The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-05-02
THE OMNIBUS BILL.

A TEMPORARY SET BAcK--GALLANr EFFORT TO
SAVE THE DOCK NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
MOTIONS OF THE DEMocRArs-Sor QUITE
VOTES ENOUGH AND A CALL OF THE HOUSE
ORDERED.
my TELEGRAPH TO THE HEnALp.l
ALBANY, May 1, 1877
The battle over the Omnibus bill comm enccd imme.
distely the opening Of the afternoon session, anu
ragged nercey all along the line, The rising young
legislative warriors pore than justfyng the hopes OF
their most ardent admirers by the manner in which
they fought bed and almost died An tho defence Of
the various municipal departments. Tonight the Tam
many braves rushing rampant through the balls Of
the Dcavan shouting, "rhe Omnibus bill 10 beat
the Omnibus is beat. and all because they for mo-
ment obtained u lttc temporary advantage. How
ialiacous their hopes will undoubtedly
prove now that tho smoke OF battle has partially
cleared away is evident every impartial observer
that the ranks OF tho advocates OF tho measure
closely knit together than over before, and to-
morrow morning viii bring to their
forces in the presence OF mombors who absent
without leave.
Ia, TnE DAYS CONTEST.
The story Of the contest to-day its important de-
tails is iollowsMr Purdy, OF eschcstcr, opened
the Fight by moving to rccommit the bill, with in
Commissioners under the control OF the Police Do.
partment Mr.. Purdy SAID
1t is that the liquor dealers have been granted
thousands of licenses where the Board Excise had
sy & ana a"a IS Of sSua
mink their light aud there are some men
nn ns ., this ISr and 1 am
s A. s Ucs xs ma and Asy s
other bills come forward here in hi. Lsssa
thntf he ur md
regret TO see that my friend Mr. Maynard il not 81 those
nave No avs benz judge his
conscience. withdraw my request and vote in the
Mr. Fish moved to lay tho motion the table,
stating that he proposed to amend the bill IN that re-
| gard NJ the proper time, and his motion carried
PROPOSED AMENDMENTS
The bill then up IN its order tor third reading,
Mr. Fish moving recommit the bill with INSTRUCTIONS
10 amend various 10 legisale the
Board OF Aldermen on May 1875 to abolish the Park
Commission, the Mayor TO appoint one commissioner
| to for tour years at salary OF S., 900 per
| year; TO have non-partisan Police Board OF two
Commissioners, retaining the President and Treasurer;
TO strike the section which authorized the Police
Board let the cleaning Of the streets out IN
moro contracts Tor not less than Two nor more than
fvc years, and to abolish the Excise Board and au-
thorizc the Mayor to appoint Comm ssioncr, tho
expenses OF the department not to exceed sec, 900
| annually
| Hustled offered another amendment to abolish the
Office Supern of the city Record and transfer
| the duties 10 tho Commissioner OF Public Works
Mitchell then raised the point OF order that tho
amendments could not now be Offered, for tho reason
| that the bill, with the amendment offered by
| Purdy, had been laid the table by vote OF the
| House; but the speaker overrulcd tho point.
DEPARTMENT CHAMPIONS.
| Fish accepted tho Hustled amendment, aud Webb,
| Of Duchess, appeared as champion OF the
| Dock Department by Offering an amendment to strike
| out the section which merged tho Dock Department
U IN The Public Works Hs was supnorted by Cow
| din whose time was extended twice IN order
to let him have chance to say all he had TO say on
the subject. Cowdn was very severe on the conduct
| Of Fish IN his war on the Dock Department. intmat-
Ing very strongly that tho young statesman from Put
| nam knew nothing Of the wants Of the metropolis.
Purdy, Spinola Mitchell, Grady and Langbein spoke
I favor OF merging, but was evident that the demo
only epdoavong TO keep up the war between the
| white rose OF Fish and tho red rose OF Cowdn. The
red rose was defeated, however, and tho section re-
MANS
| Cozans then offered amendment, which provided
that The terms OF Office OF all Commissioners should
terminate ten days after the passage OF tho act Here
the battle the hottest, Mitchell, Ecclcsinc and
Spinola sustaining Cozans and Strahan opposition
told tho republi members that this mendment Il
| adopted, would Iegisate every republican Commis
sioner out who holding oco in that city. II
was strong appeal party feeling. and DR.. Hayes toll
lowed In the same strain and the amendment was 70.
jectcd.
The question was then put on Mr. Fish's notion and
the roll having been twice called. the vote stoodyeas,
3D. nays, 81. But before the vote was announced Mr..
| Fish moved call OF the House. After considerable
confusion points Of order and the citation OF par
liamentary rules the call was ordered Tho galleries
were cleared and the doors closed. Tho roll
called and lis members answered to their names.
Alvord then moved that the Sergeant-atArms
| on the warrant Of the Speaker, arrest tho abscD,
members who had not been excused and bring them
before the OF House, and that the House take
| o recess until tomorrow morning AT ten O'Clock.
| This motion prevailed, and the fight was at an end
for the present IL very pretty while II lasted
| but the opposing parties are only resting thcii
arms tonight, and the DECISIVE battle will DO fought
| tomorrow.
| cAusRs OF DEFEAT.
Tho defeat oil the majority Of the House Mr.. Fish
motion to recommit the bill Tor amendment due 10
the detection OF several republicans were opposed
to taking tho EXCISE duties out OF the hands o.
| the police, az provided Tor in the original bill
| and giving them to Excise Commissioner to bs
appointed by the Mayor. Tho following named rcpub
licans voted against the motion recommit -Mcssrs
Bcllington, Gilbert, Quick, Hammond Hepburn, Mar
| win, Shannon and sheldon. II these gentlemen had
voted with their party the motion would have beor
carried. Several republicans were also absent The
| above named gentlemen understood to represent
| tho temperance element.