New-York tribune., 1903-03-26
LIQUOR BILL PASSED.
P PITY VOTE IN SENATE,
Hard Fight OUer Measure to In
crease License Fees.

struggle
part of the Democratic minority, led by Sen
etor Grady and twelve calls of the Senate
Senator HILL of Buffalo, Republican, whose at
titude on the subject was for time regarded
as uncertain voted for the bill, supplying the
necessary vote to make a full Repuohcan
showing Of tventy-six. Just enough to pass tne
bill. Senators White and Amber, Republicans
were absent.
II will be an easier task to pass the Liquor
Tax bill in the Assembly than IL the Senate, as
the Republican majority is larger in the former
body.
The Republican leaders in the legislature early
to-dsy resolved to make a resolute efort oe1ore
the day should end pass the measure WIN
only twenty-sfx Republican Senators IN good
health and attending the sessions OF the senate
II was obviously the policy Of party leaders to
reach vote on important measure as soon
ss possible
There WAS one man whose position on the Dill
was underlined when the debate began. This
man WAS Senator Henry W. HILL OF Buffalo
Mr. I4tII was the only Republican Senator VINO
attended the caucus of the Republican Senators
who declined to say that he would foio" any
6Ac;5ioa IL might make regarding the Liquor
Tar bill and therefore was free TO act as ne
nieased with IT. He and his Republican COL
LEAGUE from Erie County, Senator Davis repre-
cent Senate districts in which the proposition 70
n
sbIe dgsfavor. Senator Davis however, early
,,nounced that BuffaIo's commercial position
4z-ouId he greatly improved If q barge cahai
shouId be constructed, and that in oroer 10 oo-
tain money for the State to construct tne canA
y. would vote for the liquor tax increase SENATOR
r5r1 sid to-day sitter the bill had PASSED; Win
ont the LIQUOR Tax Increase bill there "oulo
mt r. revenue to carry out the Canal improve
-,en, hill NV vote against the liquor tax meas
-
(-..1 T-,nroyer1ent bill becoming a law, and L
s.,t ,rst could not follow a course that might
-. 4, s-restInS the development CT the COM
r,erce Of the State"
SUDDEN MOVE OF SENATOR RAINEs.
-bs Assembly was debating Senator Dav1ss
canal Improvement bill when, at O'CLOCK tnlS
.s,arnoon. Senator Raines suddenly moved
rrsoansyon Of the rules Of the Senate IN oFoer
>, take under consideration the Liquor lax IN
,,,sasa hill No sooner had Senator HalnS i1Soe
bis motion that certain rules OF tne SENATE
,bould be abrogated in order to take up the Din
,L.r senator Grady said. "Is it your intention
10 pass the biIl!
y intend TO pass 1t to-day IL possible" an
-od Senator Raines Senator Grady said
,het Senator Cullen's wife was sick. and that
s.nstor EJsbere wished to 60 TO Atlantic City
He added why not put this bill down Tor con-
sideration or Monday evening next?
..T, js not SO important" answered Senator
Raines that the members OF the minority enah
he rresent as 1t is that the members OF the ma
ioritv shall be present. We have twenty-six votes
here. Sickness is likely to attack one or an
other. deem it my duty to press this bill TO
conclusion provided there are the requisite
votes"
Senator Raines's motion to suspend various
rules was adopted by a vote of 20 to ~ and
Senator Grady privately predicted that the Fe-
publicans would pass the bill Senator Crazy
asked now Senator Hill had voted on the motion
u did not vote for the motion" answered sena-
for HILL but will now. reserving my decision
upon the bill itself
GRADY MAKES a HARD FIGHT.
Senator Grady then attempted by diiatory mo-
tions to prevent action on the bill He moved
that its consideration should be postponed tlli
Monday night After some debate this motion
was defeated by a vote Of 21 to "A. Senator
Raines now saw that Senator Grady was en-
deavoring to postpone indefinitely vote on the
measure and moved that the Senate take a
recess for half an hour. The motion was
adopted While the recess was being held
the Committee on Rules met and drew
up rules for the consideration Of the bill;
permitting debate upon II for Pc
riod of three hours one and a half hours
for each side. When the Senate met senator
Senators Grady and McCarren and other DEM
ocratic Senators at once began to waste time 10
prevent the adoption Of the report AT every
opportunity an appeal Was taken from the de-
cisions Of Lieutenant Governor HIGGINS A1teF
many votes the rules as submitted were reao-
Senator Grady then made other points or oroer,
and thus another hour was wasted. Finally, at
20 o'clock, Lieutenant Governor higgins sdlu
that the period having expired for the con
sideration OF the report vote must De TAKEN
upon IT, The report was then adopted by vote
Of 26 to 21: Senator Raines tnen salo: 1 nov w
wish TO call the attention OF Senator Crazy TO
the fact that 1t is now 4:2O o'clock, ana tnat
three hours are left for the consoeratlon Oh Ihls
bill"
other appeals from decisions OF the Chair fol-
lowed from Senator Grady. but half an hour
later he decided to make speech upon the oill
T3fe sneach was artfuIIy composed and provoked
much laughter. In derision of the proposition
that the Democrats should have an hour and
half OF time to. express their sentiments on tne
bill he assumed to be a friend to 1t, and said
that the tax imposed by the bill ought to be
doubled He said that the enemies OF the meas
Ure had declared it contained an unsclentnc
rronosifion for taxation but he resented this
suggestion It was also said other measures OF
taxation should have been produced. but the Re
publican legislature needed the inoLey ot IoF the Ine
f. He must acknowledge that the small oeaiefs
were being forced out OF the business ano that
brewers we're acquiring contToI OF the sdloons,
and also that the Republican party ha0 no
reason to treat the liquor dealer gently:
Senator Lewis, Republican, OF Rochester, In
speech in reply, assumed the posiuon OF an SIp op
ponent OF the BILL and argued that X was unfair
90 tax Iauor dealers when S1S.oOO.OOo could
be imposed on the owners of real estate
Senator Foley argued that the bill imposed
direct instead OF indirect taxatloh' ana 'hal II
was unjust TO New-York City.
THE VOTE ON THE MEASURE.
The bill was passed by a vote of 26 to %, those
IN the affirmative being cast by Republicans
and those in the negative by Democrats. The