New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-01-13

AMENDED. THEN HELD OVER FOR FURTHER
INSPECTION.

:ENAroR AsPINALL EXPRESSES FEAR TINT Di
AID OF THE MEASURE JUSTICE WILL DE
TnwARTED IN KINGS CoUSTY-rHE
DEBATE ~ THE SENATE.
rnoM TIE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF The TRIBUNE
Albany. JAM Ex-senator McCarty. Of u ooE!yn'
10 day accepted an amendment Of his bill ieSnhslhs
tho action OF Mayor Body. OF BROOKLYN the Bodr" VI
Aldermen OF I,rookyn and the Board OF supervisors
Of KINGS County In cxpendlns 100000 In payment Of
the alleged expenses OF the Columbian celebration
THIS amendment was drawn up by senator saxton
after consultation With senator OConnor Both the
the Republican Senators had the design OF preventing
the indicted officers OF Brooklyn from using the bill,
II 1t should become law. shield for their mis-
demcanos. Lawyers representing the taxpayers OF
brooklyn will have opportunity to examine the
amendment carefully for few days. and determine
whether It accompllshes the aim OF Senator saNton
md Senator OConnor. Senator McCarty decar that
the bill In It's present shape only relieves olayo
Body OF Brooklyn. who has not been
Indicted from the civil suit which might be
Instituted against him TO recover the 100000 whose
expenditure he Illegally authorized. 1t would seem
that Mr. Mcartys anxiety is 70 release Mayor Boodys
estate from any possible claim against IT, Senator
AsplnalI Republican was unwilling, however. 10 per
NIT the bin to pass unless 81 should first be thor
ouchly examined. The Republicans havc good reason
10 DO thus critical OF bills drawn up by Democratic
leaders, for they have frequently passed measures
which have from them under assurance that they
were all rght7 only TO discover after they had be-
come laws that they all wrong. But for sena
tor Aspnall's strenuous opposition to the paSsae"
Of Senator McCarty's bill without thorough cHamina-
tion the Senate apparently would have passed the
measure to-day. But his protest was ut last Needed
and the measure sent to the Judlaory Commit
tee for inspection.
When the Senate took up the bill Senator OConnor
offered the following amindmcnt TO It. saying that
had bcen prepared By Senator snXtOn and met with
his APPROVAL
Nor sha anythng herein iegairc confirm the fraudu
lca. wrongful or criminal cnhcfllcmens by any
per.on OF any portion Of such moneys or aNect IN any
manner criminal charges or proceedings now penang OF
which nav hereafter b. brought against any person or
por.ons for wrongful fraudulent act In connection VIII"
the appropriation use Of such moneys or any pa''
thereof
In support Of this amendment Senator oconnor
said Mr. Chairman. Il usual thing DO not p'h''c
IN cgalizing acts OF extravaganza b piohc oo'lS'
Yet. nevertheless recognize the fact that thIs oonS
lag often passed indemnity acts. and therefore 90
not see why tho privilege should not be EXTENDED
IN those officials In Brooklyn who expended s1oooo
illegally IN the celebration OF the landing Of columbus
I'm America. The amendment which has been pre-
pared BY Senator snxton prccudcs. In my opihifm any
ouashng OF criminal indictments that have been fonhu
nrains, them The LII only lcgalze' their action IN
e,pcnding this 10000. and hos nothing TO do with
tho manner this money was cApehan' Inc Dill h'h'
been intr drccd In goOt faith"
senator Asphalt opposed tho passage of the Dill,
saving: Il DISLIKE much 90 oppr" Dill miro
duced In god faith. but II seems 10 me we are sun
too ignorant Of the true character of This bill n pass
II today We have had thirty OF our
Officers In Kings County indicted for ca
tending this $1,000 without warrant Of
, IA ,, L. rolIc
them 81 the consequences Of their action. The bill
hn- boon rushed here and asked TO pass It
with rush. ". should pause. in nv opinion. hefor"
taking this advice. Last ycnr we passed Cons'i'u
ton,I Amendment III With n rush. only to have
/, discovered this year that the blu Is unconuiu-
tnnal. I afraid 81 passing this bill now which
senator O'Connor declares does not nullfy the In.
dicimcas brought against the Kings County officials
IT.. voters Of Kings County elected Board 81 super
visors and County Auditor. and the voters OF Brook
lyn elected Mayor Of that city and Board 81 Al
dermcn M Of these onicills haN" legal counsel
The Board Il Supervisors has n counsel. nnd 30 has
the Ionrd Of Aldermen. Then there T. the Mayor VII"
has the Corpora ton Counsel. who receives $4,000
year salary his counsel II Is III" sworn duty OF
the Mayor Of the Supervisors. Of the Aldermen and
OF the County Auditor with all these legal advisers.
TO obey the law The Grand Jury has shown that
the law disregarded. There was no authority 10
spend $50 900 Moreover. the money not actually
used For q grand stand repntsd to have cost $1,000
only cost - 900. and there wns Smilnr misap-
proprntlon Of the money Of the people 81 Kings
county. The people Of brooklyn were swtndled. Is
IL not the duty Of the Mayor OF city To scru'niI"
every bill against 6ty they rul" with great care
I ask eengtor Parsons. who has been Mayor OF
Rochester, il this Is not the case | say to the
members OF the senate that they should pause be-
fore they pass this bill and carefully examine IT,
| do not dive this ndvicc rs Republican. but MS
.,f nroo /
rriatons here for worthy objects In Brooklyn
have voted for the requirement OF It's streets FOR The
enlargement OF It's schools and for other excellent
city measures nut In this case must rcfrnin from
giving nv consent 10 this measure We are ASKED 10
lcgnrzc Illegal acts The people OF brooklyn are
aroused about this matter. Why was not Mayor
Doody as vgllant about these expenditures Tor 'he
Columbian cclcbration he was when asked TO sign
the Coirey rcsolutonsi by this bill you undertake
10 lcgaze an unlawful expenditure. nave re-
riycd a telegram from brooklyn from distinguished
lawyer there expressing the opinion that this Snxtoh
amendment does clear these brooklyn ohrinis OF IN"
indictments hanging over them Let us examine inc
,,u and the amendment carefully before we approve
OF them
al Ind s,iptosed when Introduced this amendment
that Il was satisfactory TO scnntor ASp'h""' s"'"
senator OConner. and also thought that the 'aN-
payers OF Brooklyn would appr'vc OF tue bill u nmehi
ed as I have suggested. There u no question mat
these BROOKLYN officials supposed that they had the
legal authority to refund this money. How II was
expendcd Is another question, with which the grand
Jury Of Kings County has dealt This MEASURE rs
amended certainly will not screen mon who hive done
wrong from punishment ! am assured by senator
McCarty that the bill now leaves the courts Tree 10
dispose OF the Indictments
senator Asphalt said that Lc had had only i've
minutes In which examine the amendment critically
and therefore he thought 1t ought not 10 be- pressed
through today. ." an, not here he continued. Il"
soy a harsh word about the Mayor of IIr0oklyn ar
The I,ourd of Alden mcn Of that cit, | simply say
Tint they were elected H. perform certain duties. and
II they have performed those duties they shonld
bc cleared by the people Of Brooklyn ana not by Tho
legislature ,,.c.,
rru Urmocint OF BrOoklyn. "i> the Passage al u