New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-03-19
THE RIGHT OF PETITION.
MR.. FISH'S REPLY TO THE SPEAKER.
TROUBLE OVER HAVING TIE SPEECH Pur IN
THE JOURNAL-THE LAST HEARING ON
THE SCU.>FF DIII, TO-DAY.


THE sCHAAFF BILL TO-DAY
Albany. March is observation-disclosures Hamilton
Fish jr. made a complete answer to speaker sheehan'
defence ~ himself and his attack Mr. Fish because
no insisted on the right OF petition to be EXTENDED 10
the Catholic clcrgymen OF Ncw-Iork. Before MT
Fish read his answer he said that he had no doubt ta'
the speaker would allow his speech to 90 on the Jour
nal in respect to his request Of yesterday 10 ''o
surprise OF all Mr.. slcean declared that he ala ho'
know that Mr. Fish had made that n part OF HIS Io
quest when he had received unanimous consent 10 aN'
his reply Assembyman Schaaif the Democratic mem
her who has the liquOr-dealers' bill and Will uio
speaker. has been most prominent III uyiiS " M ~
the petition from the hearing OF the As'enps' i"
an objection and the Speaker then sad that 10 "o''u
require unanimous consent to allow the spceo" ~ ~
on the Journal He added, however, that lie wou'o ue
eide that question when IL WIS rca'"0N ~
speech had been made.
There was the utmost attention TO MI RS" ""e" nv
read his answer to the Speaker. III was rs io -,
Mr. sneaker. Inasmuch as the Speaker OF the HOUSE,
in his remarks yesterday In justhcatlon Oh MS .h
reference to petition Of the Cathoc c'eR! .,
ouor hills sav 1T to allude action In inc ma''e'
ask the indulgence OF the House in replying oh'r $40
the rules proyide that petitions may De 'pSc"''u -
clerk cannot be controverted the only way Ill winch s
petition no matter from what source (ou'er ~ ~.
on..rs can be read or brought to the at,ehtoh Vi ~
House is by unanimous consent to It's readihS o.7 -,
nv the House Being familiar with the rules o' "v ~
when the petition handed down OH reo'u's :, ,Lo
clerk by the Speaker L demanded the reaulhs VI "o
rot,,on The Sneaker refused to entertain 0'e
notion and referred it to the Committee on EAc,' w.,
IL has since lain buried. The following Day as ui
Of the House made mention Of the motion maui W ~
TO have the petition read, moved to correct inc 'o
by inserting the fact that had made such notion Inc
Speaker refused to entertain that mo'1on' op 80,
occasions since / have asked unanimous consent "
the petition from source and to have IL reau anu
have refused permission by members OIL ui' 1
marty OF this House. on one occasion by the pemoca'c
leader.
The Sneaker in his remarks stated that he had no 3D.
lection to the rifles being amended as TO proFde al
order Of business the Introduction OF petitions '
me 10 call his the fact that last week "heh
cave notice Of motion 10 change the rules so a. 10 pr
NIT tho introduction and reading Of petitions from fegous
bodies refused the opportunity by an obecSon muue
by Democratic member Every one famiiiar WIN inc
proccdng, of this Assembly knows that the rules are
waived almost daily and unanimous consent thereto y
obtained The rules OF the house provide uat DIS may
be deposited at any during the session in box to DC
known 'bl boX" and yet frequently bills are H.
trodurcd by members rising In their seat.
Tho reference OF the Speaker his statement OF yenr-
day To communication Of the Grand jury OF the county
OF cw.YOrk and his Justification for holding II TO De
privileged under rules cannot turn the attention oil
This House and tho people State from the fact that
right OF the people representing large body OF Iepua
bio citizen, present the Assembly pcttioh
aganst considered dangerous bill has been
denied Neither Is his ruling that grand Jurlo are
State officers tcnable. would be so bold as to
hold that Justice OF the Peace. although part OF the
judicial system Of the State State officer much less
can IL be held as TO Grand jury
There has never been a moment from the time that
tho petition presented the present that there was
any objection being read made by member OF
minority party and the House has not been made
familiar with the contents Of such petition can be charged
only the majority Of this House.
And closing. permit that during the eight
years that have been a member OF the Legislature. do
not recall another instance where petition upon
any moral question, coming from reputable
source, has been denied u reading when demanded
Speaker Shechan interrupted Mr.. Fish in the middle
OF his last sentence ask him If II was not true that
the ballot reform petition OF last year was not read
when presented.
Yes" replied Mr.. Fish. 1T was because OF the
objection of the present speaker Of the Assembly
When lie had concluded, Mr. Fish asked that his
speech be Accorded the privilege as that given
tho speaker and 60 the journal. Schaan again
objected and this time he was Joined by Mr. holcomb,
Of New York. The speaker then declared that II the
House had owen the consent that the speech on tho
Journal hoh to IT, but he did not hear any such
request made several members said that they heard
It, The stenographer then asked to look his
minutes OF the previous day and see II there was any
such permission asked for or granted.
While he was doing this both the clerk Of the As
sernbly and his assistant the journal clerk, told the
Speaker that they had hear the request when il was
asked for Then The speaker took different tack.
The stenugraphcr conveniently could not find anything
in his notes regarding the journal the speaker said
he decided that the speech could go on the Journal by
a vote. motion to this effect was made, and the
one reason why SchaIn wa, determined that tho
speech should not 60 ON the journal was because a
mittcc OF Kings County in favor of his bill was re
jected on the opposition Of AsScmblyman lIolcomb.
The last hearing this bill in the Excise Com
man sutherland, Of Brooklyn, received this morning
a petition from the Ncwlork Methodist ministers
against the SchaaG and the Siader bills.