New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-02-02
PROPERTIES OF WATER GAS.
T, RESOLUTION VIEWED WITH SUSPICION.
AZ EFFORT TO INVESTIGATE THE COMPANIES DE-
PEATED.

A
PEATED.
,rnou THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE ThihuNhI
ArR.NY Feb 1.-Charles Smith, new me'hper
90 the Assembly, from New-York, some time ago
introduced resolution directing the Comml'tee Oh
public Health to investigate the process ana
a,hv which water gas for Illuminating purposes Is
manufactured in New-York and Brooklyn, the cost
ner feet. the per cent of proht paiu
bv the consumer, and whether the use u
ras so made is dangerous to pnoic neai'n
The resoution has been looked upon wlth dls'rus''
not because Mr. Smith introduced H. pu. ior o'hoi
reasons. The origin of the resolution Is unKho"n'
and since its introduction rumors nave come nun
Now.york of attempts on the part Oh loooy
- 90 hlockmail the gas companies These
.,,ou,,s ofcourse may have been made by persons
~ had M mart in the introduction of the resoiu
49, Nevertheless the rumOrs have led many
.ssemblvmen to think that the Assembly hao
hotter go slow in dealing with the resolution.
Nr Smith and his friends are of the oplnioh 'na'
.be ras companies of New-York and BROOKLYN na'o
cot aoat the rlmors of attempts to blackniai' 'he
a. oIdor 70 nreyent any investigation of their manu-
factories by the Legislature.
THE REPUTATION OF THE ASSEMBLY.
Tn consequence of these contradictory statements
the Assembly was in an undecided state OF ,hiiu 10
gardinp the resolution when Mr.. smith calieu ~ up
tbis morning and attempted to pass N' nN
Soo,or Uusted Of Westchester County. boldly
said that if the Assembly cared Tor i'S rePu'a'iU
.rou,d NOT mass the resolution. He regarded IL as
,,aou;no n,aosure To ruin the moral character OF
tbo LEGISLATURE. James Oliver, of New-fork re-
,1;od that the Assembly was able to protect lts
ronrtatiop and would not impeIil 1t by making
.hronob Investigation of the frauduleht
rnetbods of making gas now practlsed py
The New-York companies. Consumers "e'e
charged exorbitant prices and were then polsoneu
10 death ,,,r. 30
ur Davton. of New-York, said he would like 10
Lnov what connection the price OF gas hao WIN
its POISONOUS qualities, and moved that that portion
of the resolution be stricken out when instruct
The Committee on Health to learn the prlce VI
yvater gas and the profit of making 1t. Messrs
Smith Oliver and their allies resisted the adoption
80 4bo motion Int il was nevertheless carried.
II was noteworthy that Mr.. Smith, although
Pennblcan. was supported by the Democrats. IL
seemed to many Repub leans as If the Democrats
voted In this way in order to bring the Republican
Assembly into disgrace with the people. After Mr.
Dayton,s amendment had been adopted, Mr.. Husted
moved as an amendment that the state Board OF
Health instead of the Committee ON Health
of the Assembly, should learn within twenty
davs whether in its opinion water gas,
ss now manufactured In New-iorK ana
Brooklyn is more detrimental to health than gas
manufactured from coal" This seemed reason
able proposition but Mr.. Smith and his supporters
resisted 1t.
RtAcKNAu1NG RESOLUTIONS TO BE AVOIDED.
Mr.. Howe. of New-York now felt compelled to
sneak frankly about the resolution. He said that
A belonged to class of blackmailing resolutions
with which every member of the Legislature was
acnuaintad. They were drawn up by professional
lobbyists and introduced in the legislature lneh
the lobbyist would go to New-lOrk ana c Wy 70 ~
induce the people affected to give him money 70
snnnress it, The method was familiar one, Legls-
lafnre after Legislature had been disgraced by II
. and he thought 1t high time for the LeglslatuIe
o mt AN end TO the practice. The last Legislature
said had such resolution IN the one TO compei lne
horse railroads of NewYOrk to cease using bod
failed cars Every one remembers ABOUT that
resolutiop-hOw it was pressed vigorously 1or q
brief moment, and then how il was abandoned with,
out explanation. He trusted that me asseinS O wOd
deprive the resolution of much OF Its dangers or
would defeat the resolution itself; 49,. IL -
The Assembly. however, refused TO take MS ad-
vice IL voted down Mr.. Husted's motion by
vote of AZ TO so. 1t was evident that certain mem
hers were sensitive about their relations to the res
Chiffon Mr. Cartwright chairman of the Com
mittee on Public Health, persuaded the AS
sembly to excuse him from voting because ne
was the chairman of the committee which 1t was
nroposed to deprive of the resolution. Mr.. Taylor
of Brooklyn, after resisting several attempts by
Mr. Hustled to get him to vote ana aiIer NJ kS %
cOntempt" at last Informed the Assembly that he
owned some gas stock and therefore under the
rules, was excused from voting. MI Lltt!elohn de-
claIed that il did not. Speaker Sheard ruled that
Ii did.
HOW THE RESOLUTION WAS DEFEATED
Nj Early, of Kings County, supporter of the
resolution, then moved that the Committee
on Public Health have a stenOgrapher to assist
il In its investigation. Mr. Hustled eagerly sup
ported the motion, and ii was adopted. Its adop-
zion prevented the adoption of the resolution; as
MIR Hustled saw that II would. Its insertion in
the resolution made it necessary to get 90 votes in
favor of the measure seeing that IT involved an eX
penditure of public money for the stenogropher
Mr. Smith and his allies were, however, unsuspi-
cious Of Mr. Hustled, or at :least did not see
his motive In supporting their amendment. There
were 80 votes given for the resolution and 80 votes
given against IL.
Speaker Sheard declared the resolution lost, 1t
not having received the necessary 65 votes in Its
favor The Assembly then adjourned.
,r,,r ccOrr 7 YoyroD ANU TNCpODJTCEn