New-York tribune., 1869-02-26
ALBANY.
THE CIVIL TENURE-oF-oFFICE LAW DEBATED
IN THE sENAfE-THE PROPOSED AMEND
MENTS TO THE EXCISE LAW. ~ .-.t

THE CIVIL TENURE-0F-0FFICE LAW DEBATED
IN THE sENArE-THE PROPOSED AMEND
MENTS TO THE EXCISE LAW. (
! ALBANY, Feb. Ex-senator Hubbard, o Democrat
is very anxious like his friend Jacobs to proptiate
Gen. Grant. He introduced resolution instrncting
onr Senators to vote and use their influence for the
repeal of the renureof Office law This gave rise to
considerable debate-Senators Nichols and Beach,
both Democrats. supporting Mr. Hubbard, and taunt-
| ing the Representatives in Congress with being
| afraid to trust Gen. Grant. Senators Par
ker, Kennedy. and Morgan made the prin-
cipal speeches against the resolutions the
former making very humorous alusion
to the Democrats bowling to the rising sun. These
Senators took tho ground that the law was q good
one at the time Of its passage and now. and that
they did not any reason at present why it should
be repealed Senator Hale. q Republican, supported
Senator Hubbard's resolution. motion to postpone
the whole subject until after the 4t Of March, made
by Mr.. Parker, was ruled down-Yeas z; Nays, IT,
The Republicans who voted for postponement were
Messrs. Folger, Humphrey Kennedy, Morgan, Hicks,
ODonnell and Parker; and against Crowley Hale,
NATION, Palmer, Stanford, Van Petten and Will
liams. Then another motion was made that it
be amended 80 as to approve of the original
enactment Of tho law. The only Republicans
who voted against this were Hale, Mattoon, and
Stanford. Messrs. Campbell and Chapman were
Yeas, 10; Nays, IA. Then another motion TO lay
on, the table was defeated. The Democrats
voted solidly against all motions to postpone vote
on the original question. Without coming to vote
on the subject the Senate adjourned About an hour
and had been spent in this useless discussion,
and after the fact became known that the Assembly
had agreed to adjourn tomorrow for ten days Plenty
OF business was lying the Clerks table, which
may now have to go over until after the re-
cess. The House tabled Mr.. Jacobs's resolution on
the same subject The only Republicans who voted
against the tabng motion were Messrs. Gleason and
La Bau caucus Of Republican Senators was held
this evening, and they agreed to vote tomorrow in
favor Of the resolution Of Hubbard. They. however
will insist proviso TO tho resolution that neces
sy compelled the passage of this law and Congress
did wisely in enacting it, but that necessity has now
passed, and the law should be repealed.
The Senate Judiciary Committee have reported
back with the amendments passed in the Committee
of the Whole the bin to submit the New Constitu-
ton. The people are TO vote on four articles next
Fall. Judiciary Taxation, Suffrage, and the remain
der Of the articles in lump 1t is likely the House
will agree to this bill.
A bin has been introduced in the Assembly by Mr..
Ferrs. authorizing the Supervisors of Westchester
County to lay RAILROAD track on the old Harlem
bridge.
The discussion Of the proposed amendments to the
Excise Law was continued this morning. Gen.
sigel and Assemblyman Nachtman made further ar
guments in favor of tho proposed amendments
quoted in these dispatches yesterday Both gentle
men, however, made tho admission, never made
before in Albany since the Excise Law was enacted,
that the Germans of your city divided to the
propriety of allowing saloons TO remain open on
Sundays. Heretofore all the advocates Of the repeal
or modification Of the existing law have insisted that
the Germans were unanimously in favor Of change
in the Sunday clause. Mr. Noah A. Chds,
the representative Of the Liquor Dealers Associa-
ton, also argued in favor OF amendments.
but all that no proposed was that tho prices of
licenses be graduated and that the hours Of closing
at nj ght shall be changed, so that places can keep
open TO a. m, and open again at q. m. They did
not ask that the sections allowing arbitrary arrests
and keeping the liquor stores closed on Sunday, be
touched Ii will thus bo seen that the friends of the
proposed amendments are not so harmonious as tho
opponents of the present law would mako 1t appear
DR.. Nathan Bishop Of your city opposed any atera-
ton in the Sunday clause This gentleman has been
for years working among the poor of the east side of
the city, and he gave very practical history of the
good working Of the law. He sad that since its
enactment Sundays quieter in that part of the
city, the people were better off, and had saved more
money than they ever dreamed Of under the old
state of things; that the women and children
were the best friends Of the law and would regret
any such change in it. Mr. Geo. Bliss IT, counsel of
tho Excise Board, made short address answering
the arguments Of the opponents OF the bill He said
that the Excise Commissioners would favor the gra
daon Of licenses from $50 TO 81 0o according to the
business done by the places licensed; and also, that
hours of opening and closing at night DO changed to
from TO 4 A. III. He showed that II Mr.. Mnrphy's
BILL which graduates the prices Of licenses from $50
for wine and beer shops to figure TO be fixed by the
Board for hotels according to the number Of rooms,
would only bring into the Excise Treasury $4,000
while tho present law gave revenue OF
Al 100000 He showed that the Democrats
were even more illibera this year than
they were two years ago. They, in 1867, voted
for a bill which would raise 100000 The Democrats
are very confident that they have radical modi
fcation of the law. They claim that majority both
of the Committee on Internal Affairs, and the Re-
publicans of tho House. and that they will have
difficulty in getting one Senator, which will be
enough TO pass the BILL Your correspondent thinks
that these hopes are well founded, and will DO re-
allied. unless the friends Of the law mako it too
hot for any Republican who betrays bis trust The
Committee this afternoon decided TO postpone all
action on the bill until after the recess. They will
then adopt those amendments mutually agreed to by
the friends and opponents Of the present law. All
other disputed points will then be considered.
The Assembly have ordered to third reading
bill appropratng $4,000 to extend the Chenango
Canal. This bill has been before the Legislature
previous 10 this year, but its friends could
make il a law. Tho friends Of the measure claim
that this is not all the money they will ask out OF the
State Treasury II is all that can be used this year.
aud further draft will be made on future Legsla-