New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-03-26

coin and vedder this afternoon in rallying suddenly
to the side of the Speaker was quietly disregarded
and some of the most influential and upright Repub-
hcans of the House spoke out boldly in favor
Of the appointment by the Governor. They Landed
the reform record Of Samuel J. Tildon. and avowed
their willingness to give him all the aid in their
power, whether his motives were Interior or not.
Mr. Prince promised that for every 100 Democrats
who deserted Gov. Tilden in this conflict 1000 Re-
publicans would flock to his side.
Speaker Mcclure here seized an opportunity Gn-
deed he never allows one to Slip of insulting the
Governor. Mr.. Prince spoke Of the Governors
bravery in graphing with Tammany and tearing it
down. The Speaker was instantly his feet to in
quire if the gentleman believed that the person to
whom he referred had performed that service Mr..
Mcclure limits himself to this sort of thing in debate
1t is only off the floor that he uses language more
forcible but less elegant. Mr.. Prince talked with
charming frankness of the Canal Ring for there has
been undue tenderness shown to this thick-skinned
organization throughout the whole debate, and
charged that it was moro corrupt ring than Tam
many. He pledged himself to the support of the
Governor, who, he said was the noblest son Of Co
lumbia, the county he represented. Mr.. Burtis,
Mr.. Petty, Mr.. Warner Miller, and Gen. Hustled
all Republicans, followed substantially in
the same vein, Gen. Hustled taking the opportunity
to denounce the proposition to take the appointment
of the committee out OF the Speakers hands hui
initiating and outrageous. After this the Committee
got into q most perpleXing parliamentary tanglc,
which the Canal Ring men endeavOred to twist into
a hopeless knot, with the idea of pOstpOnng action
until tomorrow, aud thus gaining another day Is
grace. The snar was finally unrayeled in the way
already described.
TIE DEBATE IN THE SENATE.
The debate on the Governors message took mp
nearly all the time Of the Senate at the day session.
1t was heard with close attention by as large an
audience as the Senate chamber could convent
emily hold. Jarvis Lord was delivered
of long speech, in the begin
ming of which he surprised his hearers by quoting
from the Scriptures His pet phrase frequently ro-
ferred to in the address. the Characterization of
The TRIBUNE as Gov. Tildens official paper. Mr.
Lords address-lt could hardly be called an
argument-was discursive and lacking in
point. very large part Of it was taken
dture over the estimates in the building of
the Erie Canal and in its enlargement, AID of the
excess of expenditure in other works. Then Mr.
Lord repeated the names Of all the prominent State
officers who held positions during the prosecution of
the great undertakings on tho Erie Canal, and
asserted that no one had ever dared to charge
these great men of completely with fraud.
Hence he claimed that the excess of expendi-
lures over estimates in the canal contracts given
in TIE TRIBUNE. aud referrei to generally in the
Governors message, no reason to suspect fraud
Mr. Lord also got in references to his favorite
theme. the evil effects of reducing the tolls Of
the canals. For himself personally he modestly
shrank from the honor of being considered the chief
of the Canal Ring, but claimed that he had reason
to be proud and was proud, of every detail of his
connection with canal management. MIR. Lord gave
some attention to the provisions of the canal con
tracts calling attention to the language concerning
alterations and increase OF work.
Mr. Lord spoke with great delberation. He was
evidently not overburdened with fast-thronging
fancies, although some of his assertions and infer
ences, slowly aud emphatically uttered they
were, were fanciful in the extreme He
was not so profuse in blunt per-
sonalities as some of his friends bad feared,
but his bitter hostility 10 the Governor. and lis
rage at the exposure of corruption which had been
made appeared frequently i'll his language with lit
tie OF no disguise. Mr. Lords grief and horror
over the fact that State officials could be
charged with corruption or with con-
niving at canal frauds were evidently very
poignant. At least Mr.. Lord intinated that
they were overwhelming, and expressed the deepest
solictude that the honor of the State and of her
servants might not be furnished. But Mr. Lord
was neither so violent nor so grotesque as it was
expected he would be- and his effort of more than
an hour, whether regarded as melOdrama or low
comedy, rather disappointed his hearers.
Senator Laning of Buffalo followed Mr. Lord He
assured Senators repeatedly that he would take up
their time only few minutes, but, after speaking
an hour and quarter, gave way to mo-
ton for recess, and he stated
that he will occupy three-fourths of an hour
tomorrow Mr.. Laning made an earnest, fluent
and interesting address. He went into figures even
more fully than Mr. Lord and made many COMPARE
sons of estimates and expenditures upon great pub
lie works. He attributed great part of the enor-
nous excess of payments over estimates
on canal contracts TO the inexperience and
incapacity of the subordinate engineers and
assistants who made the estimates.
He defended the officials who let the contracts, on
the ground that the Constitution left them no
option except to let the contracts to the lowest
bidders. He defended the contractors upon whom
he claimed that there no obligation to look out
for the interests of the State, and he as
serted that they had the right to get out Of
the State all that they legitimately could for their
work No blame was attached to persons anywhere
in his speech but he attacked the present system Of
canal management, in which there IS lock
of responsibility AS a partial remedy for
the evils Iof the system Mr.. Laning introduced q
bill, providing that canal contracts shall be sub
mitted to, and approved by, the Canal Boards that
the Commissioners of the Canal Fund shall report
| to the Canal Commissioners the amount of money
applicable in each month for expenditures on the
- Il d.. I'LL