The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-03-22
OPPOSED TO THE BILLS.
MAYOR STRONG AND PLATT IN d.
RECT CONFLICT.
Charles Stewart Smith Says the Mayor IL
Opposed to tho Lexow Police Bilis
and VIII Veto Them IL Passed.

| ALBANY, N. Y. March H.-The Platt
programme to send the Lexow police bills
through the Senate to-day was rudely
disturbed this morning. when Senator
Charles Lamy, OF Erie. announced that
| he would not vote for the measures until
he had received the most positive as
surances from Mayor Strong that he IA
vored them. Just after reaching the
Senate chamber, Mr.. J.amy dictated the
following message to Mayor strong:
York city:
II shall not vote for bills Nos. az and
71 Unless you approve OF them. l await
AN early answer at the senate chamber.
(Signed) CHARLES LAMY."
With Lamy against the bills, the Re-
publicans have only IL votes, or a bare
majority.
THE MAYOR OPPOSED TO THE BILLS.
NEW YORK. March 2.-Charles Stew
art Smith, ex-president OF the Chamber
OF Commerce, and confidential friend OF
Mayor Strong, this morning made known
the Mayors feeling regarding the Lexow
police bill, by sending the following tele-
gram:
New York. March u. 1885.
| Hon. Charles L. Saxton, Senate, AL
bany, n. Y:
In the opinion of the best members
of the Republican party. a majority of
senators, by their caucus action last
night, are deliberately digging the grave
of the party in this State. 1 know that
Mayor Strong is absolutely opposed to
the provisions providing for the election
OF police commissioners contained in the
Lexow bills, and he considers the bills
proposed by the Committee OF Ten to be
lar more In the interest OF the people
and good government.
"Can 1t be possible that the deliberate
judgment of the Mayor and the people
of New York should be ignored by the
party I'm power, regarding laws which
affect the government OF this city?
(SignedD
CHARLES STEWART SMITH"
WILL BEAT THE BILL.
Mr.. Smith said that If the bills are
passed. as he expects, the Mayor will
give the people or New York all the
opportunity they want for a hearing on
the measures during the fifteen days he
will have them for consideration.
I'm that time there will be such a cry
of Indignation that Lexow and his friends
will wish they had never attempted to
ride over the people OF this city, and /
can add" said Mr.. Smith, that Mayor
Strong Will send the bills pack to AL
bany without his approval. The LegisIa-
ture will then have to pass them again,
and IL it does so, in defiance of public
opinion, Governor Morton will veto the
bills"
THE BILLS MAY BE DEFEATED.
ALBANY, N. y, March H.-The Lexow
police bills were reported favorably IN the
Senate to-day, by their author. Senator
Lexow, and after debate lasting nearly
all day, were advanced to third reading.
Final artion, which 1t was intended
should occur to-day, was postponed be-
cause OF an error ia the printing of one
of the bills. The vote, under the rules,
cannot be taken until next TUESDAY. The
bills drawn up by the Committee of Ten,
which represent the IDEAS and wants OF
the reform element in New York city,
were re-committed TO the Lexow commit
tee. This practically kills the bills The
attempt of the Republican majority to
pass the Lexow bills resulted in the bolt
of Senator Reynolds, who refused to be
bound by the caucus held last
night Senator Stapleton for atime
joined i'm the bolt, but later i'm the day he
switched back and voted with the ma
jority, to advance the bills to their third
reading. Senator Lamy, from his actions
to-day, will probably vote against the
Lexow bills when they come up for final
passage next Tuesday.
REPLY FROM THE MAYOR.
Early in the day he telegraphed Mayor
Strong that his vote would be controlled
by the Mayors approval of the bills. He
received a reply this afternoon, which he
refused 10 give out. He said he consid
cred it confidential, and that he wished to
take II TO Buffalo to night. and consult
with the people up there about it.
Mayor Strong has not thus far given
utterance 10 any comments on the Lexow
bills, favorable or unfavorable, but It
is generally believed his views On the
measure are in accord with those ex-
pressed by Charles Stewart Smith to-day
in his letter to Lieutenant-Governor Sax
ton, From this 1t can be easily guessed
how he answered Senator Lamy, and how
thai gentleman will vote.
DEPENDS UPON sTApLEToN.
1t requires seventeen votes to pass the
Lexow bills, and should Senator Stapleton
vote for the bills on the final passage, as
he has announced, his vote will carry the
measure. regardless of the votes of Lamy
and Reynolds. But Senator Stapleton to-
day established for himself a reputation
as slippery customer. and he may slip
again from the position he has now as
sumed In that event the Lexow bills will
be lost, unless some Tammany Democrat
comes to the rescue
SAID TO BE UNCONSTITUTIONAL
NEW YORK. March 21.--The printed
copies of the Lexow police bill were re-
ceived from Albany in this city to-day,
and the Committee CT Ten of the Com
mittee Of Seventy Immediately asked for
the opinions OF a number CT eminent law
yers on the constitutionality of the
measure. Eight lawyers-Messrs. James
G. Carter. Elihu Root, Joseph Larocque,
John Il. Parsons, Charles G. Beaman, G..
/. Rives. Lewis l.. Delafield and William
H. Hornblower--complied with the re-
quest, seven Of them uniting i'm one opin-
ion. and the eighth. Mr.. Hornblower.
writing separate opinion. The latters
opinion differed from his fellow-lawyers
only in his phraseology All pronounced
the Lexow measure unconstitutional I'm |
mary points, and declared that 1t could |