts about water, 8 relating to cities and 17 to towns. Thoseare onlytwo items. In1897, there were 130 entries underCities, only 7 of them general laws. In 1898 there were 255entries under "Cities" and "Towns" and only 18 of them referredto general laws. A considerable number of the specialacts relate to municipal water works, and another large groupconsists of acts permitting some railway to lay its tracks in sometown or city. Here are a few examples of what Mass, can doin the way of special legislation :Barre, the Barre St. Ey. Co. may lay its tracks and operate itsrailway in,Belchertown may accept a certain bequest.Berkley, water supply.Blandford, the Hudson Ev. & B. Ed. Co. may construct its railroadthru .(There are many of these Ed. acts.)