New-York tribune., 1876-03-11
ALBANY.
THE ASSEMBLY ON BELKNAP.
SHARP DEBATE BOUNDED BY NARROW PARTISAN
sH1P-REsoLUTIoSs FINALLY ADOPTED CALLING
FOR A SPEEDY TRIAL OF THE EX-sECRETARY.

SHARP DEBATE BOUNDED BY NARROW PARTISAN
sH1P-REsoLUTIoNs FINALLY ADOPTED CALLING
FOR SPEEDY TRIAL OF THE Ex-sECRETARY.
lBY TELEGRAPH IRE TMBUNRl
ALBANY, March 1O.-The Assembly expressed it's
opinion to-day about the late Secretary of War. A
more humiliating exhibition of the smartness Of
small statesmen has not been seen in long time in
the Capitol The Republican leader, Mr., Sloan, was
! in the chair as Speaker pro tenn, and the Dem
ocTatic leader was nowhere to be seen-in-
deed he has not been seen this ses-
sion. Both parties behaved like malicious
schoOlboys, and there was keen rivalry merely to
see which should rake up the greatest number OF
accusations against the other In short it was as If
both had kept yelling, "Yah! Yah! You're another"
Mr.. Strahan reminded the Democrats of mem
Der of Congress who had been proved, he
said, to have sold, while Mayor OF New
York, the Office of Corporation Counsel for 900.
Mr.. Lyon of Kings wanted clause put in some
where to cover "the pusanimous management Of
the Spanish question by our Government Mr..
Hepburn of st. Lawrence insisted on taunting the
Democrats with that Democratic Secretary of
War who had only escaped the punishment of his
great crime by committing the greater crime of tre-
son." Mr.. Weiant Of ROckland and Mr. Rueglcs of
Steuben reminded the Republicans Of the existence
of Babcock, and 20 on.
All this time there were peas Of laughter through
ont the Chamber as some member was called to
order who was not speaking to the question, or
when one made what was considered good
point and the whole episode resembled a mock de-
bate rough and tumble political discussion
rather than the expression Of opinion of an i'm
portant representative body on a hnmlliating
national scandal. The general meTiment that per-
vaded the discussion was greatly increased by the
speeches of Mr.. West of Saratoga blunt and eccen-
L., Al Of
Assembly that people who lived in glass houses
shouldn't throw stones,7 and assured them that
" they need not feel so mighty honest" that they
could 90 on instructng congressman.
OF all the members who addressed the House
and there were more than dozen of them-not one,
except Gen. Sherman OF Oneida, seemed to have
any conception of the real gravity OF the occasion,
or of what they owed to legislative self-respect.
Not one protested against the wrangle or reminded
the Legislature that this was not subject to Jeer
over. The discussion begun by Mr. Wenzel,
who called up from the table his resolution offered
two days ago, which commended the House OF
Representatives and the Representatives OF tins
State for their action in the Belknap case. Mr.
Forster urged that the resolution was not broad
enough and offered substitute which was finally
adopted. Mr.. Strahan moved TO insert after the
woods Let no guilty man escape in the latter
ant witnesses" and Mr. Forster accepted the
amendment. The resolution then stood az follows:
Whereas The bribery and corruption disclosed by the
recent investigation in Congress has startled the people
by the exposure Of the nworthness OF one whose pre-
yous unsued record, both as soldier and CIVILIAN,
had the admiration Of hia ouniTymen and placed
him in his late high position and UheTedS the prompt
ness and unanimy with which the members OF Con-
res Of both part have taken steps TO call tue unWo
ty account express the sentiment OF tne people, VINO,
With voice demand the speedy rlal ana pumshheb
OF officials guilty Of crime or medemeanOr IN once ana
alpt the cords - let d
Resored That the people Of the State OF Newl ork rep
resented in this Hon demand that W. W. Beknap be
brought speedy trial OF the crime charged against h
and that they most earnestly depecate any sucn weak
and inefficient inquiries by c0mnlttetehs SNAIL le~n 10
evidence necessary to CONVECTION whereby
any offenders may escape avoid the punishment OF
their guilt demanding that in every OF maeasanee
the prosecution and resulted iii the conviction ana
sentence the whisky ring the end that every cor
trust aud that the honor and integrity Of our Govern
ment be maintained.
This substitute was adopted by 81 Yeas to ~
Nays, the following being the negatives votes:
Messrs. Becker, Bissel, Chaifee, Cleary, Crosby,
Fallon, Kilian, King, Mullen, Murphy. 0flaTe,
Patten Payne, Ruggles, Schiefelin, Sherman,
sevin, Stanley, Tabor, Scramling, Talmage,
and Wenzel. When the roll came to be called
on the substitute which had now become the
original resolution, Gen. Sherman called for
division Of the question, saying that he could not
conscentiously vote for the preamble, which paid
such marked tribute to the past record OF Gen.
Belknap. He did not know that his record had
been spotless and unsullied. The preamble was
adopted by vote of 63 Yeas to 3s Nays, and the
resolution itself by vote of 100 Yeas.