New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-14
BEATEN BY THE BOLTERS.
DEFEAT OF THE SINGLE-HEADED PO-
LICE DEPARTMENT BILL.
COGGEsHAIL. WILCOX AND WILLIS IN
; LEAGUE WITH THE DEMocRATs-Two

fnY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBuSE.l
Albany April 12-The bill legisating out or
ONCE the present Police Board of New-York
City. composed Of four members. and SUBSTITUTE
ing for IL one Police Commissioner to be named
by the Mayor was defeated In the Senate to-
day by a vote of % to % The vote in oppo-
.,t,on was cast by twenty-five Democrats and
three Republicans, Henry J. Coggeshall' OF
wa,erville Oneida County: Charles T. Wills,
of Tyrone Schuyler County. and benjamin M
Wilcox. Of Auburn. Cayuga County.
on,v two OF the Republicans who opposed the
hill Senators Coggeshall and Wilcox. gave pub
ljcly their reasons for adopting this attitude
Their main argument was that they wished 10
maintain the bipartisan character OF the PONCE
BOARD of New-York. Such solicitude Tor the
welfare Of Commissioners Abel and ness
caused much interest among the Senator'S. lhaI
the Tammany Senators should also seek TO noio
AheIl and Hess in Office was not considered sur
prising.
Senator Willis's vote against the Dill was
rather a surprise. ex-Speaker Fremont Coie'
of Schuyler County has been here Tor "eeA
nroclsiming that Mr. Willis would vote for the
measure. Senator Willis now declines to state
whether or not he approves Of the state Con-
.ahr,.rv hill and as Senator Coggeshall has
s.;d no Is opposed to that measure, its prospect
OF passing is dubious
The enacting clause Of the single-headed Po-
lice bill was stricken out on motion OF oeha'oi
Grady. the Tammany leader. When greater
New-York was formed II was predlcteo oy many
that consolidation would so strengthen hhch-
ard Croker's power that he would almost controi
the Legislature.
The Senate however advanced to third reao-
ing Senator Raines's bill providing ihat no pc
Iceman In his official capacity shall d''ehu "
nolitical caucus or use his official power 10 IN
Auence or interfere with any man IN the p Pc
Torrance of his political duties senator Soee the
shall voted with the Democrats against tne
sending Of this bill to third reading: senators
willis and Wilcox voted with their republican
brethren The Tammany rule thereiore' 10
.Timited monarchy subject to checKs. Co.
The Senate also ordered to third reading sen
ator Raines's bill separating the bureau ., 81
elections from the Police Board. ana creatlns
= hnartisan Bureau of Elections. whose members
are TO be nominated by the heads OF tIle w.
political organizations in New \ ork' 10 ,t ~
Hall docs not much object TO this act II II 10
d,an en- as 70 give Mayor Van Wyck au-
thoritv to select from several names the mem EN-
hers Of the proposed Bureau or EIectlons' Inv
Republicans will make TINS cohcessio"'
DETAILS OF THE DEBATE
Tho New-york City Police bills were the hrst
business considered in Committee OF the "noi' "a
The senate to-day Senator Donneny said there
.oha,oa ~ harass New-York City. take
auav tho right of home rule and centrahze an
mower IN Albany. No State commission couu oo
more offensive than this proposed ponce co''n'iS
sioner OF the metropolitan district ms was W
new question. In 1857 the State had crea'eu "
,na,ronolitan district and the Court OF Appears
mad declared the bill unconstitutional Later inc
Cour, If Appeals had declared the capital dls'r'c|
created for the same purpose. to be uncohsu'"-
,Ional and he believed the Court would oeci"'o
this METROPOLITAN district unconstitutional
Senator Donnelly discussed the four pls az colii-
moment parts of a general scheme. They were de
partisan purposes II
mas intended 10 give to the Governor the power
70 remove the Police Commissioner the Chel VI
Police and possibly the Mayor himself. 10 90 inns
the hills provided most extraordinary powers
To nrocure the testimony necessary Tor con'lc-
tim McCullagh was TO have one hundred addluohal
IDENTITIES with inquisoral powers such as were
never conferred upon any public officer Then to
carry out the partisan scheme. the Auorhey-'eh-
eral was TO be empowered 10 go TO Ne"-fo
usurp the powers Of the District-Attorney and use
all the great machinery created TO carry out
partisan persecution. But the most ABSURD anu
absolutely ridiculous proposition was contained In
the bill which made It crime for policeman 10
possess any political ideas. 1t was proposed TO
deprive this class Of citizens Of the privileges en-
1oyed by every other citizen and secured 10 every
man under the Constitution.
Senator Donnelly asserted that the Ponce De
partment OF New-York the best and most ef-
hcient in the world and did not deserve the as
sauts made upon II by Republican legislature
Senator McCarren addressed his remarks TO the
bill providing for a single commissioner He re-
called that when the Greater New-York charter
was passed every Republican was earnestly and
persistently urging a bipartisan police commits
sion At that time he was in favor Of single com
missioner in each department OF the city govern
ment But he asserted that this proposed legs-
lation was not in good faith 1t was retaliatory and
spiteful II was because or two men In New
York had been disappointed in the appointment OF
the Commissioners that this legislation was de-
sired.
DEFENDER OF DEVERY.
He attacked the methods of the Mazet Investga-
ting Committee and declared II shameful spec
tacle that legislative committee should be calling
upon the people TO spy upon their neignoors' Inc
committee had promised 20 reveal something an
horrent and revolving in the conduct OF the New
York Police Department. So far they had proved
only two things-that Chief Devery stood on
street corner at midnight smoking cigar ana that
young Croker was trying to earn an honest living
and learn an honest business.
Senator Raines said he proposed TO discuss eacn
bill separately in the order which 1t was reached
ana would first confne his argument 10 the pro-
posed amendments to the Penal Code. Ihls Din
simpy provided that no policeman IN MS omclai
CAPACITY should attend political caucus or use
his official power 10 influence interfere with any
man In the performance Of his political oogatons
II did not concern the NewYork City police alone.
but all policemen. Senator Raines quoted from the
report OF Superintendent McCullagh In support OF
his argument for bill and the necessity for such
legislation.
Senator Grady who had come In while the argu-
ment was IN progress. declared that the Dill was
not sincere. but intended merely TO harass
and annoy There not Senator or puohc
of1cer Of any character who did not do Just "ha'
this bill prohibited the policeman from doing. In
1ss5 when Governor Roosevelt was Commissioner
OF Police in New-York he disfranchised seven nun
dred policemen by transferring them to remote
precincts from which they could not reach tne
polls In the month preceding the last election
there had been fewer transfers OF policemen than
during any other month. The election had been
absolutely fair He characterized as false state
.lia.h ..