New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-05-15
DOW SCHOOL BILL FORGED.
BOTH THE CERTIFIED AND ALLEGED
COPIES PRONOUNCED FALSE
THE GOVERNORS SECRETARY MAKING A
CAREFUL INVESTIGATION INTO
THE FACTS.

Albany, May IA (speciaD-Governor Roose-
welt, it is said. is showing great interest in
careful investigation which is being made by
William j. Youngs, his private secretary, into
the methods which must have been employed to
place in his hands for signature the Dow School
bill. affecting the city of Rochester. which was
never passed by the Legislature. The Governor
is in Oyster Bay, and until he returns Mr..
Youngs says he prefers to keep secret the result
of his investigations
The State Printer has examined his records
and finds them, he says, officially correct. Clerk
Baxter. of the Assembly. also had his journals
examined, and found no trace in them of the
counterfeit bill; but. on the contrary in his jour
nal of March % he finds the record Of the pas
sage of the bill, 1924 Senate, upon motion of
Mr.. Rodenbeck Of Rochester. and the bill
passed is spread upon the journal. A compari-
son of it with the bogus bill signed by the Gov
ernor shows clearly that the rghtful bill
passed.
Clerk Baxter said respecting the practice upon
the city's bills passed by the two houses: THE
clerks of the House in which a bill originates
send 1t to the Mayor of the city affected"
The Rochester BILL having originated in the
Senate, was sent by its clerks to the Mayor of
Rochester. 1t was stated to-day that frequently
Mayor upon returning bill here. after ac-
cepting rejecting it, addresses 1t to the house
in which it originated The Mayor of Rochester
afirms that he never saw the bill signed by Gov
ernor Roosevelt. 1t seems possible that he did
not IL any person pretending to be an employee
of the Legislature had the handling of the pack
age containing the bill he sent here before it
came into Governor Roosevelts hands Clerk
Baxter, however, states that generally these
packages from Mayors, after the adjournment of
the Legislature. are sent on to the Governor in
an unopened condition.
1t was learned to-day positively that the GER
titled copy of the bill forged, as we'll as the
alleged copy of Senate Bill No. 1874 which
came into the hands of the Statutory Revision
Commission for examination and comparison.
Sections 81 and So of the Penal Code clearly
indicate that the forgery of the engrossed copy
and of the legislative bill was felony and
therefore can be severely punished. The sections
follows:
Section GA. Altering Draft of Bill.-A person
who fraudulently alters the draft of any bill or
resolution which has been presented to either of
the houses composing the Legislature, to be
passed or adopted, With intent to procure it to
be passed or adopted by either house or certi-
fed by the presiding officer of either house, in
language different from that intended by such
house, is guilty of felony.
Section 60 Altering Engrossed Copy.-A per-
son who fraudulently alters the engrossed copy
or enrolment of any bill which has been passed
by the Legislature of this State, with intent to
procure 1t to be approved by the Governor or
certlHed by the secretary OF State, printed or
published by the printer of the statutes in lam
guage different from that in which it was passed
by the Legislature, is guilty Of felony.
Section IA provides for punishments under
the above sections. If others are provided
for by the Penal Code as follows:
person convicted of a crime declared to lie
a 1elony Tor which no other punishment is
specially prescribed by this code or by any other
statutory provision in force at the time of the
conviction and sentence, is punishable by i'm
QriSonment for not more than seven Years, or
by fine of not more than $1,000. or by both.
Whatever the result of the investigation it
will at least have the consequence Of a thorough
reform of legislative procedure for bills. AL
ready the clerks of the Statutory Revision Com
mission are devising schemes to protect the law
making process from fraud. Il is proposed
among other things to have bills of the Legis-
lature sent to the Governor printed on certain
kind of peculiar paper, with sheets numbered.
Other precautions will be taken.