New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-03-21
BJpARTISANSHIP TRlUMPHS.
REPUBLICAN SENATORS MAKE PARTY
MEASURES OF THE LEXoW BILLS,
.o,,,crrrr, OF, TENS PLAN FOR POLICE
DEPARTMENT REFORM lGNoHED-NoIES Oh
tanned BY REPRESENTING MAYOR
STRONG AS FAVORABLE TO
THE LEXOW BILLS.
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRiBuNEl

STRONG AS FANCKAlfiIf- ~
THE LEXow BILLS.
fry TELEGRAPH TO THE TRtBuNEl
Albany. March 2O.-The Republican Senators
tonight held a caucus and made party meas
ures Of the bills If the Lexow investigating
Committee regarding the Police Department OF
New-York City. These bills continue the pres
ent four-headed commission. provide for the
election of four Police Commissioners III 1885, 10
hold office from January l. 1898, for SIX years
and authorize the present Board or Ponce Ooih-
missioners. or any persons who may De ap-
pointed as Police Commissioners by Mayor
Strong previous to June %. 1898. TO reorgaih%e
the Police Department. Il will thus be seen
that the Republican Senators reject the pii's VI
the Committee Of Ten of New-York. making 'he
Police Department a single-headed depar'ii
separating the Bureau of Elections ironh ''-e
Board Of Police and creating a comnlissio" u
tb;oe nersons to be appointed by Mayor Strohs'
IN reoreanize the Police Department.
Whether Mayor Strong favors the biIls OF 'he
Cor,,n,ttee f a disputed point
come of the Republican Senators at the eau
o,s .opigbt asserted that he dld. Whlie oth-
ers said they had information that he ala not
t,t nreferred the bills of the Committee or Ten.
II is therefore possible that Mayor Strong may
oxerc,so his veto power What is clear how
Is that the police bills Of the Lexow Committee
will be passed by the Senate. There Is strong
evidence also that they will be passed by the
Assembly. The Senate will probably pass the
hills Tomorrow. The bills have not yet been in
4roduced in the Assembly and therefore cannot
h., acted uron by that body until the approach
tng week In the mean time public sentiment in
New-York will have chance To voice its opin-
ions once more
The decision Of the Republican Senators 10
make the bills party measures was not reached
until after severe struggle in the caucus They'
4, fact held two caucuses today upon the sub
tect-one this afternoon. which was indecisive,
and one this evening which was decisive y ma
tority Of the Senators favored the bills. but there
was a caucus rule which required a two-thirds
vote in the majority upon any measure 10 secure
,.s being made a party measure, and this for
time prevented action. II IS doubtful also IL 'he
hills would have been made party measures but
for the action of Senator Persons of Erie County
He was extremely anxious to secure the repeal
of the charter Of the Queen City Gas Company,
of Buffalo This is corporation which received
q charter from the Democratic Legislature Of
1892 1t has never gone into business but the
nresent gas companies OF Buffalo wish its charter
repealed since 1t may be used by capitalists al
any time to establish a rival business. Senator
Persons therefore, pressed the members Of the
majority to make the repeal Of the Queen City
Gas Company's charto party measure, ana
having obtained supper, this direction, he sided
with them in the matter of the Lex9w Police oills
His vote was the twelfth which was given Tor the
scheme. Senator Lamy his colleague from Buffa-
To- steadily voted against it. Senator Robertson
cast the thirteenth and decisive vote.
When the caucus met in the afternoon Sen
,,-od hat ha
City Gas Company Repeal bill be made a party
measure. This was opposed fiercely by Senator
Donaldson conflict of an hour followed
Then the Senators adjourned until evening by
that time Senator Persons had majority for
his Queen City Gas Company measure. and he
steadily supported the police bills of the Lexow
Committee At the evening session the police
bills were the first taken up Senator Stapleton
opposed immediate action. and moved that moth
ing be done until Tuesday next. He was de-
feated. Senator LexOw then moved that the
police bills be made party measures. The as
sertion was made that Mayor Strong Of New
York favored the bills This disputed by
Senator Stapleton. lie said he had positive in
formation that Mayor Strong was opposed to
these bills Of the LeXow Committee. a conflict
of two hours followed. Senator COggeshal
moved that the police reorganization bill be
amended so as to give accused policemen the
right to have writ of certorari in case of re-
rejected by a vote of to II. The seven
Senators who voted i'm the affirmative We're
Messrs Donaldson Reynolds, Persons. Owens
Stapleton ana Robertson. motion was nddc
by Senator Reynolds that no policeman tried
on a charge ana acquitted should be tried again
This was rejected by vote Of 10 10 s.
The Senators then came TO vote on Senator
Lexows motion TO make the police bills party
measures. Three times vote taken on
this motion. and three times it was defeated by
a vote of II ayes to nays. II needed one more
vote, and that vote was at last given by Senator
Robertson: The six Senator'S who thus FOR "A
time held out against the bill were Messrs.
Robertson. Stapleton Coggeshall Reynolds,
Owens and Lamy
II should be stated that a good many Of the
Senators who voted To make the bills party
measures did so. they said afterward be
cause II was represented to them that Navor
Strong favors the bills. Doubtless Mayor Strong
will give his opinion in an authoritative
fashion. Lieutenant-GovernOr SaxtOn and
Speaker Fish were the gentlemen. it was repre-
sented. who reported that Mayor Strong favors
tie bills, and the statement was ma .ie that the
Lieutenant-Governor and the Speaker Of the
Assembly had brought back this word from
Ncw-YOrk a fortnight ago. This statement is
rather singular one, since the LeXOw Investi-
eating Committees police bills were not pre-
sented to the Senate in their amended form
until the latter part Of last week. IT IL possible
therefore, that Lieutenant Governor SaXton and
highly important matter. If so the Republican
Senators should hold some one to strict ac-
countability.
The report is current here that Mayor Strong
Intends to appoint James O'Brien as Police
Commissioner. II so he Board Of Police
charged with the grave duty Of reOrganizing
the Police Department of New-YOrk will con-
sist Of James O'Brien. Michael Kerwin. Delano
G. Andrews and Charles H. Murray There are
some persons here who confess TO unsDeakablo
astonishment at the thought Of Murray Ker-
win and O'Bren being intrusted with tho re
organization Of the police force of New-York
Possibly Mayor Strong may have another rro
gramme and make some drastic changes in ~,
Board Of Police before it begins the work ~
reorga nizng the police force under these ev
ow bills. If he approves OF them.
CIVIL SERVICE REORGANIZATION
Albany March 2O-A hearing on the Civil Ser