New-York tribune., 1875-01-22
ALBANY.
THE CANAL INQUIRY ORDERED BY THE
ASSEMBLY.

THE CANAL INQUIRY ORDERED BY THE
ASSEMBLY.
opposrT1oN FROM Ex-IiEUT.-Gov. ALvoRD, GEN
uueTrp AND MR. woRrH-NR pAvtss kEso-
I,rrroS PASSED NJ AN OVERWHELMING MA
yonTY.
,ypox THE REGULAR R'coRREsPoSpESr or THE TRIBuNE.l
ALBANY Jan. 2l.--The struggle to-day against the
massage Of Mr. Z. f. Daviss resolution ordering an
INQUIRY into the management and expenditures OF
the canals was brief and unsuccessful. Mr.. Davis
called ND the resolution at the earliest practicable
moment aud asked its immediate adoption. MI
Alyord Rep.) opposed it, saying that he hoped the
Assembly would not pass a resolution which was an
act of grave discourtesy to the officials OF the Gani
Department. 1t was not the province of the HOUSE
10 act as committee Of investigation INTO 'ne AZ
fairs of officers of the State. Courtesy 10 'noi' eo
oande5 that they content themselves with resoiu-
tiop calling for information. He protested seaus'
the Houso going into the archives OF departments
in this way.
Mr.. Davis DEM in reply said that 1t was clearly
,ba dutv of the Assembly to take the action indi-
Gated. IL was the duty of the Committee on Canals
70 make the inquiry. The Assembly had the right
10 examine into every department Of the State Gov
sument There had not been an examination into
the affairs of the Canal Department since the adop-
ton of the Constitution of 1916. When has there
been an examination of the management of the
prisonsf Two years ago Senator Of the United
States called the attention of the people of New
York to the enormous extravaganza of the manage
ment of our prisons charging the Democratic party
with IT. The Republican party was placed in power,
and what was the result Instead Of deficiency Oh
$4,000, there was now deficiency of $l,oooooo'
Was ii beneath them to examine into these mat
tersi An officially published abstract OF expendl-
tuTes made by Superintendent OF Canal hepaTs'
n a. cly-fa darQ in
month of December $40 month, and that he was
paying 12 or 10 men, the same men that Tweed once
had on his payroll from so to S65 q month for
doing nothing, for none of them ever spent a
months time on the canal Was il beneath the
dignity of the Legislature to look into these ex-
pendituFesi Not only the expenditures OF the canal
but of every other department ought TO be looked
into. He was opposed to committees OF investlga-
tion. he had never known any good to come from
them, but this was q committee appointed to take
charge of the affairs of the canals. The superin-
tendents had expended nearly S2OOo.OOO. Ought
not the people to know whether this money had
been properly expended The eyes OF the people
were upon this Legislature. elected because OF the
popular disgust with their predecessors. Their fu-
ture depended upon their action As for the resolu-
tion itself more proper one had been offered In
the Legislature within 25 years. Mr.. Daviss speech
was vi gorous and telling one, and the passage OF
the resolution was evidently secured
On the call of the Yeas and Nays. Gen. Hustled
Rep) of Westchester opposed the resolution, on the
ground that il was dscoureous to the officers OF the
Bureau aud Mr. Lincoln Repl of Ontario favored IT,
holding that the people had right to know whether
the money had been properly or improperly ex-
pended. Mr.. Worth uep) of Kings opposed its
passage The vote stood 9S in favor to II opposed,
large number Of Republicans voting with the MAJ
,ority This decisive vote is believed to indicate that
this is not what s called Canal House" and that
IL abuses are discovered in the management of the
canals they are likely to be recti6ed the canal in
6uence to the contrary notwithstanding.
The following is the full vote on Mr.. Davis's reso-
Iutior Democrats in roman and Republicans IN