New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-01-13
THE SENATOR'S AROUSED.

TEE APPROVED.
iBY TELEGRAPH THE TRIBUSE.I
ALBANY, JAM 12.-Ihe indignation among Repub-
lican members of the Senate ut what is called the
snap caucus call of last night found expression early
to-day. Before the Senate met. the Senate caucus
Committee, now completed by the arrival OF Senator
Mccarthy, met and ADOPTED the following commu-
nicaton, which was forwarded to Speaker Sharpe,
the chairman of the Assembly Caucus Committee:
DEAR Cir: At meeting Of the Senate Cancus Com
mttee held to-day. IL was resolved that George a.
Sharpe. chairman OF the Assembly Caucus Committee.
be notified that this committee has always BEN feaoy
10 act concurrenty with the Assembly COMMITTEE ana
has refused intended TO refuse or delay such
the Assembly committees this Committee Will meet the
Assembly Caucus Committee for the purpose OF calling
j,int caucus 10 nominate q Republican candidate
for United States Senator at the earliest possible mo-
WM. W. ROCKWELL,
GEORGE Ii. FORSTER.
At the close Of the session OF the Senate, confer
ence, with closed doors, of the Republican members
was Immediately held. Judge Robertson the leader
Of the ant-Machine Senators, was called to the
chair, and Senator Astor was made secretary. Sem
atOr Madden offered resolution requesting the
Senate Caucus Committee to notify to the Assembly
Caucus Committee its readiness to meet that Com
mittee at any time when convenient for the purpose
of designating the time for the meeting OF JOINT
caucus to nominate United States Senator.
the action of the Senate Caucus Committee, and ex
pressing the willingness of the Republican Senators
to attend such Joint caucus may be called by the
concurrent action of the two caucus committees
and no other Upon these two, propositions long
debate ensued, lasting two hours, i'll which much
feeling was shown.
Senator Madden, who spoke first, was strongly on
the side of the Senate Caucus Committee. but he
criticised the letter sent by them this morning to
the Assembly Caucus Committee as discourteous in
its alluscn to the appointment of the Assembly
Committee. He said the caucus called on the part
of the Assembly was Irregular He would not at
tend 1t, and he would not be bound by it. Dlverg-
ing from this subject to the Senatorial con-
test he said that no one of the can.
didates named came up to his notion of o
Senator. He took little or no interest in any OF
them. Senator Madden showed considerable excite
ment during the speech. This was the burden OF 1t
with variations.
PRECEDESTs CITED
Senator Mccarthy. who followed, wentinto long
explanation of the history of General Sharpes letter
to him and his reply, which is well-known. He
characterized the action of last night as exraordi-
nary and without precedent, and alluded to the
fact that Senatorial caucuses had hitherto been
called in almost all for the evening preceding
the election lie defended the letter of the Senate
Caucus Committee.
Senator Woodin justified the Senate CAUCUS Com
mittee in all that they had done; they had done
nothing which was fair subject of criticism. lie
would not attend caucus called in the manner
adopted by the Assembly Caucus Committee; it was
revolutionary; he would not vote for the Angel
Gabriel for Senator if he had been nominated By
such caucus.
Senator Rockwell gave description of the scene
tyha ha tunn a Y
ing TO meet the Assembly Caucus Committee and
found the room crowded with Assemblymen and
many persons who were not Assemblymen signing
the call for o caucus-the whole demonstration
seeming to be in charge of persons who were not
members of the Legislature Senator RockwelPs
remarks covered much the same ground with his
talk reported Iii to-day's TRIBUNE.
HOW SIGNATURES WERE SECURED.
Senator Forster spoke twice. the first time at
length giving history of his connection with the
caucus controversy. and including also his expert
ence in the Speakers Room last night. lie made
an interesting disclosure respecting the influences
used to secure signatures to the call. He said he
had asked one of the signers why he had signed
it. and he replied that he had been told that
if he did not do so he would not get the
mace on the committees which he desired. This
was the statement, Senator Forster said, of man
whose character for veracty was good as that of
any member OF the Senate. He denounced such
manpulations Of the committees discussed, and, as
many of the Senators did. General Sharpes action i'll
holding back the committees and also the fear that
he intended to hold them until after the caucus.
Senator Woodin spoke of Truman G. Younglove,
the only Speaker in the history of the State who
has dared to hold back the committees at Sena-
toral election in order to influence it-as polit-
ica CORPSE" and said that if General Sharpe fol-
4 ohara 10 fafa ha
only prominent apoogists for the Assembly were
Senators Straban and Mills Mr. Strahan defended
the caucus call on the ground that neither tho Re-
publicans of the Assembly nor the Senate constl-
tuted a Senate or q House. They were unorgan-
iZad irresponsible bodies, and q majority OF the
Republican members had power to call a caucus ir-
respective OF committees.
PLEA FOR THE ASSEMBLY CALI.
Mr.. Strahan dwelt especially upon the idea that
the majority were law unto themselves. When
Senator asked him whether, if he had been uou-
mated for Senator by convention Of twenty-five
delegates aud thirteen of them should afterward
meet and request him to withdraw he should deem
IT his duty to do 80, he escaped from the dilemma
by saying that lie thought it was not parallel case.
There was great deal Of conversational debate
during the two hours of the caucus, with some
sharp repartees. Finally Mr.. Woodin mOYed to lay
the whole subject the table, saying that he
thought tbis course would show that the Senate ap-
proved the action of the Caucus Committee, and
was willing to leave the matter to their further dis
cretion This was carried by vote of fourteen to
five. most of the fourteen being anti-machine men,
Senator Forster, however. being one OF the five.
Later in the day, wlen the majority came to
think it over, some of them Internationally felt
that mistake had been made. They would have
been left IN stronger position it the Republican
Senators, as body had resented the action OF the
Assembly Caucus Committee. AS It was they had
virtually declined to express an opinion upon IT,
Soma ascr,,ed the movement to tmidity on Senator
,,,,.-, .uhila otbera xSho remember the