New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-02-14
the various bills have pecn
says First reading OF Dill. .p,.
The Clerk follows with the stereo'!P''

The Clerk follows with the stereot!Pe"'
AR - of - entitled an act. elc'
Then the Speaker refers the bill 10 'he "'P'
nria.e committee. and its career as Id" man
ing instrument has reached the secohu 800
As to the duplicate. the law proNiuS9 VIC"
other bill. having first been entered !" Wv
ord book shall the day or its reV'P"'
6Ied by the Clerk with the lprarla" "
Assembly who shall keep RECORD wv
which. together with the bills SNAIL "'''>
his supervision. be subject to puohc '''9I
during the regular office hours oil 'he ""'
The bill is then printed and copy PI'''' VIZ
the desk of every member or the "'""'o '''N
Assembly.
Not one word of the text OF the Dill mas "'''
read 10 the members: nothing is Known d.
the contents intent OF II. ana even inv '
ING ~ the title by the Clerk when the measure
was referred to committee was done III
wav which would leave no impression on the
minds Of the legislators who read anu "'''0
letters rattle newspapers. tell stories or go
about visiting their felloW-memherS ""'iV -"
titles are being read The hall at times swarms
with members who wander about IN the III
closure reserved for them. and the fringe of
people outside the rail who see the disregard
for order on the part Of the members ne
co,,o loes Guarded in their tone Of speech and
buzz fills the beautiful hall over which the
monotonous tones of the dialogue between the
clerk and the Speaker can he heard. People III
the gallery and on the outer edge Of the circle
who are unused to the picture wonder Wh'A
the members attend to the business OF the Legs
laturc.
THE PRINTED BILL APPEARS
When the printed bill comes before them the
bac
they have onv ambition In that direction Some
members are conscientious. and allow no meas
,,ro 70 escape their scrutiny. If they have no
time 10 examine the bill themselves. they con-
suit some member in whom they have con
fdence who has done There are me'hp''0
who never think of making personal inlcSN-
CATION with view to ascertaining the merits
of a bill or its shortcomings. They simply wait
for the nod Of a leader from which they tax
their cue
In duo tir,o the bill which went to commit
too will he reported for second reading. The
socopd readinc docs not mean that the bill shal
no read through for the benefit of the members
who will be called upon later TO vote Tor OF
against the measure 1t is simply form me
C,ork reads the title Of the bill and SrcNon
l " Section ." etc. and the enactnS cIa"S'
ar the end OF the document. But in cases "h'r"
a demand is made the body of the bill Is re'o
from the opening paragraph: "The people III
the State Of New-Yorl: represented IN Sehd'e
and Assembly do enact as follows TO 'he en-
acting clause: This act shall take erect I'M
medately.'
Snatches Of conversation heard between mem
bers while bills being passed from '"e
second TO the third reading stage lndica'e' ~
a recent visitor how much the members were IN
terested in the proceedings;
IRIS all right to give us spring water TO drink
but what good is It if they dump Hudson RIVER
ice in the tanks?'
..What's the good Of water anyway? See what
il did for poor Emmet."
Il should like to GO but my wife viii be here
that day; awfuly sorry
..You.d a did II you'd "a seen him. All had
was 2 little pair but ne lost his nerve and got
the pot
When the bill is up for a second reading II
may be debated. and If amendments are made
from the floor il goes TO the printer 10 he re-
,rirtod with amendments If no amendments are
made it IS ordered to third reading, and IS
scut 10 the Committee on Revision, where
close examination is made for errors in spelling
runctuation or general makeup; but the com
mittee has no power 10 change the phrascol0gN'
The object Of the reference to this committee IS
Ia block trick or snap legislation and to guard
against the slipping through Of measures which
seem lust Oh the surface but really contain a
political Job or the scheme Of Il corporation. one
OF the rules Of the Assembly provides that All
bills proposing amendments to the Penal Code,
the Code Of Criminal Procedure, the Code or
civil Procedure the Revised Statutes, or to any
| existing laws. whom introduced into the House,
must contain not only the number OF the chap
ter Of the statute to be amended but also must
+ quote the title Of the chapter 10 be amended and
/ sCme brief refer nee To the subiect-matter or the
proposed mondment: and all such amendments
in the body Of the bills must be UNDERSIGNED
! and the Clerk Of thc House is hereby directed Ia
| return. any bill to the member introducins the
! same when this rule has Lot been complied
| With"
| GETTING AROUND THE RULE.
DESPITE this provision which was made so that
| amendments would appear conspicuously I'm the
| Printed bills and attract the attention of mem
bers. bills are occasio nally printed in which the
undcrscorine is omitted, and the real object OF
the acts is unknown to some members VIII,
see in tn other and lesser points Of the bill.
nothing To oppose or criticisc. \ case which
viii serve to illustrate the point is Assembly
l}n 30 go. which was introduced 10y the lat
NJ Emmc: The introduction of the bill which
was an act TO amend the Village act cause.
som, surprise because il was known that tn
Statutory Revision Committee had just report
| Cd to the tWo IOus-s q general village at
| which will undoubtedly become a law on Octo
| Ter !, repeating all village laws. including ina
of which Bil No. 80 Is designed to be a.
amendment. So it appeared that here wa
Som.t thing TO be accomplished between the tim
Of the signing Of this bill-if it should be passc
and October l. As the bill was introduced b.
| a member from Westminster County, the prcsi
dent of Pelham Village, which lies I'm that coun
| ty asked if ne could explain this bill
which seemed TO require So great haste.
| The president glanced through the bill an