The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-06-10
TIE FATE OF THE SUPPLY BILL.
What Speaker Cornell and Lieutenant Gov.
ernor Robinson Have Done About It.
Tho Question Of REJECTED Toms and Fraud
Gmsrally-How the villany Of Pre-
vious supply Bill Fraud n
TO Be Avoided.


just now over report current for the last day or
two that 1t has been tempered with. and that con-
sequentiy 1t is In great danger OF never becoming
q law. II will be remembered that the Supply bill
Of 1871 was nicely doctored by parties who were
paid do it, and that the discovery Of the fraud
uent claims put into 1t, Governor HOFFMAN wrote
q message, based upon them, which was sent to
the Legislature OF the following year, and in which
message the attention OF legislators generally
called TO the loose manner in which supply bills
are passed, and advising the adoption or
SAFEGUARDS TO PROTECT THE TAXPAYERS
from fraudulent claims being ever again put into
bill OF like character. The Legislature thus ad-
dressed never gave heed to the warning and lett
the qoose mannern to work It's evil, II evil minded
persons saw ut to adopt the precedent made for
them In 1871.
I Now the present excitement over the fate OF the
bill OF 1873 does notarse because OF any discovery
made that the bill has been tempered with since 1t
passed both houses, but simply because the decided
stand taken in regard to che signing OF 1t by
Speaker Cornell and Lieutenant Governor Robin
son has given rise to the suspicion that it has been
doct0red since 1t passed both houses. The fact IL
that the engrossed copy Of the bill Of 1871 was
signed by the Speaker and the Lieutenant Gov
ern0r before 1t was discovered that canal claim
for very large amount, which both houses had re-
fused to put into 1t, had actually been made part
and parcel of it after it had LEFT the hands OF the
Conference Committee and been taken in hand by
the engr0ssing clerks. The fact OF the discovery
being made after the presiding officers Of both
houses had signed 1t left
THE GOVERNOR IN A TICKLIsH PLIGHT.
He discovered the fraud in reading over the bill
and comparing 1t with the report OF the Conference
Committees and the various messages that passed
nom one house to the other when certain items
were under consideration. But what was he TO
dor True, he could have vetoed the bil; that
would have most effectually squeched the rascals
who had boldly attempted. under cover OF law, to
rob the taxpayers OF q large amount'of money Yet
had he vetoed II every just claim under the blu
every appropriation made for the State and city
governments for work performed or to be per-
nra resnt Womb have been denopahe PACED se y.
he was the Governor had but one thing to do. With
great reluctance, aye, even under written protest.
Governor Hofman's experience, if lost upon the
Legislatures which have succeeded that OF 1871,
and he, in conjunction with Speaker Cornell and
General Robinson, have determined, it seems, that
no dOct0red item shall be in the bill when 1t be-
comes law, II they can prevent 1t. Had the pre-
siding officers OF the two houses signed the bin
claims reported by both houses were Then found in
Il, Governor DIX would at present be IN the same
have to follow his example.sgn the bill malgre
iuf But the refusal of the Speaker and the Presi-
dent OF the Senate to sign 1t before they are sure
no rejected claim Is in IL leaves
THE CHANCES OF THE "DoCTORsn
exceedingly small. In order thar the true state OF
understood talk which HERALD reporter had
with Speaker Cornell on the subject is herewith
s'Do you believe, Mr. Cornell (" asked the reporter,
rs ne met the speaker in the vestibule OF the Filth
standing the terrible 'siege'' he has suffered dur
ing the past five months, .'do you believe the
supply bill has been tempered with 2"
SPEAKER CORNELL ON THE SITUATION.
~ do not know that II has been" was his reply;
.in fact rom what know Of the clerks under Mr..
0DOnnel 1.-THE head clerk Of the Assembly,, / do
not believe any rejected or other improper claim
or item has been put INTO the bill since 1t passed
fun hpnG vuhn IN yaf fc nm
engrossed copy of the bill, that can feel certain
Is the b just as 1t finally passed, just as it came
out OF the hands OF the Conference Committees
"How can you satisfy yourself on that point 2''
'very easily have ordered that the bill as
passed be printed, and will have 1t sent to each
member OF the Conference committees who had the
bill under consideration copy as printed. nany
agreed upon. they viii be sure to IND II. and then
they can point It out. After they get through the
bill as perfected viii be engrossed. Then WIN
sign 1t. as Will the Lieutenant Governor. It will
then go to the Governor all right"
Here the reporter ventured O parliamentary
s'But the signing Of bill by the presiding ofncers
Of the Senate and Assembly is mere clerical act.
They simply sign bin that passes their respective
houses to certify that the bill did pass. Their
signatures to BIN are the official certificate by
'" did do psss Now, do You claim rsH' th as
alter, we'll say the Assembly passes
bin BY the proper constitutional vote you have
the fact OF the House passing bill not make 1t i'm
peratve upon you 10 sign 1t, no matter II, to your
This question seemed to strike Mr.. Cornell rather
disagreeably, but he laughingiy repled:-
"N0w don't want TO go into the merits Of that
question. Sunice IL to say that what am entitled
the wording Of the rule A bill that contains any
Item that was not approved by both houses is not
properly engrossed' bl~o
"YO do not know IRON any reliable source, that
tnere Is any item IN the bii as IT stands now, that
was put In by fraud ~
a do not. MY action in the whole matter has
been prompted by desire that the bin should 60
to the Governor IN ITS proper shape'
1t will be seen by the stand the Speaker has
taken In regard to the bill In question that the
schemers' plans, 4 any they had. 10 get their
.'steasn into the bill unwarranted by the Legsla-
ture Qor we all know that many steals in many
gang aglee. Yet, while the Speaker is to be COM
mended for his bold action In thwarting the sup
posed designs OF unscrupulous men who may de-
sire to latten on the III gotten gains they may have
hoped TO get into the Supply bill Of this year. with
or without the consent OF the people In Senate and
question out OF 1t, aud that is:-"Can any bill
passed by the proper constitutional vote in both
wise altered or amended by anybody after.
wards s' IL is true that &c is claimed tnat
since II passed IL Is not the bill passed by the Legis
lature. Yet supposlng, II there are any rejected
put IN AFTER the Conference Committees had agreed,
and yet were In IL before the yeas and nays were
called upon for It's nnal passage, what then
Though the bill was ordered read through IL was
not because Of the hurry OF the moment and the
confusion that prevailed IN the House. Who knows,
then, n any item was slipped into the bill after the
Conference Committees made their report, but that
n was slipped In before the nnal vote was taken,
ana that all unknown 70 the cerksg Then again,
supposing for argument, sake, that the clerks acted
rs agents for the patrons Of the 'steals" Of what
avail Will the record or the various messages
from House TO House be 10 show Just what kind OF
bin the Conference Committee agreed upony The
record and The messages could easily be made TO
tally with the bI. ALTERED 10 suit.m While there
y no good ground 70 suppose as yet that there Is
any fs,ec,ed item 70 the supply ON as Il now stands
tampered WITH tie blll II u plain 20 be seen how
easy " would he Tor ring Of bad men TO get In
rejected items INTO supply bin and yet have the
record anu TIE messages from house 90 house 10
support them. u any such fraud thus systematic
alIy carried cut was ever " be committed what