New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-09
CONFERRTNG WITH PLATT.
LEADERS TALK OVER POLICE LEGIS
LATION.
SPEAKER NIXON THINKS THE RESULTS
OF THE INVESTIGATION SHOULD BE
AWAITED - SOME PERTINENT
COMMENTS on DEVERYS
TESTIMONY.


Several conferences were held between Senator
Thomas c. Patt and members Of the Legislat-
ure in this city Yesterday about the Single
Headed Police Department bill. which the Gov
ernor and leaders Of the Republican organiza-
tion desire to have passed, If possible, and about
the State Constabulary bill, which may be made
an organization measure II the other bill falls
of passage. Some of the talks were in Mr..
Platts Office at No. 10 Broadway. In the fore
noon. and other talks were at his rooms in the
Fifth Avenue Hotel in the afternoon.
Among the State Senators who took part in
the conference were Timothy Il. Ellsworth. Of
Lockport: George A. Davis. Of Lancaster, and
William L. Thornton, of Monticello. Speaker
Nixop os the Assembly and several Assembly
also talked with Senator Platt. Frank
Patt and A. b. Boardman took part In the con-
ferences in Senator Platt's rooms at the Fifth
Avenue Hotel in the afternoon and 1t was said
they were engaged in work on suggested
changes in the State Constabulary BILL In com
pany with eX-Justice William y. Cohen. l. r.
Qugg. president Of the Republican County Com
mittee, joined the group at the Fifth Avenue
Hotel and John McCullagh. the State Superin
tendent Of Elections in the Metropolitan Dis
trict was present with Mr.. Van Dusen, his
chief clerk. part Of the time
1t was developed at the talks with Senator
Platt that the legislators from up the state had
a strong prejudice against the proposed State
Constabulary BILL fearing that IT would lose
many votes for the Republican party in Buff
falo. Rochester. Syracuse and other cities Of
the State. Speaker Nixon declared that he did
rot believe the Single Headed Police Depart
ment bill any other drastic police measure
should be passed until the Mazet committee
4fcroff 10, of tho po1i
Department in this city and had made reports
on which police legislation could be based.
Senator Patt sent out kilograms in the after
noon to several State Senator's and Assembly
men inviting them to visit him at the Fifth
Avenue Hotel to-day. when the conferences will
be continued. r b. Odell. jr chairman Of the
Republican State Committee. will come TO the
city to-day to take part in the discussion Of the
police bills When Mr. Quigg left the Fifth
Avenue Hotel late in the afternoon he said:
Nothing has been decided yet Everything re-
mains in the air" Senator Platt went to the
Plaza Clubs dinner at the Hotel Savoy in the
evening, and most Of the out-of-town members
of the Legislature went to theatres 1t Is eX-
pected that there will be an unusually large
gathering Of Republican legislators at the Fifth
Avenue Hotel to-day. and that there VIII be an
exhaustive discussion Of police leglslation
Republican politicians in the city last evening
were talking Of the exhibition of ignorance, STU
pidity and Indifference To public sentiment when
had been made by Chief Of Police Devery in his
examination bv Mr. Moss before the Mazet com
mittee in the afternoon. 1t was only necessary,
the politicians said, to place man such s. DeN-
cry upon the witness-stand TO snow now utterly
lacking he was in the reculrements tor 9n e'''-
cient head Of the Police Department. II was
made plain By his testimony, in the opinion or
many who We're talking of il last evening. that
he had been placed at the head Of the police
force by Tammany in order that Tammany
might collect unlimited backmail from violat-
ors OF the law I'm a "wde-open' city. His ad-
missions on the witness-stand were declared TO
be Lroof that the control of the police must be
taken away from Tammany by some sort Of
legislation and that the legislation should not
be delayed longer than was absolutely neces-
sary.