New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-01-16
IN The BOSSES INTEREST.
THE COMMITTEE on RULES NOW SUPREME
IN THE ASSEMBLY.
PRACTICALLY UNLIMITED POWER GIVEN 1T TO
ADVANCE FAVORED BILL--PECUHAR Ar CON-
POSITION OF THE CoMMITTEE-THE
POLICE SPY BILL UP AGAIN-A
NEEDED AMENDMENT TO
EXCISE Ia

POLICE SPY BILL UP AGIN-A
NEEDED AMENDMENT TO
THE EXCISE LAW.
frnoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT THH TRrBrNH.I
Albany, Jan. I5.-Thc longer the members Of
the Assembly, whether Republicans or Democrats.
contemplate the new rule making the Committee
on Rules the supreme power in the Assembly. the
more dissatisfied they are, and many Of the Demo-
cratic members inclined to rise in rebellion
against the Democratic leaders who secretly i'm
posed the rule upon them.
This rule gives tlle power to the Committee on
Rules TO bring before the Assembly Mt any time
any proposed act Of legislation. The composition
OF the Committee on Rules discloss plainly the
fact that Richard Croker, Of Ncv;-York and Hugh
Mclaughlin. Of Brooklyn, were aware that here
after this committee would he the handspring Of
the Assembly's machinery; for It's four Democratic
members, who form a majority. Speaker Sui
zcr Daniel r. Martin and George p Webster.
ali from Ncw-York and all members OF Tammany
Hail, and James F. Qugley. leading member
of the Kings County Democracy The four men.
therefore, wln are TO have the extraordinary
power 70 bring before the Assembly on any day.
without announcement, any bill which they may
pick out, matter if several hundred other Dills
have been introduced previously and have the
precedence hy right, are tho representatives. OF
tho Democratic bosses of Ncw-lorlt and Brooklyn
! The Republican members Of the committee are
George II. Maby, Of St Lawrence County. and
| Hamilton Fish, ir., Of Putnam County. But they
are merely fifth wheels TO this legislative coach
and-four; they have no power to prevent the
! Committee Rules from coming to any decision
it pleases. Messrs. Malby and Fish will surely be
outvoted upon any bill which Speaker Sulzer and
/ Ma onl Dnic alnpf M m
time to bring before the Assembly The rule reads
as follows:
When motion IS mad, that any subject shall made
q special order or tia the rules hc suspended for the
purpose Of reading bin ont Of it, order shall be re-
fcrrd without debate TO III" Committee on Rules; and
mebr maSins the mot on shall submit in writing the
for making such spc,ial order or suspension
The committee nav rcI ort any time. and such report
shall the Determination OF the Assembly unless
otherwise ordered by Of two,hri OF the members
One OF III, mischicvous features Of this new
| rule il that tie Committee on Rules may re-
port at any time" The practical effect of this
| provision is that IL on any day orders como
} from Eichard Croker or Hugh Mclaughlin " to
/ put through n hill which is before tho Assem-
! blv. the measure indicated can be placed b"-
! lore that BODY on ton minutes notice, although
/ II NAV bc NJ. 900 or No. 400 the order
! Of third rcading al its opponents. whoever they
q.
h",oYe the Ilousc In less than two or three
weeks II i Ike the courts giving an appl-
eaton Tor -:ay of c.ocution in muir Ter cases the
/ precedence over all their other husiress
| II Political bills were th" only which
might h.. inmprl ahead Of all thu others by this
amazing power given 20 tho Committee on
| Rules tho puhlic might not have 50 much rea-
/ son to dread thin revolution in the method Of
doing business in the Assembly hut the public
NAV be assured that tho leaders Of the party now
in power .. Albany will not limit the exercise
! II This power to political Ills Measures like
the TIuckcherry Railway bill comforting fran
| chises worth millions. il can 10 predicted. will
be- taken hold II by these same inscriptions
! Democratic leaders II they get delayed in the
| Assembly in ar" manner, and Will be placed
ahead Of all other bills Moreover, n system
| will surely grow mp Of using the Committc" on
Rules TO prevent the passage of measures 10 which
Croker and Mclaughlin arc secretly opposed.
When an obnoxious bill gc's near the head OF
the ,sacmbly calendar tho Committee on Rules
will bc instructed to push several bills in front
Of il: and thus the Assembly will never reach
u vote on the measure to which objection is
! felt
Mr. Nc!aughlin proposes 10 use the Committee
on Rules tins wccl; 20 place before the Assembly
for immediate action his bill lcpnli1ng the en-
pcnditures Of the county officers of kincs County
for the Columbian celebration. i good many
| other bills were intrcduccd before this one and
therefore naturally lave the precedence: but
whlt dos this matt,r u Mt the gro1t Mcl augh-
| lin, Of Brooklyn, desire this bill passed And
| did not the great Richard Croker put through his
bill for the payment Of the Columbian expenses
| of NcN-York out Of its order last week? Assem-
| b'Nmen, especially rural members. might as we'll
understand now that Richard Croker and Hugh
| NcLauahlin are the actual rulers Of the Assem-
bly,, aud that tho bills sont by them from Now
York ard Brooklyn have tho right of way over
| everything else hereafter
The Ncw-York Excise Reform Association will
have work to do this winter. The new Exoisa
law provides that license can be- revoked only
after two convictions or after a judgment upon
| bond from which the li1uor-dcaler hls n" ."ntcl
TO appca within sixty dnys-a course which no
| liquor dealer fails to pursue. Practi ally, len,
| il appcars that license cannot br r'voEcL Gov
| crnor Flower undoubtedly had no thought that
| Le WIS signing such an atrocious law aS that,
and the Exc-r Reform Association can rely upon
| his signing m amendment correcting this feature
of the Excise law if they can persuade tho Lc is
| laturn 10 pass an arncnda0rv act. Ihr associ-
tion also will have upon its hands fight against
"Policc-Spy bill" This is the familiar act,
which thr association has twice succeeded In de-
(catine. 70 prevent policeman from obtaining
evidence of violation Of the iAcIse law. The
propos,d law for instance. would prevent n police
| man from asking for glass Of liquor in order
20 learn if liquor-d'alcr is violating the law.
II WAS Senator EnGrcs who introduced che Police
Spy bill. which reads as follows:
Section Cse of c Penal Code 4, hereby amended 30 as
| to rcad follows:
hon, - oro omiS declared a
nsdcncono ard no punishment for aiding or obettng In
the doing expressly prescribed, every person
who Gid, or another in such act or omission Is also
guilty Of a msdcmeanor; ana every person VINO 'n''i
directly or indirectly counsel entcc. induce or aid and
h, ,no,c- to commit crime with the ntent or for the
purpo,c Of procuring tie arrest conviction or punishment
n, such pr.on for The commission Of such crime Is an
acompcr ticrcin and such pc'son Is 'he ana suocc'