New-York tribune., 1901-03-29
NEW CONGRESS PLAN.
CHANGE N THIS CTrY's DISTRICTS DIS
crssFD AT SECRET MEETING.

fTSSED AT SECRET MEE lNU.
albany. March % (S:eciaD.-A new plan for
,oais,rt-tfne the Congress districts Of New-York
County was suggested tonight at the joint
meeting Of the Congress Reapporuonment com
ynittees at the Capitol The plan may change IN
many details the scheme Of apportionment as
outlined In the bin introduced recently by Sena-
tor Rafnes.
rha new nlan impressed Senator Raines so
fayorably that he recommended ii 10 the franz
ers of the old and suggested that they meet
nert SUNDAY in New-York and try 10 come 10
so,,e agreement which would be regarded as a
satisfactory plan Of apportioning the New-fork
Congress districts by all the Republican leaders
and interests of Manhattan Borough. The near
ing before the committees was secret
In order 10 convey more clearly 10 the eye the
different Congress districts in New-fork anu
V;nrs counties. as outlined in the Raines BILL
a great map had been hung up on the Mali vi
the room. ON the map every street and Assem-
tI,, district was drawn and the Congress dis
tricts were marked off from one another "itA
heavy red lines.
Senator Flsberg occasioned considerable sur
r,rise by announcing that he had drawn up d
new plan OF apportionment according 10 "hich
the Congress districts Of the county had peeh
cut out more symmetrically and without cutting
up the XXIXth Assembly District, Whlch 'he
other plan submitted by Senator Raines cuts
into three parts He also said that his plan OF
apportionment also secured the Republican in
te,ests In these districts more firmly.
The Senator then produced an enormous map
Of New-York County. which the districts as
determined by the Raines bill were marked off
as on the first map with heavy red lines. and the
new districts which he proposed by green lines
II WAS at once seen that the new plan changed
the boundaries Of the IXth, XIth. NlIth,
XIIIth. XVIII and XVIIth Congress districts as
defined on the Raines bin map. All were made
more regular. The Senator. however. called es-
pecial attention TO the proposed XIlIth Congress
District whose eastern boundary he had changed
from a zigzag line Of fourteen corners to almost
a straight mark, and by which change the
XXIXth Assembly District was left intact. The
IXth XIth, XVIII and XVIIth districts also
appeared more symmetrical. The Senator said
in defence of his plan that the claims OF the
XXIXth District. which is one of the strongest
Republican districts in the county or the State,
should receive attention at the hands of the
committee and that inasmuch as the change
would not seriously curtail the Republican ma
iorities of the adjoining Congress districts, his
plan ought to be adopted. Mr Hapin here pro-
duced figures 10 show that the Elsberg plan
would cut down the Republican majority OF the
XVIIth Congress District by five hundred votes,
which might lose the district In close year.
Senator Elsberg here produced figures TO show
that the change would cut off only ifty-three
votes.
Senator Raines then asked Mr.. Halpin, who
had drawn up the Raines bill map with the
approval of the County Committee Of New
York il he would accept the Elsberg plan, and
when Mr. Halpin said that he thought that his
map after all the time and care that had been
bestowed upon it, should be accepted, Senator
Raines said:
There seemg TO be so many good features in
\ Mr. Elsberg's map and plan Of apportionment
lthat / believe il would be wise for Mr.. Halpin
Vand the Senator TO confer and IL the plan
Of apportionment is shown TO be all that the
Senator claims for it perhaps new reappor-
tiOnment OF the NeW-York County Congress
districts may be determined upon
Senator Elsberg and Mr.. Halpin then agreed tc
meet on Sunday in New-York and work upon
the two plans OF apportionment. The Senator
Furthermore said that his plan would not at
all effect the Van Colt and the Miller dis
tricts
The next meeting Of the Reapportionment
Committee will be held next week, at which
time the result Of the Sunday conference be-
tween Senator Elsberg and Mr.. Halpin will be
discussed.