New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-03-26
TO REPORT BRIDGE BILLS.
ACTION TAKEN BY THE SENATE COMMERCE
AND NAVIGATION COMMITTEE.
MANY AMENDMENTS TO THE IRKET MEASURE
ACCEPTED BY MR.. UHLMANN At II
~O'D0aOHUE'S Elk
PLANTATION AND HIS OFFER
THE RANNEY BILL J.
rBY TELEGRAPH TO TIE TRrPUsE.I
THE RANNEY BILL AIS
TO BE

rBY TELEGRAPH TO TIE TRIPUNE.J
Albany. March o5.-The Senate Committee on Com
merce and Navigation gave another hearing THIS ai&r-
noon on the Birkett or Union Elevated RAILROAD
Bridge bill and the ODonome or Ncw-fork and Brook-
Iyn Ferry Company bill. Frederick Uhlmann. presi-
| dent Of the Union Elevated Railroad. was present, and,
for his company. accepted most of the amendments
which were proposed TO the Birkett bill by senator
Fassett. He said that his was the only company mat
could take passengers across the river and carry them
anywhere they wanted TO 60, all for : cents The
! men behind the O'Donohuc bill could not do this.
Yes. we could interrupted Mr.. ODonohue.
allow could you ~ was asked. you haven't got
a railroad"
well, we could build or buy q railroad" persisted
Mr.. ODonohue.
"You could not build a road" replied Mr.. Chl-
mann. " because all the streets in brooklyn that can
be taken for railroad purposes are now occupied"
The first amendment that Mr. Jhlmann accepted
was that the bridge should provide for both foot pas
sencarS and vehicles. The second amendment ac-
cepted was that the two bridges should have a com
mon terminus. The next change asked for was tha'
the company should not be permitted to merge the
railroad lines on either side Of the river. This was
rejected on the ground that only by consolidation could
the bridge be built and a cheap rate Of fare established
The next amendment asked for was rejected by Mr.
Uhlmann. This provided that the company should not
issue any bonds or mortgage its property nnul thc
entire capital stock should have been paid in in cash.
me cOHlpdlly tidlIIo III u " ~
business.
Again, the company was asked to pay a tax TO the
two cities Of 3 per cent Of its gross receipts for the
first three years and 3 per cent thereafter. This
amendment also met with Mr.. ULlmann's disapprovaI
on the ground that the company intends to carry pas
sengers at a maximum rate no higher than that charged
on the Brooklyn Bridge, which does nothing for either
city and does not pay any interest on its cost. lie
offered to pay the rate prescribed by law. II the COM
pany should be allowed to charge any rate of fare
The next amendment was In regard to the payment
of damages to owners of abutting property. Mr. Chi-
mann accepted a clause compelling the payment OF all
actual, indirect and consequential damages.
The last important amendment asked for was in
regard to the amount of income 10 be paid to the TWO
cities. Mr.. Uhlmann said that he would be willing
to accept an amendment compelling the company TO
pay the taxes provided by Law, as soon as the daily
gross receipts should amount to $4,000, and IN any
case he agreed 10 pay taxes after ten years.
1t took a long time for Mr.. Uhlmann to go over
these amendments, for he was interrupted constantly
by the chairman Of the committee.
Mr.. ODonOhue has changed his tactics entirely
since he was lere last week. lie now declares that
he wants a bridge built across the river, and that he Is
willing to pay a large sum for the franchise. He was
extremely angry over the story that was published In
one of the Brooklyn papers regarding a poker game In
which 1t was said that he and Senator Richardson were
players, and that he lost a considerable sum OF money
to the senator. Mr.. O'Donohne d" makes no bones
about saying that he played poker. but senator Rich
arason was not one Of the players. Senators Ives
and Brown ard Speaker shoehan were his companions,
he asserts. The game was only a as one, and not
much money was lost on either side. Mr.. O'Donohuo
lad a speech to-day which lie had prepared with great
care, and which he fired at the committee. IL WAS
as follows:
II is one of the boasts Of American citizenship that
we have. as one OF our modest Institutions. II ire
press, which exercises a restraining et inna'" &c
a man Of affairs it has been my fate on
many occasions to have my conduct criucIscd
National greatness. Never, however. until this last
week have l been accused of being guilty of "a crime
nor has my association with gentlemen IN pn1ic NE
been used as proof that those gentlemen were C.sGrdc-
ing the constituencies whom they were sent mere t.
represent. ] ask your permission TO read thc lollG"IIs
extract from "a Brooklyn paper. lliere he read the
II an unsullied business career Of over ~forty-slx years
did not stamp this accusation as untrue, or u
The public record of the honorable gentleman
whose name is connected with mine were nol snihcleht
guarantee that he is as incapable of committing as !
would be Of suggesting any such Sutragso", D,g,cn u
virtue would be a mochery, ana honesty III publ
confession, l must state here, in jnsllce I" my honor
able friend and myself, that this charge Is cruelty ma
Uciously and absolutely false, that the PERSONS r.
s@ponsible for it shall be made to answer for 1t to the
fullest extent Of the law, and that my tradncers shall
live long enough to repent thtlr conduct II IL Is
within my power TO make them do so.
10 come to the matter now before this committee,
permit mo TO say that / think that the objections to tho
idrkctt Bridge Bill have been aired sufficiently. Any
one who has not ALREADY, been lmpressed with tis
be moved by any language Of mine. IN pfuIr,
franchise which It Is tIcl pr9 G"S@T. 70 Iog glwe G awTy a ,0d
Tbe more n r.'I / think over the possibilities of this
measure, the mere valuable u seems t" me- and l am
now willing to make this 0htr: .
/ offer a half million dollars for the privilege OF
naming the board Of dIrectors FOR the hEst na Year I,,r inc
may lie ordained by the Legislature; any guarantee III
the way Of bonds or cash. as Il PROOF 3d snUi daitn' "
| - .aU at la fmp M III TN miilUfI Nut
Scsted by The senate and the Assembly. As have
said repeatedly, the bridge j, inevitable, and l am ngt
so short - GIFTED as TO be unable TO see IL. cIalm
some small degree Of public spirit. and am Wiling I,
sacrifice my private interests WIN a g3od sraGe. AZ ',
this kind are to be granted the taxpayer;
should obtain some equivalent Let US have AZ, a General raj
things. let us make arrangements 10 sell INC
." This IS ne no new idea. nor does 1t originate with me.
The ferry companies which ! represent buy their
n,,ss. II we are Obliged to conform to this perfectly
reasonable and business like arrangement, why should
not the gentleman behind tins bll!
The committee then went into executive session and
agreed to report all Of the bridge bills before II. for
the consideration of tho senate. These consist of the
Birkctt bill. the Ranney bill and the o'Donohue bill
Next Tuesday will be set apart as the bridge day In
that house. .,
The committee also reported sulhvan's bill provid-
ing for a tunnel under the East River.
THE PROPOSED COURT OF APPEALS CHANGES.
Albany, March 25.-The Joint judiciary Committee
to-day gave a hearing on the report OF me Commis'
sion TO Revise the judiciary Article OF the state Con
s~titution. Ex.Judge George +. DsnfoFth, president
OF the commission, reviewed It's report. explaining
generally its scheme to limit cases before the Court
Of Appeals. He argued that the Court OF Appeals
must be a court Of consultation rather than Of bust
ness. and that a court of fourteen Judges was too
large a number 10 consult and deliberate.
william i. lornblower. of the Commission, argued
that the Court Of Appeals existed to establish GER
tainty in the law. not 10 dispatch business: and that
the multiplication OF judges produces uncertainty In
the deSislons. places inferior men on The bench, and
impairs the Judicial Integrity Of the conr:
Y. c. Moak, of Albany, arguing against the report
fayored a conri Of hftcnn iudGes. and the cOntlnna-