The sun., 1893-05-21
LEGISLATION AT ALBANY.
BILLs CHkN0ED ON THEIR war TO
THE ExECUJIHE CHAMBER.
This Often Occurs Through Hnste and Care
Ies.ne--, but sometimer Through Desir.-
The Dock Biu so Changed that II Failed
to Receive the (ioyrrporss Approv.l


| to Receive the Gov-rnor's Approval
Mayor Gilroy's objections to the reading o
the Dock bill as It got into the Governors
hands may bring nbout important changes
In the details OF passing bills In Albany. This
Dock bill originally provided that the Depart
ment OF Taxes should have Its expenditures
supervised by the Board OF Estimate and Ap-
portonmont. and that It's bonds should be
issued by and with the approval OF the Sinking
Fund Commissioners. As 1t got to the Cow
ernor's hands. the Board OF Estimate and Ap-
portionment was substituted for the Sinking
| Fund Commissioners to issue bonds. As the
Board OF Estimate and Apportion ment has
no such power. and as the power Is fixed with
the Sinking Fund Commissioners. the bill
| failed to receive the Governors approval
I That brings up the whole subject of tho wav
| In which bills are nended and legislation
advanced or retarded by the machinery OF
clerks. engrossers. and printers. Amend
ments are sometimes found in bills when they
get into the Governors hands and no one re-
calls how thcy got in: while things are left out
OF bills which tho introiucers and others may
have thought we're in.
1t requires great deal Of careful attention
and knowledge OF legislative routine to
stcer bill safely through both Houses and
into tho Executive Chamber. This Is apart
from the getting q member to Introduce the
bill. and its favor by q iority OF both Houses
The machinery Of legislation is as i'm portant
In some ways as the actual votes. for II the
machinery docs not work tho bill will not be
properly printed. It will not be promptly en-
crossed. and thero may be mistakes impor-
tant to the interests behind 1t. caused by care
lessness or intention.
The rules OF the two Houses provide for a
good part OF the legislative machinery and
custom is the rule for the rest. Every bill In
the Assembly must be introduced In dupli-
cate: both copies OF II are put into a box
known as the bill box. These copies are taken
out by the bill clerk. One copy Is put In the
Assembly library. where It can be examined
aud seen bv the public. the public in this
case bNng represented by tho reporters for
the newspapers. The other copy OF It is
read presumably by tho Speaker and tho
clerk. The Speaker decides to what commit
tee the bill shall be sent, and the next morning
after It's introduction the clerk announces it by
It's title and the ommittee reference on which
the Speaker has decided. This copy OF the
bill then goes to the clerk OF the committee to
which it has been referred. whilo the other
copy continues to stay In the Assembly library
for public inspection.
One OF these COPIES Is temporarily sent to
the State printer. who prints several hundred
copies OF it for the use OF tho members and
others. 1t is this printed one on which action
is taken and which is used by the COMMITTEES.
With the exception OF a small NUN Der OF typo
graphical errors the bills as printed are iden-
tical with the bills as introduced. The altera-
tions and changes began with the committee.
The meetings OF the committees to consider
bills are usually secret. That. docs not mean
that any one is prevented from finding out
what Is done II he has friend on the commit
tee. but only that others than the members Of
the committee and the com ittee clerks are ex-
cluded from the sessions at which action is
taken on bills. In the committee any number
OF amendments or a complete substitute may
the rules. II 1t is amended in the committee
1t must he reprinted with the amendment;
tnen II gets place on the calendar and the
but the reprinted copy Is not what the Clerks
desk has to go by. The Clerk goes blythe record
cites the favorable report OF such and such a
pill amended in the ma lner that appears in
deta in the committee's report. This Is the
official record. the printed copy is not. II thero
IL any lance between the reprinted bill ana
the record as made By the committee clerk the
Then the LiIl comes up on second reading In
the Assembly. 1t may be adopted and amended
then. These changes are n not re printed unless
specia motion to that effect is made. ms every
Assemblyrnan is supposed to know whattak
ter OF fact that not one Assembyman in ten
does know. These changes. OF course. appear
the proceedings OF tue House. but the journal
Is not always printed up to date as the Public
crowded anG at times several days behind.
on tfa rshanf sa my be made
onI and third reading the Iii is ongrossed. A
full record prepared BY the clerk. showing the
bill as amended By tho committee and on sec:
ond reading. is given to tn" clerk in charge OF
the engro>sing room. and it is by his as
sistants written out in full on large sheets OF
in color II it j. an Assembly bill. and very light |
browns III yellow II it is senate bill
most likely to oscur Toward the, the end snt'i Of the the
session tho clerks in tine enEross ing room are
PUSHED and work day and night There
to get their bills snsrosssd first. By speedy
one bill may ge.a great deal higher
and the natural errors Of ,c"pysts. mistakes
occasionally come which favor or !nIuro the
times people who are, greatly interested in
legislation try yI,, e have these mistakes happen
VAR S as ssfs @H
tho Official record. the men interested in leGis.
Htion h can always Sc. ,h whether the srrors il
hem. and If they are untavorSDIe
III this work. and he. must rely great
me m man to r"mpare .H ali the engrossoI % bills.
md thr clerk ha. so many other duties to per
,thers. m VIA" 1t so somrtines 1 happens that one OF
hcse mon can Ie influenced. and it is the bus
ness OF people professionally /, terested In leg
station to secure him in their favor.
The engrossed bil APPEARS On the Clerks
he otllcia! record. md in case there arc dif-
rrences betweon the official record and the
bill It reluires an net OF the House |
o recall the ill. to reconsider the vote on 1t.
md to make the necessary corrections. This
5 rarely done. as the errors. If found ut ALL are
lot likely to be discovered before the bill goes
nto the Governor hands.
The chances OF alteration are even greater In |
he Senate. because the Senate's hills are not |
lways printed. and its business is conducted
more loosely than in the Assembly. A sort OF
senatorial courtesy gives to every Senator alb.
olute control over his own bills. provided
hey are not political and that power extends
ven to the engrossnG room. where a certain
altitude is allowed in tho making OF correc-
ions Of defects which may have heen discov-
red In the original draft Of the bill.
1t thus happens that bills get to the Gov
rnor's hands in different shape from the
ncial record. and some times In different
hape from the way they were intended to DO
nistakcs OF haste and carelessness and the {
rrors of intention. The Governor has u stan