New-York tribune., 1907-05-24
SURPRISE FROM HUGHES
SENDS SPECIAL MESSAGE.
Urges Recount Bills Passage-It
Nay Not Go to Mayor.
IRy Telegraph to The Tribune. !

Albany. May 23-As various Senators to-day
were trying to stave off the presentation of a
notice by Senator Cohalan that at some future
time he would move to pass the recount bill out
of its regular order. a message from Governor
Hughes reiterating his recommendation that
/ this measure be made law reached the Senate
( chamber. In that message the Governor de-
| clared that the recount bill was ''city" meas
/ ure and urged that the Legislature postpone
/ adjournment until the bill became law His
| message served notice that the Governor could
| not stand for the passage of the recount bill
/ Immediately before adjournment thus giving to
Mayor Mcclellan opportunity to kill it with
| out having the Legislature to re-enact it, More
/ than that, it taken all sides as a definite
| declaration TO the Senate that the Governor in
/ tended 10 get those things he had recommended
| in his message.
The Governors message follows:
/ In my first message to the LEGISLATURE REQ.
oIhmended that provision be made for recount
OF the votes cast for Mayor at the municipal
election in New York City in 1905. The reasons
LOT LOT tIls recommendation were fully stated The
doubt that exists to the result of that cleo
ton should be dispelled and the demands of JUS
| tlce with reference to "A matter of fundamental
Importance should be satisfied
Ihere is no reason why grievance should be
iostered because the law. supposed to be ade-
quate. has been found defective. and provision
p !pr summary recount is wanting This lack
the Legislature is competent to supply.
A bill providing for the recount has passed the
Assembly. and / respectfully urge It's massage
oy the Senate The measure is neither for nor
AGAINST any one, but rs simply in the public in
tSrest in order to provide the means for settling
matter which all should desire to place beyond
controversy The importance OF the question in
credSes rather than diminishes with the lapse OF
time, and it should be promptly disposed OF
1t has been suggested that it will be necessary
under tne constitutional provision, to submit the
bill to the Mayor of the city Without attenpt-
ing to deal with this matter at length. / may
say that IN my Judgment that course should be
taken
And in view of the urgency Of the matter.
recommend that the Legislature postpone final
adjournment until after the bill becomes Law.
MIGHT DELAY ADJOURNMENT.
The Legislature is beginning to learn that the
Governor is man of his word with an unusual
stock of determination. Holding the Legisla-
ture for the fifteen days allowed to the Mayor
by law to decide on the bill would throw ad-
journment from the end of next week. the time
practically decided by Senator Raines and
other leaders, to we'll along I'm June. To avoid
sending such a bill to the Mayor. and to cor
rect certain features of the bill drawn by Mr.
WINS and ex-Judge Cohen. il is altogether likely
that important amendments will be presented
Monday night. In effect they will change
the bill from a measure providing specifically
for a judicial recount of the ballots cast at
municipal election in first class cities In 1905.
| 10 a general amendment to the election law.
| providing explicitly for a recount of the ballots
/ cast in the New York City election IN 1903 and
! giving a general procedure for future cases 81
! the sort.
! Senator Raines has under consideration such
/ amendments Between now and Monday il Is
probable that he will consult with various Sem
ators. including Senator Page. who has the
present recount bill in charge, and they will
work out the precise form of the proposed
changes
with
bill We shall he able TO adjourn without waiting
to get il back from the Mayor chuckled Sena-
tor Raines tonight. in answer to query
10 what was likely 10 happen to the recount
measure
The recount bill Is near the end of long gen.
eraI orders calendar Under the spur OF the
Governors message. the Senate worked to-day
as il has worked previous day this year.
and went through long third reading calendar.
preparatory to getting into COMMITTEES of the
whole. early next week. when the recount bill
may be taken up. If amendments Of the character
reported are presented on Monday night. the
measure can be taken up when the requisits
three days on the files in it's new form have
passed BY that time the Senate surely could
get to that order of business and advance II to
third reading and then pass It, 1t could be re-
passed easily in the Assembly. and then could
be sent 10 the Governor and would not inter-
fere with any plans for early adjournment.
NOTHING DONE ON REAPPORTIONMENT-
Some persons here suspect that the Governor
would like to have the Legislature here for other
thugs than the recount bill-for reapportion.
nnent for instance. Nothing was done that
subject to-day. Nothing will be done until
next week Members of the AppOrtionment
Committee still are i'll the air to the plan
they shall adopt. Senator Tully has had sew
eraI talks with Governor Hughes on the sub
iect as have other legislators here. All they
have gained from them reiterasion OF the
Governors belief in the necessity and advisa-
bility of a complete reapportionment, which could
not be subject TO challenge from any source.
He has not suggested any plans. He has
plans those in his confidence say.
When the subcommittee on plans next week
gets its tentative bill prepared. Senator Tully
will have another talk with tlIe Governor about
the plan of redistrctng provided for in the bill.
Hughes men believe that the Governor tf ha
found objections to this plan would not hesitate
TO point them out to Senator Tuly. but they de-
clare that in would the Governor advo-
cate any changes or plans of his own. What
the result on the reapportiOnment will be can
only be estimated from the victory won by the
Governor on the utilities bill and by the haste
with which the Senate set about work on the
count proposition
Immediately after the reading of the Senate
journal this morning Senator Cohalan gave
notice that at some future time he would move
to suspend the rules To pass the Prentice re-
count bill out of it's regular order, Senator Nc
Carren at once objected TO the reading of tho
notice declaring il out of order at that
time. Lieutenant Governor Chanler held that 1t