The New York herald., 1879-02-05
shook hands cordially with all the gentlemen present.

shook hands cordially with all the gentlemen present.
and the delegation withdrew.
THE MURPHY RESOLUTION.
vigorous opposition has developed iteef tonight
to the passage OF senator Murphys resolution in the
to New York city Affairs 1t is understood that the
proposition will be called up tomorrow and killed
DEFENCE OF THE GOVERNOR.
The feature OF to-day's proceedings in the
Assembly was renewal OF the discussion upon that
part of the Governors message relative to the IN,
surance Department. 1t becoines daily more and
more apparent that the tight against this depart
ment. as conducted by superintendent John \.
Smyth, will prove one OF the leading issues OF the
present session. The onslaught must result in far
more bitter controversy than that of last year. when
attempt was made to remove smyth by impeach-
ment To-day was general order day i'll the Lower
House. and the Governors message came up for
discussion in Committee OF the Whole Mr. Grady
spoke for nearly hour in defence of
the Governors position. He took mp the issues adj
vanced by Mr.. Knowles in the speech of that gentle
man delivered last week, in which il was sought to
throw mud on the Governors own insurance record,
and Mr.. Grady challenged anybody to find fault with
the Executive in this connection. The charge that
he Governor Robinson) had been responsible in any
way for the failure of the Widows and Orphans
Company was refnted in the assertion that the Gov
had ceased his connection with that institution
years before its failure. Mr. Grady advocated
the abolition of the department as public necessity.
and read extracts speeches delivered by Seua-
tors last year in the Smyth impeachment proceed
ings, where official outrages and illegal action OF the
Insurance Department were clearly exhibited. He
sarastica.ly handled the circular "odgc of SUPER
intendent Smyth in asking for an Endorsement of his
course from the insurance companies and casts2ated
ties into the discussion
Mr.. sloan then moved that the Committee of the
Whole be discharged from the further consideration
of the Message, and that the various subjects
tained therein he referred to the different appropriate
committees. This was agreed TO.
PREPARING FOR A COMBINATION NEXT FALL.
The bin providing that separate ticket and scpa-
rate ballot box for county offices should be provided
at annual elections ordered to third reading.
AS the law stands the State nominees and county
officers such Sheriff County Clerk District Attor-
ney and Coroners. placed upon ticket II the
becomes
political combination next November in the city Of
New York in the election of Sheriff County Clerk aud
Coroners while the anti -Tammany democrats
strike hands with their purity upon the Govcrnorship
and other state nominations. An amendment OF Mr..
Hamilton Fish providing that the bill should only
apply to cities of 100000 inhabitants appended to
the bill in committee. Mr.. Strahan called attention
unconstitutional. 1t is understood. that this
amendment will be reconsidered when the bill comes
up for third reading.
CORPORATION ATTORNEY BoYp's OFFICE
Mr.. Seebacher's bill providing that all suits for
violations OF Corporation ordinances in the city of
New York must be brought in the districts where
the alleged defendants reside. ard also making it
incumbent upon justices to dismiss the writs where
it appears that the of complaint removed,
has been ordered to third reading without amend
ment
FIRE ESCAPES.
bill compelling all owners Of three story houses
to provide proper OF escape, such AS ladders
and rope, in of fire, has been introduced in the
Assembly.
THE QUARANTINE coMM1ssIoNERs.
Among the reports of various institutions pre-
teresting facts striking suggestions than the
document handed in to-day by the Quarantine Com
missioners in the shape of their annual report. It
appears that the Commissioners think the Health
Officer is overpaid and they recommend that his po-
sition bo made a salaried one. and that
the fees collected shall go to pay the
salaries of employees and to keep the various
buildings in repair thus making the Quarantine
tablishTnent sef-supporting. The report points out
that the fees for boarding vessels being fixed by
statute are beyond the jurisdiction OF the Commits
soners and calls attention to the fact that they re.
inst fiyelf ~. NOT
withsanding the immense increase in the NUMBER of
arrivals since that time During the last year 1877
greater number than is recorded of any
other year since the foundation of the
set down for the year amounting to upward of
$4,000. The report sets forth that while the sum is
handed over yearly to the Health Officer, the Com
missioners are obliged to call upon the people of the
State for money to pay expenses and to keep the
buildings in repair Formerly large fees were exacted
from shipowners for funigating vessels. These
fees. ranging high 500 for each
fumigation, the report says, have been grad
srs to less that one-fourth Of that sum- and there
has been corresponding reduction in the fees for
transporting the sick and other services the rega-
ton OF which came within the. jurisdiction Of the
Quarantine Commissioners. These gentlemen set
forth that in view OF the depression of business they
tions upon the commerce of the port wherever prac
ticable While the present system continues the
report declares that larger appropriations than have
recently been asked for will be necessary to pay
the expenses. The Quarantine establishments on
hoffman and Dix islands cost the State more
then $2,000,000 Standing in the open waters of the
lower bay the buildings and breakwaters exposed
to furious storms and need constant ana atten-
tion to keep them in repair. Prior to 1876 from
$50.0O0 to $4,000 was annually appropriated by the
Legislature for the maintenance of Quarantine and
repairs to its property but since that tme the re-
port says, the Commissioners have asked for only
$4,000 each year with which to pay expenses.
Last year is given as an exception to this rule,
they then asked for and obtained from the
Legislature $20000 extra to make necessary repairs
to the buildings and foundations." They claim to
have reduced the expenses more than three-fourths
during the past three years. Owing to some legal
difficulty as to who is liable for the expenses OF the
steamboat n. X. Hopkins, and also as to the extra
expenditures to prepare for the threatened epidemic
of yellow fever deficiency OF 5000 remains to be
made good. The report states that the Commissions
contemplate selling the steamboat and that they
would then be able to get along with an annual ap-
preparation of $4,000.
BROOKLYN SEWER
Among the many bills introduced in the Senate
there perhaps only one of general interest and
that s by likely to pass, in its present
shape at least. 1t introduced by Senator j. Il.
Pierce, of Brooklyn, and it gives to the Board of
HEALTH OF that city, power to say what plan shall be
adopted and what materials used in the construction
of all water and drainage pipes and similar plumb
able fee" shall be charged for supervision. It is
likely that the bill will be amended to subsi-
tuc for the adjective, which qualities the word "fec,
more detnites
THE MUTUAL. LIFE INSURANCE. COMPANY.
At meeting this evening Of the Judiciary Com
mittee of the Assembly resolution was adopted
qucsting the directors and officers OF the Mutual Life
Insurance Company of New York to appear before
the committee on Thursday February q, at haf-past
seven p. NJ, with the books and papers OF the
pany.
1ROURT,E IN TERRE HATTVE