New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-03-10
NEW VICTORY OVER LOBBY
PAGE RESOLUTION OUT.
Reported BY Finance Committee
Details of Conference.
Lay rr1rnnArH TO THE rnrnrxE.


Albany March 9.-The victory Of Governor
Higgins and the Republican leaders in the con-
test with the lobby to secure n reduction OF the
price of gas in New-York City was made more
certain tonight by the unanimous consent or the
Republican members of the Senate Finance Com
mittee to report favorably the Page resolution
calling for a legislative investigation of the gas
situation and prices in New-York City thus
carrying out the plan ratified at the conference
last night.
The Page resolution thus agreed on will come
before the Senate for a vote on Tuesday, and
by that time there is every sign that the anti
gas movement will have collapsed. as far as the
Republican members concerned
STORY OF THE CAUCUS.
The story of the caucus of the Senate Repub-
Ican members in the early morning hours was
circulated to-day After dsposing OF the tax
measures, the conference, about II o'clock, took
up the consideration of gas. and Senator Maiby
made long speech. outlining the way Of party
duty the necessity of action that would prevent
the Tammany and McCarren Senators from Sc
curing cheap yindication in voting for the
Fitzgerald bill and recommending a postpone
rnent of the consideration of the Fitzgerald bill
until next week and the agreement OF the con-
ference to direct the Finance Committee to re-
port forthwith the Page resolution or some SIM
liar measure asking for a legislative inVestiga-
ton.
This provoked ihe anti-gas legislation con-
tingent and Senator Coggeshail made the mo-
ton that there should be no party action on gas.
There was a brief period of disorder and inter
changes of opinions. and then Senator Raines
moved to lay the motion on the table, and on
this the roll was called The alignment on TINS
motion indicated the attitude of the RepuDii-
can Senator'S With Senator Raines and against
the gas contingent the following Senators voted:
Aids Armstrong, Bracket, Carpenter, Corots'
EIsberg. Fancher, Goodsel Human Hill Lewis
Malby, Page Sake, Stevens. Tully and White
while proxies were cast for Gates, McEwan ana
Warnick-21 The lineup of the opposition was
Amber Barnes, Brown, Burr, Cassidy, COBB
Coggeshau, Cooper, Davis Drescher, Fechter.
Gardner, LHommedeu. Prime and Wilcox,
This was the decisive vote. although several
others were taken. The excitement during the
rollcaU was great and at it's close the dereat
of the enemies of gas legislation was appar-
eut. Directly after the rollcall there was de-
bate. The three Brooklyn Senators-Cooper,
Gardner and Drescher all We're outspoken
against gas legislation. Senator Cassidy mace
an attack on the plan to pass gas legislation.
Senators RaInes. Malby Lewis and finally, Sen
ator Stevens spoke on the other SIDE. Inc
speech of Senator Stevens was long, careful
testimony in the figures Of experts as TO cost s
of producing gas. indicating vast profits in the
present price and indicating also the entire
fairness of S0-cent gas measure
At the close of the debate. about o'clock,
Senator Lewis moved that the Finance Com
rnittee pe directed to report the Page resolu-
ton, and on this there was another rollcaii
This time Senator Armstrong, OF Rochester ex-
planning that he believed the price or gas should
be regulated by the local authorities, voted with
the minority, and the vote was 70 to 10 in favor
of the Lewis motion. This was another VIC
tory for the Republican leaders and another
defeat for the opposition Following this vote ,o
Senator Lewis again rose. Il move that this
caucus do now adjourn" said lie.
A PROTEST FROM THE MINORITY.
Instantly there shout OF protest. Sen
ator Gardner, OF Brooklyn. protested, saying:
This Tot a caucus on gas. 1t was agreed
that it should only be conference"
Several others OF the minority joined in this
protest and Senator Lewis presently said: well.
let's make ii caucus action then"
NO, No! No. was the cry from the opposi-
ton Let's get out of this!" shouted a member
OF the minority. Then, without more ado thir-
teen Of the fifteen dssenters, headed by the
three Brooklyn Senators and with Senators Cas-
sidy, L'Hommedieu and Wilcox as file closers,
left the room. Senator Barnes, who had voted
this way, rose to go also. Senator, are you
sure you can afford to go?" said a neishbor
Maybe | can't" conceded the Rensselaer, Sen.
ator, and he sat down again. Burr, of Suffolk,
also remained with the majority, increasing it's
number TO tWenty-thTee; for Senators Bracket
and Elsberg, who had gone early, left their
proxies with Senator Raines The departure
or the thirteen ended the caucus but the result
was clearly against the anti-gas legislation
contingent
The consensus OF opinion at the Capitol to-day
agrees that the next week will see the disin-
tegration Of the combination, bipartisan in
character and headed by the well known friend
Of reduced gas prices Senator McCarren who
on the gas question at present heads a united
delegation of all Brooklyn Senators. The next
few days Will see the strongest sort of pressure
both through public opinion and through party
lines, exerted on the less firmly rooted members
OF the antl-gas legislation contingent. To pass
any gas bill twenty-slx votes are necessary
Last night there were twenty-one voting in this
way, but Senator McEwan who was absent
was voting with the majority through a mis-
take, so that the real lineup would show a
vote Of 20 TO 10. OF the sixteen anti-gas SEN
ators, the two Buffalo Senators, Davis and
Fechter. together with Barnes, of Rensselaer,.
Prime of Essex; Cobb, of Jefferson Burr. OF
Suffolk, and Brown, of Otsego, are believed 10
be most likely to change their attitude