New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-04-01
BRIDGE LEGISLATION.
ATTEMPTS TO GET rid OF The TRUSTEES.

HISTORY OF THE TWO BILLS PASSED PREVIOUS
10 THE ONE NOW BEFORE THE GOVERNOR.
Albany. March 81 (special.-The BROOKLYN Bridge
decentralization bill, which was passed By tho AS
sembly Yesterday having previously passed the Sen
ate y now tn the hands Of the Governor. u IS the
third bin relating to the New.York and Brooklyn
Bridge which the Legislature has been called on 20
consider since ttat structure was completed ana
opened to the Of the public lew hcts IN
reference to the previous attempts TO legisafe toe
big and unwiedy Board Of Trustees out OF Office VIII
be OF interest at this time.
The Bridge was completed and the promenade
opened nearly ten years ago. Not until nearly TWO
years later was any attempt made TO get rid OF the
board OF twenty members, sixteen OF whom were ap-
polntea which had had charge OF the AFFAIRS OF the
Bridge curing the ume that the work OF BUILDING u
was In progress 1t was considered entirely proper
during this period when average OF million DOL
lars year was being expended. that a large and
representative body Of trustees should supervise the
outlay. Soon after the Bridge was completed. how
ever, Il became apparent that what was needed was
not q BODY Of trustees, but executive commission
Accordingly there introduced in the Legislature
Of 1883 a bill abolishing the Board OF Trustees ana
placing the Bridge In the care OF me Mayors ana
Controllers Of the two cities. This bill had the ap'
prevail Of majority Of the trustees then In ONCE.
MIR. Stranahan president Of the Bridge at that
time and heartily favored the passage Of the bill.
One Of its chief promoters at Albany was senate:
DaReett who was deeply interested In the plan, when
then met with much favor, Of extending the Br1dge
railway up to the City Hall In Brooklyn. PROVISION
for such on extension embodied IN the ILL., which
fingered IN the Legislature until the closing day oil
the session. Then, In spite Of Mr.. Daggeus 90
jeetfons II hastily amended. the section relating
to the Brooklyn extension being strckes out II was
passed by both houses on May l5-in the Assembly
by q vote of 90 to 5. and In the Senate by ~ 10 l.
The changes made In the bill. however, haa oeen
made very hastily. and the result was that In The
latter part Of 1t references left to the section
which had been expungod. Still 1t was thought
that Governor Hi would approve II, and II was
pointed ont to him that Notwithstanding the Seeming
Inconsistencies In the bill there was no m'staN
its meaning while the public interest clearly de-
nanded that he should sign 1t.
Governor Hill did not listen to the arguments
presented for his consideration. lie did not act
upon the Bridge bill until the last day Of the thirty
DAYS allowed BY law to the Governor for the con-
sideration of the measures left In his hands on the
adjournment OF the Legislature. In the mean ume
be had paid a visit to Brooklyn and had heid u 'o
sultation with Boss Mclaughlin. The sequei proven
that Mclaughlin did not wish the bill to become
law and Of course there was sufficient reason III
the bill itself for the Governor to find sood eN
cuse for his non-approval Of It, Ills veto memo
randum filed on June ID The careiesshes'
displsyed in the amending process was alleged tS
him as his reason for not signing 1t, ana ne Saia
at must be admitted that the bill is open TO oil
fersnt interpretations and therefore liable TO leaa 10
various complications and much ndgauon'
No further attempt was made to pass hriuse
bfl until 1885, In that year both Mayor Hewitt ana
Mayor Chaplin, In their annual messages cni'eu az
tention to the desirabity OF n more compact anu
responsible organization Of the Bridge governing BODY.
After considerable delay bill WHICH met with the
approval of the chief magistrates OF potn Gus IA
sss xss SrSusS BY TO
Aspna and was first passed by tse Lover Zines %
s1sssss appointed Mayors q
the senate until May last asy but one Of y;
session Hin pursued the same cSrse a %,
IS 10 gave hearing on the measure when rrsn
ments were presented both for and against H.
Was nothing to show what Boss McLaughns atsltude
was in reference to It but it was commonly believed
that the Governor did not dspease the brVonS
ont saving nc Word about IT, There coed
excuse in the bill itself for not approving H. ana 80
no spte Of the strong feeling favor Of smaller
board netting further was n,es aSae session. "a
When Senator McCarty introduced the bin which has
now passed both houses The Tact n 5sa that s
there is little doubt that 1t win be signed BY Governor
flS Sn;ea on P peaf Of each Of the cities and
Mayor. and two SSnrSers S Cd msn who
Yn sor Years advocated change in the method OF
control Of the Brooklyn Bridge have rsso o TO con- NJ
rratulatc themselves on the success winch mas at
length crowned their efforts.
WARDEN BROWNS SUCCESSOR NOT YET CHOSEN
Albany, March 3l.-The State Prison wardens VIII
meet for conference with Mr.. Lathrop superintendent
OF State Prisons on Monday afternoon. NO announce
ment has yet been made to the effect that sue
cessor TO Warden Brown. of Sing Sing, who recently
resigned has been appointed.
no Rrs,,ME WORK on TIE CAPITOL AT ALBANY.
Albany, March 3l.-Captol Commissioner Perry
contenplates resumption OF work in the construction
department Of the Capitol building tomorrow, employ
inc at first u reduced force OF men,