New-York tribune., 1906-04-16
THE WEEK IN ALBANY.
Insurance Bills Expected to Become
LasUs-Other Business.
tBy Telegraph to The Tribune J

Albany April 15-Fighting over the passage of
the insurance reform bills will be ended this week.
and most of those measures VIII have become law.
since Governor Higgins afflxes his signature TO
each bill almost as soon as il reaches him. Only
two OF the bills unpassed now by the Senate
and by the Assembly. The perjury bilI' is
before both houses. while the Senate also has TO
take action the bill containing the amendments
the general insurance law
over the perjury bill, already much debated
there will be hot battle. This measure has been
made special order for tomorrow night in the
Senate. The bill is a simple It provides that,
where person has sworn to two distinctly con-
Trajectory statements. material in because
Of their contents. these contradictory statements
may be introduced prima facie evidence against
him. The bill, law, would compel expana-
ton Of the discrepancy. Senator Armstrong and
many others maintain that an innocent man never
would suffer under such law. Senator Grady.
who has led the opposition to the measure, de-
clares IL is distinct contravention OF the spirit
Of the law, which says man shall be judged in
nocent until proved guilty. It is he says making
a testify against himself. without the
immunity from punishment for that offence which
Jerome's Garfield witness law provided.
The general bill has been made a special order
in the Senate for Wednesday morning and that
body will meet hour earlier than usual to have
time to debate the bill properly. Amendments will
be offered to it as they were in the Assembly. The
assessment provision will excite violent opposition.
Senator Bracket has presented several amend
ments relative 10 policyholders' lists. There seems
little doubt that both measures will be passed but
a bitter contest will be made them
Reapportionment probably will be the most i'm
portant subject before the Legislature from now
until adjournment. While this subject does not
appeal greatly to the general public because OF
the coming state campaign and the peculiar politi-
cal conditions existing. il becomes of much weight
to the legislators, and the politicians outside the
Legislature. The Reapportionment bill is expected
this week.
In the Assembly. Tuesday, the TulIy-Wain-
wright Local Option bill and its amendments will
come up for discussion. The amendments will be
adopted, IL Is thought. and little difficulty is ex-
pected in passing the bill. Senator Tully is con-
fdent that he can muster enough votes In his own
House TO put II through. The upstate men are for
the measure almost to
In the Senate one of the most important bills
pending is Senator Pages measure, repeating the
tax on savings banks He expects to push it toward
passage this week II is now in the order of sec
ond reading. He expects that the measure will be
passed, though votes pledged 10 this bill
as they were TO the mortgage tax repeal.
Governor Higgins, in all probability. will take
action on the Page Bowling bill repeating the mort
tax this week. 1t is considered likely that the
Governor will indicate the changes which he thinks
desirable and send the bill back the LEGISLATURE
for such changes. In such it would be
amended and sent TO him again, becoming a thirty
day bill.