The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-06
INSURANCE BILLS IN SENATE.
ALL OF THEM ARE ADVANCED TO
A THIRD READING.
Five Are on the Order OF Final Passage
Bills That Deal With Perjury, Cam-
paign Contributions and Lobbying Meet
With Opposition and May he Amended.

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With Opposition and May be Amended.
ALBANY, April 5.-The Senate spent all
Of the afternoon considering the Arm
strong insurance investigating committee
bills and without material change advanced
all Of them to a third reading. OF the
eight committee bills one has become a
law, five others have passed the Assembly
and are on the order Of 1nal passage in the
SenaSe, while the t%o others, the general
amendments to the insurance law and the
one regarding campaign contributions by
corporations. are pending in both houses
on the order Of anal passage.
Both in the Senate and Assembly to-day
when the bill affecting corporation cam
paign contributions came up for con sidera-
ton various objections we're raised to 1t.
In the Senate it was pointed out that the
bill only prohibited contributions from
corporations. Senator Alalby thought the
word corporations was not broad enough,
and Senator Bra X suggested hat con-
tributions should be prohibited from joint
stock associations as we'll as from corpora
tons.
In the Assembly the bill passed unani-
mously and was about to be sent TO the
Senate when A~ssemblyman Schoeneck of
Onondaga made a motion to reconsider the
vote by which the bill had been passed.
He pointed out that in his mind there was
a grave doubt as to the constitutionality Of
the bill. He said that the provision which
relates to immunity of witnesses who are
compelled to testify oonficted with the
Court Of Appeals decision in the Lewissohn
case. The motion to reconsider was laid
on the table, which tied up the bill.
When these complications arose Senator
Armstrong at once sent for Mr.. Hughes
to come to Albany and confer with him
regarding the changes. Mr.. Hughes ar
rived here at 7 o'clock and went into con-
ference with Senator Armstrong.
The first bill considered in the Senate was
the one prohibiting campaign contributions
by corporations.
Senator McCarren said that the people
would observe with much interest the course
OF an election conducted without the aid of
corporation funds and they would be able to
ascertain just how much Of a figure they
have cut in the past. For himself, Senator
McCarren said, he was pleased 70 support
the bill, the effect Of which would be- to re-
lieve political leaders from the responsibility
of distributing campaign funds.
The bill which aroused the most opposi-
I'LL o4NA Illdl EClldtOI SIdd1 Was VIC
one which deals with perjury. He con-
tended that the present code provisions on
this question were ample. He insisted that
the committee bill was unwarranted and
would be laughed at if it were brought for
ward at any other time or under other con-
ditions.
A majority of the Senator's, especially
those of the legal profession, also we're Of
this opinion and the expression was general
that the Armstrong committee had gone
ypffhnNt ire nrnNirna in ~ Trazfi inn u r-ang,,r,
of this character in connection with insur-
ance legislation. Finally Senator Arm
strong was asked either to withdraw the bill
or to submit one not so broad in its provi-
sions.
The next bill to cause Comment was the
one regarding the misc onduct Of officers
and employees Of a corporation. especially
concerning statement in official reports
to the insurance n other State depart
mente. There was some question as TO
whether the bill conprehended their know
ingly" making such misstatements, and the
word was inserted to make it certain. This
was the only amendment made to any of
the bills to-day, and 1t was satisfactory to
Senator Armstrong.
Next to the perjury bill, the one that
aroused the most opposition was the meas
ure which aims to prevent lobbying. As it
stands the bill as regards attorneys applies
only to attorneys who come to Albany in
the interests Of legislation. requiring them
W Skl5lC WALL NlV S1NlSloly vi Il
and to file a statement Of their expenses.
Senators Grady and Quinn said that the
attorneys who get the most money out of
legislation were those who sat in their
Offices in New York and that the bill should
be amended TO reach them.
In the general insurance bill objections
were made to the provision regarding in
and assessment insurance COM
panies. Senator Grady's motion to elm
mate the provision permitting the com
panies to retain their collateral trust bond
investments was defeated, as was Senator
Hills motion to eliminate the provision
concerning assessment companies. All
the amendments were voted down with the
idea that they would be considered by the
Armstrong committee and Mr.. Hughes
tonight and that only those upon which
they agreed would be permitted to be made
to the bills later.
MIR. Hughes met the members Of the
Armstrong committee tonight at the Hotel
Ten Eyck and at midnight Mr.. Hughes
still was busy perfecting the bills.