New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-05-19
PRICE THREE CENTS.
BILLS TO BE CONSIDERED.
WORK LEFT FOR THE GOVERNOR.
rorR HuYpREp MEASURES AwAIrrxG HIS Ac1rox-

FOUR HUNDRED MEASURES AWAITING HIS ACTION
HEARINGS TO BE HELD THIS WEEK
fFRoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT or THE TRIBUNE
ALBANY. May 1s.--Govemor Cleveland will be q
busy man for the next thirty days. The Constitu-
ton declares that all bills left in his hands by the
Legislature must be signed within thirty days
after the adjournment of that body or they cannot
become l. 3. Bills have been unearthed in the
engrossing rooms of the Legislature and
in the safes of the clerks since FRI
day last till there has been heaped
upon the Governors table 400 measures for his
consideration. iiie is so cOnscs0us of the vast
amount of work to be done that he has limited
hearings in all these bills to the present week.
After that time he will be compelled to decline all
personal talks about the measures although, OF
course, written statements concerning them will he
received. The limitation of the hearings to one
week promises to make the present one an extraor-
dinariiy busy in the Executive chamber.
IMPROVING THE CIVIL SERVICE.
One bill is already attracting a good
deal of attention, namely: the second of
the Civil Service Reform bills. The first Of
these bills made it compulsory with the Mayors of
cities to enforce the Civil Service Reform law, and
much extended the Civil Service regulations in
cities An effort was made 10 exempt election
officers and inspectors of election from examina-
tion but the attempt failed If the bill becomes a
law, john j. O'Bren, the Chief of the Bureau of
elections of New-York, will have 10 submit himself
for examination as to his fitness for that position
in case he should be reapponted on the
expiration of his term of Office in
October IL was because Mr.. 0Brien and the in
spectors of election would have to pass such ex
animation that Assembyman Clinton, of Erie
County, voted against the Bureau of Elections bill
a fortnight ago. He held that a reformation of the
D,,p ,,.,fE Elanti aH ha
accomplished much better by the Civil Service bill
than by the Bureau of Elections bill, which took
away the Bureau from the Department of Police
and made other changes.
The second Civil Service bill, introduced by
Senator Gilbert at the request of the state
Civil Service Commissioners, forbids tho
collection of political assessments and greatly
improves the methods of examination of applicants
for admission to the Civil SeTvceo of either the State
or cities Last Thursday night, while conference
committee, consisting of Senators Gilbert, Els
worth and Titus, and Assemblymen Clinton, HUI
sted, Oliver, Scott and II. ID. Nelson, was at work
on this bill, Mr.. Oliver suggested that the election
officers now in Office ought not to be subjected to
examination under the Civil Service regulations
The suggestion thought good one, and the fol-
lowing amendment made to the bill:
The election officers In office and the inspectors Of
election and poll clerks shall be exempt from exanins
tiOn IN ACCORDANCE Wltn tns act
INTERPRETING A DOUBTFUL EXPRESSION.
Since the bill was passed the question has arisen
whether the expression THE election officers noo
in office" does not exempt Mr.. O'Bren and all the
clerks at present employed in the Bureau Of
Elections from examination under the Civil Service
regulations, not only now, but in case he is reap
pointed. Mr. Clinton so disturbed by the du-
blous nature of the expression that he did not
depart for his home in Buffalo on Friday night, as
he had intended, but remained here. Yesterday no
called upon Governor Cleveland and informed him
that the best lawyers in the Legislature interpreted
the sentence in a different manner from each other.
There agreement, The Governor SAID that
he would examine the bill critically and also have
1t inspected by ex-AttOrney- General SchOonmaker,
one of the State Civil Service commissioners Mr..
ought to be vetoed if the Bureau of Elections
POLITICAL ASSESSMENTS.
The bill also makes another important amend
ment to the Civil Service Reform law of 1883. IL
repeals Section 10 This section forbade even the
giving voluntarily of political assessments by State
officials. 1t was striugently drawn that Con-
trollOr Davenport the Republican candidate for
Controller who had been renomlnated, did not feel
it lawful to make any political contribution. The
repeal OF the section Will permit OF voluntary
contributions toward campaign expenses
BILL BELIEVED TO BE DETECTIVE.
1t is feared that the bill TO compel the telegraph
telephone and electric light companies to put their
wires under ground in New-YOrk and Brooklyn be-
fore November l, 1885. is defective. There was
lack of resistance to the by the great tele
graph companies, which surprised many members
of the Legislature. If the bill full of errors
this explains the lac ck of energy by the tole-
graph companies. who always keep well i'll
formed rs to matters affecting their business.
The chief bill that failed TO pass was Assembly,
man IIowe's measure creating Prison Labor COM
mission. IL was passed several weeks ago by tho
Assembly, but for some reason the senate neglected
to act upOnlt.
MEASURES NOT YET ENGRossED.
Clerk Vrooman yet has in his possession 10 be
engrossed Senator Gibbss bill appropriating
80 OOO, 900 for new schOOlhouses in New-YOrk,
Senator Murphy's bill for the requirement. of Fifth
ave. aud Senator Days " consolidated building"
act concerning New-YOrk.