New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-03-24
SPEAKER MCGUIRE TO TIE FRON1.


NORs MESSAGE NOT INTENDED TO MIsREPlE-
SENT TIE VOTE OF TIE HoUsE-TnE MESSAGE
MOVE UPON THE CHEss-BoARD FOR THE
PRESIDENCY AND AN INDIRECT ATTACK UPON
THE CHIRF JUsTICE-CANAL INVESTIGATIONS
CONDUCTED MERELY FOR THE ACCUMULATION
or POLITICAL CAPITAL.
TO the Editor OF The Tribune.
SIR In your paper of the 10Th inst. you charge
deciding that the resolution to table the Gov
errors Message was carried, when the spectators
considered it perfectly PLAIN that it was lost, and
tho next vote Of % to IS demonstrated that
tho spectators were correct. You then ar
raign me for my action in the appointment.
of some of the important committees, and conclude
that was guilty of plain attempt to msinterpret
the vote Of tho House. and that my action in the
premises reached the line Of plain and unconcealed
dishonesty"
lIf Speaker Mcclure cannot state n motion sub
united TO him moro accurately than he rcpeas
(When he tries TO reply to III n paragraph when
evidently interested him very much, hc must 10
the most abslrd Speaker ever seen III Albany. III ne
cannot repeat what people say about hun more
accurately than be has above Icclted what
TIE TRIBUNE sad about him, he would
mod mod he has 'Or great need 10 b%a, OF the
fate Of Ananias. TIE TRIBUNE rradc no charge
AGAINST him.. 1t stated that he was reported IS de-
Gliding so and lie aGnus III his letter herewith
that he did so decide. THE TRIBUNE did not con
clude that he was guilty of PLAIN attempt TO mis-
interpret the vote" ii said that ~ he really was
guilty of plain attempt to mslntcrprct," etc-EdI
These are grave charges and which, il true. should
eject me from a seat in legislative body. AS you
have given in your editorial columns such promi-
nencc to tho accusation, in fairness (of winch you
clam to be an exponont). you cannot deny me the
privilege of reply in your paper as prominent as
the charge.
When tell you that Speaker MCGUIRE made no
ruling or decision upyn the question you refer TO
whatever, you then viii realize Report" and
Spectators are at fault, and your adjectiyes and
charges are not only unjust but have no meaning or
application to any action of mine on the occasion
referred to. Such is The fact however. that made
10 decision whatever On that subject.
With your permission wiz briefly state what did
occur upon the conclusion OF tie reading Of the
message. Mesars Waehner and DAILY arose in Their
places. recognized the former gentleman he made
fhe motion that tho message lio upon the table and
be printed. Mr. DAILY was about TO debate the mo-
ton, when politely Informed him that by a stand
ing rule of the House motion TO table was not de
.batabe. This seemed to offend him and those who
do or assume, at least {" to represent the views Of
the Governor" The motion made by Mr.. Waohncr
was then put, the members or those that chose,
voting rira c0oe 1t il well known to you aud those
acquainted with legislative proceedings that on
rr1 r0ce vote but few of the members respond some
feebly aud others bOisterously. In this case the
members did not all respond. The Speaker. instead
Of deciding that the motion was carried, announced
deliberately. 50 as to give any member oppoftu-
mfv to call for count That IL seemed TO be car
1iedr-a parliamentary expression before announc-
ing the decision (not that IL was carried)-and
sonpcd there. Then a count vas called for andhad'
with tho lie alt you state. Although there was
full House, only 90 members voted, 8 not voting,
and on the rica uoce vote probably not half of that
number voted.
II | had designed to mi,interpret tho vote Of the
House." would have Immediately decided the mo-
ton carried then count or roll call wond have
been admissible. Ny decision you'd have been final
and binding upon the House unless reconsidered,
which could only be done motion OF ono voting
ia the Affirmative Thus it will DO seen that If the
Sneaker he'd intended to do what you charge, it was
in his power to misinterpret the vote by arbitra
~ decision, which he regards himself incapable of
doing. whether in the interest of Canal or Execu-
tive Ring. Your statement of facts is wholly desti-
tute of truth and your conclusions necessarily
false and unjust.
Twill be pardoned for noticing other statements
appearing in your paper Of the date. Your cor
respondent asserts that the most interesting Incl
dent of the day was Speaker McGuire's constant
rulings for the Ring" have already mentioned one
of the rulings to wit, that motion to lie upon the
table was not debatabe If this was in the interest
of the Ring the Rules of the House are responsible,
not the Speaker, and the Governor should have one
Of his peculiar friends induce the House to change
il so that the Ring hereafter will not be benefited
by it.
The next ruling Of the Speaker was on motion of
Mr. Prince to print 5000 copies of the message for
distribution. The Speaker was taken by surprise
that no one of the majority who represented the
Governors views" thought enough of the message to
offer such resolution but left that work OF respect
to one of the minority. 1t was the duty OF the
Sneaker, however, to entertain the motion BY Rule
SO of the Assembly all resolutions for extra printing
must be referred to the Committee on Printing. one
of the Standing Committees of the House, that is
required to report thereon within seven days. The
Speaker. as directed by this rule, referred Mr..
Princes resolution to this Committee. This was
ruling No. for the Ring. These two are all the rul-
ings made and, to use your language, it Is plain"
that the Speaker could not have ruled or decided
otherwise without violating the Rules which the
House had adopted for its guidance, and If he had
decided as the peculiar friends OF the Governor de-
sired. be would have in fact reached the line OF
plain and unconcealed dishonesty"
have taken more of your space than intended,
but the subject connected with this explanation
reaches beyond canal rings or canal frauds" 1t Is
q nova mon the chess board for the Presidency.
Canal Rings arc only the pawns in the game-the
dust to throw in the eyes of the people. Every man
suspected of not favoring the Presidential asplra-
tions of the Great Reformcr to be stricken down.
if possible Reporters are to be hired or battered
with qubernatorial attentions; newspapers are to
be subsidized with systematic course of falsehood
and misrepreson tation-all with that end and pur-
DOSE in view Public confidence in the Chief Judge
of the State and all of his friends is to be under
mined and the nefarious, detestabe plot to effect
sncb n result ia to howl Canal Ring and Canal