New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-01-03

terests. MIR. Depew is assured strong sup
port in the Senate. Senator COnkling is still
reticent, but it is claimed that he is in favor
of Mr.. Crowley. Edward NJ. johnson is to be
renominated for Clerk of the Assembly.
81 THE GENERAL SITUATION.
THE CANVASS FOR SPEAKER oUIET-PRoMINENT.
ARRIvAIS-THE SENATORIAL CONTEST OPENING.
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.l
ALBANY Jan. 2.-There has not been @ Speaker
ship contest n many years in which so little excite
ment manifested itself twenty-four hours before the
meeting Of the caucus. The Speaker is to be nomi-
mated tomorrow evening, and tonight not more
than half of the members Of the Legislature are in
town. The hotel crowds are dull and hstless and
indeed can hardly be called crowds. The time has
been when death-grapple over clerkshlp made
more hustle and STIR Part of this inactivity is due
to the inconsiderate haste of the calendar in
"telescoping New Years Day almost into the
legislative week. thus keeping many members at
home over yesterday. When it is remembered that
the rivalres for the Senatorship would be expected
to enter to certain extent into this preliminary
contest the peaceful quiet of the situation thus far
becomes even r1ore noticeable
Among the recent arrivals are Senator Robertson,
Congressman Richard Crowley, Thomas q. Platt.
of Owego. Congressman John Van VOOrhls, of
Rochester ex-COngressman Day, of Rochester,
Senator Woodin, Senator Mccarthy James j.
Belden, of Syracuse, Congressman Warner Miller,
United States Marshal Payn, ex-Speaker James W.
Hustled Senator'S Rockwell, Baker and Forster.
John FL. Nichols. chairman OF the Republican
County Committee of Brooklyn, Police Justice
Patterson, of New-York Senator Davenport,
Charles E. Fitch. of The Rochester Democrat. ex-
Speaker Alvord, Senators Loomis Sessions, Pitts
. and Lynde, Mayor Parsons of Rochester. c. M.
Dennison of Utica and about fifty of the Assembly
men, including General Sharpe and Mr.. Skinner,
tile two candidates for speaker; Robert Ray Hamil-
ton, Arthur ID. Williams, William j. Trmble.
Francis B. Spnola and John E. Brods&y, of New
York, Richard j. Newman, John Reitz and Thomas
J. Sheridan, of Kings.
General Sharpe's friends display absolute conf
dence 10 his nomination for Speaker He has many
clements of strength. In his two years service in
the Legislature he has made many friends among
all classes of Republicans, number OF members
who were colleagues with him in 1879 and dropped
out last year having now returned. He was popular
Speaker and comes into the contest with all the pres
tge of the position His Army record has been useful
to him. Several members are named who would nat
urally be the antConkling side OF the party but
will support General Sharpe because they knew him
as q fellow soldier. Then. to-, he has made
thorough canvass through Senator Conklings
friends In ali parts of the State which began in some
cases even with the local nominations for the AS
sembly One Of his friends said to-day that when
General sharpe Ieaeaed Aospv % as tOT %nr ne a%
Assembly, while this year he came with hfty. There
are eighty-one Republican AssemblyTen forty. me
constitute majority. The lowest claim made OY
General Sharpe's friends is of ffty-seven votes:
which they call iron-clad. The usual CLAIM is Of
tOdsy that positive assurances Of support had been
received from sixty-eight out OF the eignty-ohe
members. The same person SAID tnat Il IT, ne s were
would receive less than twenty votes In the caucus
tban that he would receive more, II.
Mr. Skinuers canvas has labOrec under some dis.
advantages. He is not so widely known as General
Sharpe is much younger man and mas not sucn q
within a few days aud has been the impromptu
action of few sympathzers and not the work OF
large band of trained politicians, such as General
Sharpe has had at his back. TO have defeated Gen
eral Sharpe under these circumstances would have
been remarkable achievement, and to make GOOD
show in the vote against such od9s may Dc almost a
called victory. MIR. Skinners friends are far trom
predicting his nomination tonight, but they insist
That the ballot will show a better result for
him than General Sharpe's supporters Will be pre-
pared 1t il stated that Mr. skinner has from
twenty -four to twenty-Seven votes securely pledReu
to him. and his friends believe that this number VIII
be increased tomorrow when all the members arrive
Kis a singular coincidence that for once the can
ysss as made by rival candidates seems almost 10
agree. Some of the best informed Sharpe men put
the number of votes upon which they can absolutely
rely at fty-seyen while some of the best informed
Skinner men put their solid Dumber at twenty-four
friends are not working actively. They are hard at
1t and propose, they say, to make q record
THE SENATORIAL CONTEST.
The ultra-C Conkling men charge that Mr.. Skinner
IL SIMPLY kept in the field by the anti-Conkling ee-
nents with view to making show OF strength III
advance in the contest for Senator Both sides take
amarked interest the size Of Mr.. SINNERS vote,
because on both sides the fact is freely discussed
that there is considerable majority in the Senate
Of men classed as antI-C -Conkling and Mr.. SINNERS
vote may throw little light on the standing or the
Assembly. Chauncey M Depew is so strong in the
Senate that his friends count absolutely on seventeen
ont of the twenty-five Republican Senator'S to
support him if the contest should narrow 0Swn 70
There is one exceptions made 10 this. that II bv any
chance Governor Cornell should finally appear as
s senators would support him even as against hr.
Depew. But as Governor Cornell mas declsivey
wfbdrawn. and Mr. Depew is the leadlng cahuluate m
tf the opposition both sides are recKOnlng on an
opposition majority OF nine IN the Senate: Inc iact
that nnmker of these seventeen have other cnOces
ssaD Mr. Depew does not impair this Calculation DIX
neaOrs are quoted for Sherman 5. Rogers 0f
buffalo. but would undoubtedly JOIN III any any hone-
3 msnt to concentrate upon Ar Depew. " hG nj bno
epposition would thus enter the seiDbly WIN
lead of probably nine votes. II must e Sa1 Inat
M SknLers vote. whatever 10 NAV D. VIII 10, I,oI
rpresent their strength in the lower House. fot
esaniple there are Known to be seven OF. eight
Sharpe. There are also some Wheeler men OF , tne
salne kind. and other instances might be named.
hf skinner has not been able to attract the Whole
oppoeton. Mono of the leading Senatorial
candidates have made efforts in bis behalf
t 10 not impossible that it will be deemed wiser
eventually not to present Mr.. skipners name III ut the
caucus. IN which case, all the calculation VIII nave
70 be begun over again. A good many questions
g have been asked on this head tonight. MT. Skin-
nzs friends in favor at this time OF putting ms
Deine before the caucns but it is possible that the
other course may be taken for various reasons.
Afumor went around the hotels tonight that the
Z senatorial canvass had actively begun, and that
kessrs Crowley and Plat. the only two candidates