New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-05-30
MORE JUSTICES.
The assembly Passes the Man'c'pdt
Court Bill.
by Telegraph to The Tribune

by Telegraph to The Tribune.l
Albany May 29-One Of the cleverest parma
mentary battles of the year carried through py
Senators Grady. Agnew and Page with the con-
sent of most OF the Senate. took the munlcipaI
co,,rt hill from the general orders calendar to-
day, advanced 1t TO third reading and passed. It.
This bill redistricts Manhattan, adds eleven JUS
t!ces to the present staff and provides for an IN
crease OF $1,000 a year in salaries 1t Is de-
signed to bring TO a high grade Of efficiency the
poor mans courts" and was drawn to emoouy
recommendations in Governor Hughes's message
to the Legislature.
Senator Mccall, Of Tammany, was trying u
hold up the bill because. its supporters SAID ne
wanted another judge in his district ana thousht
he could get his demands by holding up the
measure He had the entire procedure "i'ii''i
his hands If he had been alive 10 MS oppoi'u-
mites. and could have tied the Senate INTO
hard knot compelling delay equal 10 lhat vi
the famous all night session last year But ne
was not versed in the technicalties whlch he
tried TO use and the bill was passed with COM
parative ease. Only one vote-that or the oe-
voted Domintck MuIlaney, of the Sullivan clan.
was registered against II.
Early in the day. Senator Grady declared that
he wanted 10 take UP the general orders cal
endar. There were thrty-fve pages OF the third
reading calendar, he said which in ordinary
circumstances would prevent the taking up OF
general orders before adjournment of the Legls"
lature. Therefore. he asked unanimous consent
have the general orders calendar il$iue d
special order next Tuesday. Senator McCail
infected. and refused to withdraw his objection
~ the request Of Senators Grady and Raines
and many of his Democratic colleagues Ihen
Senator Grady served notice that he would ask
that every bill in the third reading calendar be
hone VTiCr
get 20 the order Of motions and resolutions.
where he could make his request In the form OF
a motion which could be carried by a two-thirds
vote.
Each bill. as It came up promptly was laid
aside The clerk gauoped through the calendar.
reading the titles of most of the bills but SKIP
ping many Mccall could have demanded that
each hill be read In full and that a rollcall he
taken on the motion to lay each aside. bst ap-
parently did not know this, so II was a question
of only short time when the order of motions
and resolutions reached. Senator Grady
then moved that the general orders calendar
be made a special order for next Tuesday, anu
# was carried This cleared a way for Senator
Agnew who at once moved that the municipal
court bill be taken from general orders TO third
reading.
Senator Muaney objected vigorously. SEN
ator Page maintained that this was a New York
City bill and would have TO go TO the Mayor. so
II should be passed in time to have 1t returned
from him while the Legislature was in session
Still Mullaney opposed the measure. declaring
that he was vitality interested in it. His inter-
est according to those who supported the bill,
was that Battery Dan Finn had pledged him
TO oppose the bill unless It amended 10 give
a district on the lower West Side which Bat
terry Dan" could control The present district.
from the Battery to 14th street, is too large for
him. However the rules suspended by a
vote of 80 10 l. and the bill was advanced 10
third reading. Then IL was passed Immediately,
and Senator Grady at once moved that the SEN
ate go back to take up the calendar OF blils laid
aside.
The municipal court bill was drafted by the
committee on legislation OF the Citizens Union
and was urged by the Bar Association, Mcr-
chants Association, City Club and other organi-
cations. II divides Manhattan into nine districts
two below 14th street divided by Fourth ave
nue. 9th street. Chrystic and Division streets:
three between 18th street and Central Park. d.
vided by Lexington and Seventh avenues. The
one 10 the west OF Seventh avenue runs to Goth
street. district is created each side OF
Central Park and two districts north OF 10th
street, divided by Fifth avenue. The number 81
judges IN Manhattan IS increased from fourteen
TO twenty-five, and four new judges allotted
10 Brooklyn, and new judge in Queens. to be
elected IN 1909. In Manhattan, the court is to
Sit in parts which are TO be created by tho
board OF justices where business requires them
district there shall be one part devoted to the
poor mans" cases. The judges also 10
have power, on approval by the presiding jus
tees OF the Appellate divisions, to establish rules
OF procedure, which will have much to do the
general belief is, in building up calendar prac-
tice, and thus systematZing litigation In this
important court. The principle OF rotation is
retained