The sun., 1896-02-29
IT'S A DEFEAT FOR RAINES.
THE CITIES TO RETIIN TTO-THTEDs
or THE EXCISE MONEY.
Two RrookIyn Senators Threatened to
Leave tho Caucus Unie-s the Change
Was Mrde-A Motion to Reconsider De-
rented. 10 TO 1B-Made u Party Measure.

Leave tho Caucus Vntess the Change
Was MNde-A Motion to Reconsider be-
fented. 10 TO 10 Made u Party Measure.
ALBANY, Feb. %. The result Of the caucus
on the ltainos bill last night was a clear VIC
tory for the city Republicans and defeat for
Raincs, tho author OF the bill, and Ellsworth,
tho nominal leader of the majority. The city
representatives were congrntulntlng each other
this morning. while the Raincs element
wondering how II all happened. The country
members believed last night that they had
things fixed 50 that the city members could be
held in limo by changing the distribution Uf the
excise money to 40 and 80 per cent. basis. IL
was surprise to them when the oncthird md
two thirds basis was adopted by vote Of 10 to
II. Those who carried the amendment were
Bracket Of Saratoga. Brush and Wicluan Of
Brooklyn. Burns of Ncstchestcr. Ford Of New
York, Parsons and Harrison of Monroe. lIis-
gins of Cattaraugus. Sheppard Of Penn Yam.
White OF Syracuse. Wilcox of Auburn, Barry
If Erie Nusshaum of Albany. Mulin Of Water
town, and Stranahan of Oswego. The sur
prise lay in the votes OF Senators Higgins and
Strunnhan. Higgins is Chairman of the com
mittee which has tho ltaincs bill in charge. lIo
lives in Oean. Stranahan has also been counted
VITA the country interests so far as the Rancs
bill Is coccerncd. 1t was by their votes that
the city members carried the caucus.
A good deal of the credit for bringing these
members around and consequently for saving
n vast sum of money for the cities of the state,
Is due to Gov. Morton. On Wednesday, the
night before the caucus. the Governor in
Nitcd Higgins and Stranahan, together with
Senator White, who has been especially active
In he attempt to make the bill more acceptable
To the cities. to dine with him. The R,.es
bill was talked over. and ,iov. Morton it is
snid. urged that concessions be made for the
benefit OF the cities. Higgins and Stranuhnn
n r ~ t,ny NDr mn
views. and u few senators who in the
secret. knew before the caucus how they were
1t is learned to-day that at several points
Ia the seven hours session there was danger
Senators Scibcrt and G.. a. Davis of Erie de.
clarci themselves MS soon as the meeting was
SIra rll%l to order order by the Chairman senator
setbSTi and Davis .sai,l that ii would lie in;
in any form because of the opposition of their
s"ns,tneGts ,dt ~, T" oo, do 50 would b., noiteal
s"Tns nnf.rcrc IL u" y meeting a was to contnnE ns
the bill II 1t was to he caucus. they would
have 10 retire. Senator Ellsworth rcplied that
Davis not to leave the room. II they went
ont on, the newspaper correspondents would know
or be bound hy the action of the caucus, but
he appealed to them To stay in the room. With
this understanding they remained
Senator Brush of BROOKLYN then said that he
sympathizcd to some extent with tho buffalo
mans and was in somewhat the same position 50
far as the wishes OF his constituents were con-
cernei. He hoped that the, bill would he made
more acceptable to the cities. Senator Wray
Of Brooklyn declared that he would not partiri-
forctand that the distribution of moneys
would be changed. This excited Senator
:, "LS, them go he said, sinking his finger at
the BROOKLYN senators. We've got votes
Brush und Wray got up to go ont. They put
on their ovcrcoats and stepped into their rub
ssr Esw1,h al NO sort t" dis Hssn"de n"r
knob. when White and Higgins began to labor
with him and Brush. other Senators Joined in
II the city element. Brush persuaded that
the city members could control the caucus,
refused to take part in the caucus until the
question OF distribution was settled in favor OF
All present voted on the question OF going
into caucus. The nine following voted against
It: brush, Wray,, Scihert, q. II; Davis, Lamy,
Alter a long Discussion over the distribution
of MONEYS the onc-third nd two thirds basis
Brac%e,t. Brush, Wicman. Burns, Ford. I'nr.
sons. Harrison. Higgins. Sheppard. White. VII
cox, Lamy. Nusshaum. Mullin. and strannhan.
After this had been settled senator Wray
agreed to participate in the caucus.
senator Burns's amendment exempting the
nSswiy annexed ne district from tAe $500 rate was
senator Parsonss amendment to reduce tho
tax for grocrrs and storckcrpcrs to one half the
present rate was defeated. - to i Parsons. MS,
Harrison. l.amy, and White in the affirmative.
senator .aInys proposition to allow bars
In grocery stores ms Mt present was defeated. %
to q Parsons. Harrison. l.amy, White. Ford.
and Nus.baWm in the affirmative.
saloon tax In cities Of between 30. 900 and $50.
ON from $500 to $500 was defeated. % to j.
White. Parsons. and Harrison in the atlirma
tive.
senator Nussbaum's amendment to allow
clubs to serve drinks with meals on Sunday
was defeated, Nussbaun and Malby in the uf
Nrmativc.
senator Browns amendment to reduce the
cinl deputies for New York, brooklyn. and Buff
falo by $1,000 each was lost, "a To u.
senator Brush's amendment to reduce the
tax for pharmacists was beaten, Is too.
Senator krum's amendment to reduce the
tax for rural hotels was lost, 20 too;
tiNcates for the sale of ale, wine, and beer
should be issued at one-halt tie regular rate
was lost. 81 TO 9.
After all the amendments had been disposed
of PRESIDENT pro tenn Ellsworth moved 10 re
consider tn" vote ly which he change Of dis
trbution was made. and in II Ion. speech urged
that the bill be changed back again. His mo-
tiom was lost, 10 TO l3.
The bin was then accepted as whole, by
was agreed, by u vote OF II to o. that no amend
msp,s should be maze after th' bill is reported
Tibbits and Charles Davis. who absent
are counted for the bill. giving it 3? votes out
3f fo % It's m"naHer; Mage ,.n sxpeG, to he passed in
week later in the Assembly. The Assembly
caucus ,S TI NJ" b. held n4il Sft%r The biII l9s
lnssrfl inc senate. prolnDly tht ,Nt unE. No
will be permitted TO amend 1t in any re-
succt after II leaves the Senate.
senator Cantor said this morning after he
heard of the results Of the caucus:
Tile lill still retains Objectionable features
The state should not receive one cent of the
excise moneys. The political machn. crcatch
by the measure is most vicious. AZ to putting
the Westminster town addition Ia New York
city under the provisions Of the bill relating To
rural districts. thus reducing the fees in that
locality. the caucus might as well have decrcrd
that the Twentv-third and Tw"uty-fuurth
.,rl La iflarn frNFf liSf ta
provision is discrimination Of the worst kind
LAMY CALLED TO ACCOUNT