The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-05
FIVE INSURANCE BILLS PASSED
BY THE ASSEMBLY WITH BUT
LITTLE OPPOSITION.

They Prohibit Lobbying, Limit the Amount
OF Real Estate an Insurance Company
Can Own, Prohibit Rebates and Make
II Perjury TO Give False Statements.
ALBANY, April 4.-Five Of the insurance
bills recommended by the Armstrong In
suranoe Investigating Committee passed
the Assembly to-day. The bills passed are:
Prohibiting lobbying and practically
adopting the Massachusetts law in regard
to legislative agents, requiring them. to
register their presence In Albany with the
Secretary Of State when they come here
to favor or oppose legislation before q
legislative committee or the Governor.
They are also to file a statement OF their
expenses while engaged in such duty.
Limiting the amount of real estate a
life insurance company can W to- Its WI
Office building.
Making 1t a misdemeanor for an oficer
or employee of a life insurance company
to make a false entry on the books.
Making it perjury to give false statements.
Making the p~olioyholder who accepts
a rebate equally guilty Of a misdemeanor
with the person who granted the rebate.
But for an objection Of minority Leader
Palmer, the six bills on the calendar would
have been passed, leaving only the general
insurance bill to be acted upon tomorrow.
The bill objected to was the one prohibiting
any corporation from contributing to cam
paign funds. Assemblyman Rogers, who
has charge Of the bills, asked that the bill
be laid aside, as he said there was a seriou
doubt as to how far the bill extended. A
glance over its provisions, he said. caused
him to believe that it would prohibit the
use of the New York county Republican
committees rooms for political purposes
as well as the Tammany headquarters.
After the five other bills had been disposed
of Mr.. Rogers asked for unanimous con-
sent to take up the bill, saying that Senator
Armstrong and Attorney Charles f. Hughes
would attend TO the bill in the Senate. But
Mr., Palmer objected. The bill, however:
will come up tomorrow and will be passed
with the general insurance bill.
The only debate in the Assembly on the
bills was on the one in regard to perjury.
This affects every corporation. Assem-
blymen Wade. Shannon, Fish, Phillips.
Steele, Palmer and Tompkins saw where
a man who had Internationally sworn to an
affidavit and the next day corrected 1t in
another affidav Wit might be arrested for per-
Jury. For over two hours the lawyers of
the Assembly argued on the question OF
perjury. While it was at its height Assem-
blyman Prentice said:
lSdiliV' Shtit III llhs SJiNi'btC W piS
tect liars"
Mr.. Prentice declared that there should
be a law on the statute books which would
cause people to be more careful Of their
oaths and to be compelled to tell the truth.
He said the present perjury law was n dead
letter, as it was next to impossible to secure
a conviction under its provisions.
Assemblyman Rogers said that the bill
was intended to make 1t possible to punish
a corporation which makes one statement in
this State and another in another State or
country, as was the case of the life insurance
companies, and the bill made the corpora
ton show which was the true statement
and which was the untrue one.
~Assemblymen Becker of Monroe, Bisland
of Sullivan, Fish of Madison. Steele of Her
dmer, Wade of Chautauqua and Wemple Of
Schenectady Repsl, and Salamon and
Tompkins Tam), and Wedemeyer tDem..
Richmond voted against the bin,
Assemblymen E gleton CTam) and Nolan
dem, Troy, voted against the rebate bill.
The other bills we're passed unanimousl Y.
Senator Armstrong said tonight that the
bill prohibiting corporations from con-
tributing TO campaign funds will not be
amended. The provision of the bill which
it was contended would prevent the use Of a
political organization property from being
used for political meetings, he said, would
never be so construed, The object aimed
at is to prevent corporations from getting
around the law and in a roundabout way
contributing TO campaign funds.