The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-02-02
PLAqFS VORKNALBANY
A Big Fight On in the
State Senate.
Unparalleled PROCEEDINGS.
First Act in the Attempt to Secure
a Two-thirds Majority,

~. Attempt 60 Ussest Senator MeCarty,
~. CIerh, at the Cow-s-a OF Senator
a..to., Usurps the Fuuctio-- OF the Pre-
.,s,,r Oacsr-He Calls the Roll sna De-
,,.re. the Re.oiutioa senting nv. VOL
c,rt Carried-Ths Lieu,ensnt-Governo or
Rsfs.e. to Recognise the vote-woITert
Take. the Oath aud VIII Cl.rr, the seat
To-day, when the Fight will be Renewed.
lts,yr. Feb. latter scene which has not
ham psralleled In the New York Senate dur
Inc its history, the session closed this evening
Nth an uncertainty whether John McCarty OF
BROOKLYN IL still Senator or not. Clerk Ken
roo usurped the place Of the presiding officer
and performed at the same time the functions
sfLIeuten ant Governor and Clerk.
The Republicans refused to recognize the
iIsutenant- Governor. and. in violation OF their
own closure rules. they declared Wolfert Son.
.tor from BROOKLYN. while the Democrats and
the Lieutenant Governor refused to pnrtici-
pate In their action.
The report OF the Committee on Elections
unseating senator McCarty and putting Henry
wolfert In his place. came up this m corning in
The Senate as Q special order. Chairman
Pound Of the Committee on Elections made an
argument to Justify the action OF the
Republicans on the Elections Commit
tee in throwing out the whole vote
Of Gravesend. Senator Mullin. the other
Republican member of the Committee on Elec-
tons. also made an argument in favor OF
throwing out the Castleton and Snug Harbor
vote as well as the Gravesend vote. According
othese arguments about half the voters OF
Senator McCarty's district should be disfran-
ehsed.
Senator Wolf OF the Committee on Elections
presented the minority report and read tho
evidence on which the Republican men,
bers decided to cast out the vote. He showed
that 1t had not been proved by the evil
dsnee that there had been any fraudulent
votes cast for Senator McCarty. and that they
might as we'll throw out tho rest OF the dis
trcts and declare Henry Wolfert elected by
the simple action OF the majority Of the Senate.
Chairman Pound said that the Democrats
two years ago had unseated three Republicans
on purely technical grounds, and that tho Re-
puhlicans lad enough evidence to Justify them
In their action.
Senator Cantor said that the Republicans
we're throwing out tho whole vote OF Graves
end on the ground that the votes could not DO
east in the time in which II was said they were
cast The voting test ut Gravesend showed that
many more votes might have been cast In the
time than were cast. In Owego. in the
county In which ex-senator Thomas G.
Piatt votes. 1.l20 ballots were cast in Ave
hours. much more rapid rate OF voting tn IN
1T Gravesend. but as this voting was in Platt's
county and In the town where Platt votes. II
could not DO supposed that the Republicans
would pay any attention to II.
Senator Cantor showed that the committee
failed to prove that any fraudulent votes were
east for Senator MoCarty. and that the only
a A., IL - vi
fert was to cast out entirely the returns from
Coney Island
Senator Wolf moved to substitute the minor
ity for the majority report.
Senator Cantor called attention to letter
from Chairman Pound Of the Elections Com
nittse TO ex-senator McCarren. who was tho
counsel for Senator McCarty. In which Senator
Pound said that there was not en- ouRh evidence
existing to invalidate the Richmond county
returns In the face OF that letter the Chair
nan Of tho Elections Committee made an ar
gument In the Senate In favor OF invAlidatinR
the Staten Island returns and throwing
cut the whole vote In q certain Castle
on election district. The Republicans at
TEMPTED to hold tho Democrats responsi-
bic for the actions OF McKane. whereas
It vas shown by the testimony that McKAne
had helped materially to elect Harrison. and
Fassett Governor. To punish Senator
Hearty for the actions OF McKans was
only pretext In the intention Of the Repubii-
cans TO obtain q two-thirds vote Of the Senate
BY unseating Democratic Senators.
Senator OConnor said that the Democrats
Two years ago had set precedent for unseat-
ing Senator's and that the Republicans were
going to follow It.
M4 o'clock In the afternoon Senator Cantor
moved that tho Senate take Q recess of an
hour. This was defeated. A motion to al
iourn was also defeated By a party vote. Soma
tor Bradley OF Brooklyn. who Is classsd as Q
Democrat on the committee to investigate the
New York police. voting with the Republicans
On all these motionA
senator Cantor then took the floor again and
ssgan TO argue from the testimony In the
richmond county districta. He asked the
Sierk 10 read parts OF the testimony The
elerk began to read very slowly SO slowly that
IN an hour he had read only part OF the ex-
Taets. or as much as reading briskly he could |
save completed in ten or twelve minutes.
hhlle senator Cantor still had the floor and |
vas proceeding with the testimony. Senator |
saxon arose and said that six hours had now |
passed since the debate had begun. and that |
t r. would move the previous question under |
uis closure rule adopted last week.
Lieut. -GoN hheehan ruled Senator BaXton /
~ o. order senator Cantor had the floor and
s ssS noor could not be taken from a Senator in |
Wei 70 move the previous question.
aeslles, elk hours had not passed for the |
Hsenssion OF the pending question which WAS |
sno substitute offered by senator Wolf for the |
fEAoIltJ resolution This su Dstituts had only /
S Isl moved and the previous question could /
~ oe considered until half past . O'clock in
senator saIton said that the Lieutenant
had dsrid w was wrong on all matters that he
= ~ substitute Tor resolution.
Iue Lieutenant -Goysrner ruled that Senator
SSht9r had the hoor aud that senator SaXton
NSsll not possibly be in order.
IIuatoI saEtgn appealed from this decision. |
~ E nL-GoE sheehAn said that appeals might |
N Aken from rulings on points OF order. but /
pI is' ms was question OF fact and OF recog-
ssa,tyh' and that Senator Cantor had the floor
-Gl mad not Yielded IL to Senator saxton.
major haXton told Clerk Kenyon to nut the |
Appeal 20 vote Of the Senate.
M 7us tor cantor, amid great turmoil rose to /
~ teet and said that the action Of /
~ Hepubliean Senators was revolution
= ne presiding Officsr Of the Senate was
n ~ tgtlonal oMcer and the senate had no /
49, 70 qepose him and TO make a clerk pre-
~ "a ms place No Senator had q right to i
~ ulon the Clerk 10 call the roll for that was
~ Igty Of tho presiding OllieeT II the
h NJ ulllcan Senators could 40 this they could /
'ENtfupt any Democrats Senator who had /
md r.tak