New-York tribune., 1875-02-18
LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT.

GOV. TII,DEN FIGHTS THE COSTIGAN BILL.
AN ISSUE JOINED BETWEEN THE GOVERNOR AND
MAYOR wICKHAM-THE BILL BROUGHT of IN
THE AssEMBLY-A MUNICIPAL COMMISSION BILL
OFFERED BY Mr. DAvIs-THE REPUBLICANS "h-
ENFORCED BY SEVENTEEN DEMOCRATS ON
CALL FOR THE PREVIOUS oUEsIloN-AN Ia
CITED AND PERSONAL DEBATE.
lrRoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF TUE iH,"o''
krnANy Feb 1.-THE efforts to bring ABOUT
reconciliation between the Governor and the Mayor
ON the Costigan bill were interrupted TINS mornins
ne n message from New-York that the NeW-IoiN
dcl,ration was expected to press the DILL in.s
was declaration of war and war ensued'
,be Governor assumed the offensive at once; Tor
before the supporters Of the Costigan bill mad an
onportunty TO open their mouths IN Its favor when
II came up for third reading. MIR. DAVIS OF
Washington moved TO recomnlt the Dill
and offered resolution directing the
Committee to report bill designating
CHARLES O'Conor, Horatio Seymour, Edwin ID.
Morgan. Wm. NJ. Ev1rts, Francis Herman, John
Kelly, Henry c. Murphy, and Henry r. Selden
Commission to prepare general law before the 10Th
of April securing to the several municipalities OF
the State the right of local self-government and
provdng for the responsibility Of municipal officers
and their removal for cause. The hands were the
hands of Davis but the voice was the voice OF III
den This was known to be the favorlte PROJECT
of the Governor, and the issue between tue House
and His Exccllency, as they strangely persist I'D
calling him. was fairly joined 1t was treated WIN
tcrnorote reserve. however until Mn Shattuck OF
Steuben asked the New-York delegation If they un-
derstood that the Governor favored the bill AT thls
the quarrel which had been kept within tue
family limits and guarded from the pub
he ear, broke out with q vTulence that
was as remarkable as it was unexpected
This was q dispute at which the Republicans
prepared to assist in the capacity OF spectatoTS ana
SO bv evident consent the floor left for the ex-
elusive occupation of Democrats who had no room
TO spare. as it was. One might have inferred
from the general tenor Of the speeches
that Gov. Hden was member OF some
other party il not an unnaturalized foreigner There
were pointed alusions to GictatOn from the tx
scutiye Chamber the Executive whip, the one man
power Tins unseemly family dispute was rare 1000
for the Republicans but demorallglng to the party
which has majority i'll votes. and minority III
influence on the floor Of the House. Mr.. Daily OF
Now-York therefore moved the previous question,
which was lost by vote OF to to %. Nhie
all who opposed this motion could BADLY
be fairly counted as certain to oppose
the Costigan bin, the vote was considered,
and was toI AL practical purposes test vote; and
it revealed the fact that ~ Democrats were voting
under the lead of Mr., Davis. aud virtually
against the mandate of tue Democratic caucus.
This discovery 10y no meany improved
the tempers OF the maj rity who had found them
selves reduced to an actual minority III numbers,
and the wrange broke out aiTesh Speaker NC
Guile took the floor aud IN a speech that
made clear tie fatal mistake of the Demcc-
racy wien they taok their Only leader off
the floor fcrccly aIIalgued the Democrats who
were following .le Governors lead and thundered
against the Governor himself for attempting to
crack the whip over the heads Of members OF the
Legislature.
After ,hc Geha 4 bad gone on for nearly two
hour, before an audience that filled the
Chamber and the galleries aaI occasionally
broke cut in demonstrations Of applause, Mr.
Hammond ooVed tnat recess be taken
until half-oast ,Iocf. THIS was carried, and the
Tammany men were heard conGatulating them
selves that - a parry they stlil had sufficient
strength to carry m,Jior to adjourn.
BelJte tht opening Il the adj 'drned session this
evening, both sides were talking w.,d confidence
worthy OF the b',t days Of the Senatorial contest,
the laImnony Hall meu claiming that they
Lad .-aincd several votes and were confident
Of tie pae,acy ~ tbc L.li, and the Governors sup
purters m,s. NJ that their vote unbrokeD.
Mr. Davi eajcavorlI to have the GoucrnOrs mes
sage winch wa tue srr,ia, order for thus evening
set a-..,, bit wI,hD-t success and the Tam
many Hall men, Gy di.atory motions,
prevented the confederation Of the Costigan bill,
and fualiy carried a motion to adj j'urr. They evil
dehty WANT tmc 10. reflection, I'D did not dare to
trnst tJe hin 10 q vote to-nlqht. From
the confde,J talk of botL parties
tonight, ], is Impossible to draw any
satisfactory conciuson; but il now seems likely
hat oy mutual understanding tine bill Will not be
pressed Tomorrow rs to admit of time for con-
sultalcn and, if possible, for compromise From
any pjint Of the compass, however, the prospects
of the Costigar bill not bright. IL it is finally
beaten, those people who have been circulating
rumors to the c:cc. chat Gov. Iiden is threatened
with a softonng of the brain will ind this a good
hne 70 lise and explain about ,hc condition of their
own.