The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-01-05
A silirmish In the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Blood
for Tammany.

shirmfsh In the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Blood
for Tammasy.
On the principle that the bending of a straw
Will show the direction of the wind, the par
llamentary skirmish that took place on the
hoor OF the Assembly yesterday may be re-
garded as an indication Of the opposition that
Is to be made to the Speaker during the ses-
sion by the adherents of the rings and Hobbies,
who were so badly damaged by the defeat of
Alvord. Colonel Rush G. Hawkins moved to
take from the Judiciary Committee and refer
at once to the Committee of the Whole
House the bill to confirm and legalixe
the acts of Judge Bedford in extending
the November term of the General SEES.
sions of New York and the acts of
the Grand Jury of that Court or course
there could not be real opposition to the
consideration of this bill, unless proceeding
from those likely to be injuriously affected by
the action of the Grand Jury; but the oppor-
neglected, and Alvord and Fields entered with
zest into the wordy contest, They raised the
points of order that the rules Of last session,
adopted temporarily for the guidance of the
present House, required that bills should 60
through standing committees; that no rule
could be abrogated without one days previous
notice, and that the Committee on Judiciary
not having yet been appointed, the bill, which
had virtually gone to that committee, could
not be taken from 1t until after Its creation.
A warm and somewhat personal debate
followed, at the close of which
the Speaker decided that the bill, not having
been placed under control of committee, was
still under control Of the House, and could,
therefore, be referred to the Committee of the
Whole by two-thirds VOTE To this ruling
Mr.. Alvord objected but before a vote could
be taken the Assembly adjourned, Tammany
gleefully claiming first blood.
This incident is apparently trifling one,
but foreshadows combination between the
democrats and the Alvord republicans which
has already been alluded to by our Albany
correspondents. The sticklers for parlia-
| mentary forms, .Messrs. Alvord and Fields,
were, no doubt, in the right and the decision
of the Speaker was wrong. The bill had been
referred to the committee, and was therefore
out of the possession of the House, although
the formal announcement of the names Of the
committee had not been made. The difficulty
| arose from the parliamentary ignorance of
Colonel Hawkins, who did not know how to
set to work to accomplish what he desired.
Had he moved to reconsider the vote referring
the bill to the standing Committee on Ju-
dietary the motion would have been in order,
only one day having elapsed, and the mover
having voted with the majority. He could
then have moved its reference to the
Committee of the Whole, which is in
reality the highest standing committee
of the House, and a two-thirds vote
would have considered 1t at once. The
motion he first made is blunder, and his
sharp opponents saw the opportunity at once
| to raise an embarrassing point for the
| Speaker to decide. 1t is significant, however,
that the first floor fight should have been made
in the interest Of Tammany, and that Thomas
G. Alvord and Thomas G. Fields should have
been found battling shoulder to shoulder. II
is well to mark tais preliminary skirmish, for
unless the portents in the legislative sky
should prove to be very deceptive we shall
witness many such curious combinations 10
more important matters before the present
session is brought to close.