New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-05-09
PRICE THREE CENTS.
HOPE ALMOST ABANDONED.
NO SIGNS OF BREAKING THE RAPID-TRANSIT
DEADLOCK.
THE COMMISSIONERS WHOM HE WOULD SE-
LECT-MR. FASSETT'S SPEECH IN DE.
FENCE OF THE sENATE's POSITION.
fKy TELEGRAPH TO THE rRrnrNr.I


| Albany May s.-New-York will not have .
Rapid Transit law this year, because Mayor Grant
declines to name tie three additional Rapid Tran
sit Commissioners proposed. The Republican Leg
islature, in the interest of the people OF the
great city, will not take such a leap in the dark
as that would be of trusting Mayor Grant TO name
men for such highly responsible. places those
Of Rapid Transit Commissioners. They especially
feel that it would he betrayal of the trust the
people put in them 10 do at time when
the memory of the damnng testimony taken
by the Fassett Committee is still fresh in the
minds Of the people
The Conference Committees Of the Senate and
the assembly upon the Fassct; Rapid Transit bill
met several times to-day bat each time found
that they could not agree Senator Fassett.
for the Senate, offered tire following amendment
to the first section Of the bill:
William Stcinway, August Belmont p. Potter. John
H. Starn. Woodbury. Lan2don all OF the city OF New.
York. and heretofore appointed Rapid Transit Commis
sioicr under the provisions OF Section Of Chapter 6o9
Of the Laws o. ls75 entitled An act further to Lovde
Tor the construction aad operation Of steam railway
railways In the counties OF this STATE together with the
following named persons residents Of the city OF New
York wit: Joseph J. O'Donohue William L. Strong
end Frederick T. Brown. and their hereby
constituted Beard c, Rapid Transit Commissioners for all
cities in thi, containing 100000 Inhabitants.
They shall have and exercise the specific authority and pow
hereinafter conferred and also such other and necessary
powers may be requisite the efficient performance
the duties imposed upon the said Board by this act
II vacancy should in the said Board
bv the refusal OF member thereof 10 serve or by tho
resignation disability other dsoualifcatons OF
Of said Board such vacancy or vacancies
50 caused shall filled Of two-thrds
Of the remaining members Board and the Commits
sioner MI such vacancy shall belong TO the
sane polltcal party the Commissioner whom ne had
tecn chosen o succeed OF such Commissioners
~ their functions In the supervision OF the construction d
the road or roads authorized by them.
II will be perceived that, by this amendment.
the Rapid Transit Commissioners were named In
the bill Assemblyman Fish, the chairman of the
Assembly Conference Committee on its behalf, de-
clined to accept this amendment. lie INSISTED
upon giving to Mayor Grant the right 10 name
the additional Commissioners proposed and that
they should not he named in the bill. Police
! Commissioner Martin arrived from New-fork as
an envoy from Mayor Grant and visited Gov
ernor Hill. Mr. Martin said that Mayor Grant
would not consent TO name in advance the three
additional Rapid Transit Commissioners III
would look like a DEAL said Mr. Martini who
also said that Mayor Grant would later IN the
day send a telegram 70 Albany giving his views.
Mr.. Fish. having received this information from
one of the leaders of Tammany Hail. opposed wltn
more bitterness than ever the naming in the Dill
of the eight honorable gentlemen proposed oy
Senator Fassett and his associates.
Late in tie afternoon the following telegram
was received from Mayor Grant:
In answer suggestion that the MAYOR oe empow'
cred to apont three additional Rapid Transit Ccmms'
soners provided he advance OF the passage o '
hill the p.rsons whom lie seect under its PROVISIONS
wish It understood that decline TO be party 70 any
bargain or agreement whatever. l have no oo!ec'
tioo 10 saving however, that IL the Legislature de
cides tn increase the number OF Rapid irahsis
Commissioners, WILL me po"cr "1.s u,o
aopontment be select OF the same char
act.r and standing community enjoyed by the
Conini, ,sioners already appointed. HUGH j. GRANT.
This telegram was read to the conference COM
mittees by Mr. Fish, but it did not make SEN
ators Fassett and SaXton, the Republican mem
bcrs quail They insisted upon naming the
commissioners in the bill. Finally. AFTER long
argument the two committees agreed 10 disagree
An agreement was palpably impossible. win
their disagreement passed away all chahce Vi q
Rapid-Transit bill passing.
This evening the conference committees re-
ported to the Senate and the Assembly that they
could NOT acree. Senator Fassett read to the
Senate the following statement Of the Senate Con-
ference Committees position, which had peen
prenarcd by himself and Senator SaXton:
Among other oiIcrs by the committee on tne par
OF the Senate this: That eight citizeh' oil NchN
be- named in the bill being taken from tne f'epuoSn
required for any action Thi, WAS rejected py 'ne COM
ttoo on behalf OF the Assembly the ground that the
Governor would sign bill containing tc hah,s ~
Commissioners, for the that such naming would os
violation Of nome rule" The following argument was
he.cntcd by majority Of the Senate committee ou' uh'
fortunately it did avail namely. In naming Comnis.
the proposed bill the Senate oomn'e oontu
that no pfncsc Of home rule" Is NioIato ~ 'ioa''
home ruc some assault must be made or hreatceo upon
the integrity of municipal powers already existing
This bill does not. in way, trench upon
any powers heretofore granted to ana now pos
..sscd and exercised b. any city IN this stat.
nor does the bill purport direct how existing municai
powers saoad exercised Until some such interference
l., threatened in by any given measure. no IN
yasion any the principles Of home rule can be reason
ably claimed on the contrary this Dill car'iuIN COM
.cyss every principle 0f local autonomy 1t creates en-
trely new powers and not part OF any city charter
and uroposrs to create the time new agents by
whom such powers to BE- exercised. That is to say
the isature callug into play forces for tho
solution Of problem proposes as 1t has every right
to propose call into lie at the time new agency
Of IT. own choice which the power is TO be delegated
and through be exercised and exercised not
m the representative OF any city, but OF the a"-makins
power. -,
BE it rendered also that this bill does not propose the
expndlture dollar from the treasury OF any CITY, eN'
cent as temporary loan ultimately TO be- reimbursed nor
does the bill provide construction OF any public work
to be the property when completed OF any city, such as
an aaucduct or public building does the Dill make
any disposition any right property OF any city other
than already made by existing laws Moreo'er the
bill itself expressly provides that OF the powers con.
rred by privileges contained in IL can BE- exercised
with reference any city except upon the request OF the
Mayor frceodes OF such city Moreover the nam
ing OF Commissioners the BILL under similar crcum'
stances is not without recent precedent. The Buffalo
Grade Crossing bill OF ago and the amendment
10 the same OF this year precise parallel The WORLDS
Fair hill is another objection has at any time from
any source been made any OF the proposed
ON the contrary they all and each been received with
universal approval
The Senate committee its majority feel that the Sen
ate has done its entire duty in this important matter
When the report and statement were pre-
sented. Mr. Cantor moved, a substitute. 70
concur in the Assembly amendments. This MI.
Fassett opposed He said:
That has practically been settled already Inc oensss
has voted not to the Assembly amendments In
tho language OF an eminent statesmen, 1T Is conoon
a., .o,,ron,s Ms not theory The Senate Conference
Committee asked the attention OF the Assembly Committee
n several distinct propositions The nrst was that mere
~ fha orio onal