New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-16
THE OUTRAGE AT ALBANY.
SHEEHAN SAYS SENATOR'S ERWIN, SAXTON
AND OCONNOR MUST APOLOGIZE.
NEARLY oNE.sIxTH OF THE POPULATION OF
THE STATE DEPRIVED OF REPRESENTA-.
TON IN THE SENATE BY THE
DEMOCRATIC MAJORITY.
isY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUSR.J

Albany, Jan. observation-disclosures Snee'
han, when asked today about the status OF oena-
tors SaxtOn O'Connor and Erwin who were de-
prived Of their right to vote speak in the Senate
Yesterday, answered: They will not be permitted
to take any part in the transaction of the business
of the Senate until they have apologized for their
conduct to that body. The Senate Judiciary
Committee will meet on Tuesday, ana then Sena-
tors Saxton, OConnor and Erwin will have an OPP
portunity to offer an explanation of their refusal
to vote. The Judiciary Committee can decide
whether or not they should be purged Of their
contempt and report their Judgment to the Senate
which can then act as it peases.'
Mr.. Sheehan talks with amazing indifference to
the fact that the people of three Senate districts
are at present unrepresented in the Senate. owing
to the exclusion of the three Senator'S. Who u
competent to speak for the city Of Binghamtan
as long as there is a paddock upon the lips Of
Senator OConnor? Who shall speak for
the city of Ogdensburg at the time
when Senator Erwin is forced to ne
dumb? Who shall introduce and urge the adop-
tion Of the many legislative enactments desired
by the great agricultural community which Senator
Saxton has represented? These three Senator's
represent more farmer votes than any other three
men in the Senate. Are the great bills reforming
the Taxation laws, in which the farmers Of the
the Senate without these Senators being per-
mitted to say word about these legislative enact
ments, or to vote upon them?
The conduct of the Democratic Senate in gagging
Saxton, Erwin and OConnor is consistent, perhaps,
with the adoption OF the previous question
in the Senate rule Of debate that never before
has been adopted by the Ncw-York Senate-or, in.
deed by any other Senate in the United States.
The right of the members of the upper houses OF
State LEGISLATURES and Of the Senate of the United
States to unrestricted debate is as old as the
Nation. There may be previous questions In
large bodies, like the Assembly, where there Is
danger Of prolonged debate defeating legislation;
but not in such small bodies the Senates Of Legis
atures In the small parliamentary bodies it has beer
the universal practice never to check debate, and.
indeed, il has been one of the chief merits OF
such bodies as the Senate that legislative meas
ures there received the careful and thorough con-
sideration which they merited Many bad
measure passed under the application Of the
previous question" in the Assembly has been de-
feated in the Senate, owing to its being inspected
closely by every one in that body. Senator's
Cantor and McClelland imported the previous
question from the Assembly into the Senate,
reckless Of consequences. ]
Only four or five Of the twenty-five rules the
Senate usually adopts have been adopted thus
far, and the new rule Of the previous question:
is actually the only one out of this limited mum.
ber that seems to be in operation. 1t was by
using that rule to suppress debate that tie Emit
meration bill passed in the Senate yesterday,
and that Senators Saxton, Erwin and OConrOr
were declared to be in contempt because thsy
would not vote upon bill which they had not
been permitted to see which was not printed, and
! of the true character of which they knew nothing.
Already the people Of the following Senate dis
trcts have been deprived of representation by the
admission to the Senate of Osborne, Nichols and