The sun., 1908-03-19
ANTI.DETTTNG BILLS NAY FAIL
MYSTERY ABOUT THEIR PROF.
ABLE FATE IN THE SENATE.

one senator Says That n Senators VINO Are
Opposed to Them Stand Firm They
Mn he Defeated-CannOt BE Reached
In Either House Before Next Week.
ALBANY, March ls.-Whie the advocates
Of the bills to repeal the Percy-Gray betting
law are sangline that they will be passed
the opponents will not admit II. For some
days there has been an air Of mystery sur
rounding the final disposition Of these bills
In the Senate, and to-day It was openly
declared by some persons who are in
position 10 know that the expectation is
that the Senate will refuse to pass any Of
the bills.
The entire question, said one Senator
'is whether or not the membersof the Senate
will be able 10 stand up under the lashing
that the Governor will give them When
the bills were introduced a number Of
Senators openly announced that they would
not vote for them. Then the Governor
became busy with his speeches and they
began to change front. Now II the Senator'S
who say they will vote against the bills
will remain firm the Percy-Gray law will be
in force next year
The people who have the preservation
Of the Peroy-Gray law at heart are saying
but little, although smiles and knowing
winks give the impression that they have not
lost hope. One prominent upstate Senator
said to-day that there are 50 many stories
going around that It is impossible to tell
just what the status Of the bills are. Last
night. he said, he was OF the opinion that
the bills would be defeated In the Senate
when they came up for final passage. There
are some others about the Legislature who
profess to believe that the bills will be
defeated after a long fought battle on the
floor Of the Senate.
That Senator Agnew is not so sure that he
has the votes to pass his bills was indicated
to-day, Although he endeavored yester-
day TO give notice that at some future day
he would move 10 suspend the rules 10 pass
the bills out Of their order he to-day an
nounced, after he had given the notice. that
he was not sure when he would make the
motion. Senator Grady yesterday blocked
his attempt TO give bis notice, and the temper
Of the Senate was believed to be shown
when a motion TO adjourn was carried before
Senator Agnew could write out his notice as
required by the rules
The bills cannot be reached now before
next week in either hous and the longer
they are put Of it is believed the less are their
chances OF being passed. Senator Agnew's
bills differ from Assemblyman Hart's in
that the latter makes the proposed repeal
n a iTnu 10 rk .
Senator Agnew's bills has been amended to
take effect on September 1. Senator Agnew
will make fight TO have his bills restored
10 their original form TO take Of ect at once.
To-day the last hearing on the anti-race-
track betting bills was held. the Senate
Judiciary Committee has in its possession
the bill eliminating from the Percy-Gray
betting law the exclusive penalty. IL is
hinted that 1t was Gov. Hughes who was
responsible for the Introduction Of tho bill.
The other bills had been introduced and
there was some surprise when. after a con-
ference with the Governor. Senator Agnew
and Assemblyman Hart amended their bills
so as 10 include the repeal OF the exclusive
penalty provision. Had IL not been for this
there would not have been so much TO fear
from the repeal Of other sections Of the
Percy-Gray law. for with the exclusive
penalty still on the statute books racetrack
betting could have been conducted
The hearing to-day on this bill was tame
affair and but little interest was manifested
in II. The anti-race track interests intro
duced the Rev. Charles II. Rrkhurst, who
came as the president Of the Society for the
Prevention Of Crime, and Rabbi Stephen
Wise OF New York city. as their chief speak.
ers. Joseph G. Auerbach appeared on be-
half Of the Jockey Club. and in the main his
arguments were the same as had already
been given before the Codes Committee OF
the two houses.
Mr.. Auerbach again took Gov. Hughes
severely to task for his part in trying to
whip through the Legislature the Agnew-
Hart bills. He said the Governors duty
was to recommend legislation, and he
had gone beyond this right in trying to
persuade legislation. He said the Gov
ernor was trying to influence the legislators
through his speeches and messages, and
in so doing he had overstepped his duties
and what he was now doing encroached
on the rights Of others.
THE views OF Gov. Hughes" said Mr..
Auerbach, -on these bills are not entitled
10 any more respect than that Of private
citizen"
Senator Agnew read resolution adopted
by the Union League Club Of New York
city indorsing the Agnew-Hart bills and
calling for their passage. He also read
letter from the Federation Of Church
Clubs Of New York city approving Of the
bills.
DR. Parkhurst confined his talk TO what
he thought the Constitution meant and
said that gambling thrived under the
Percy-Gray law, Rabbi Wise also made
speech, in which he denounced racetrack
gambling and charged it with being re-
sponsible for untold misery.
The Rev. H. s. Laidlaw OF New York city
spoke from the standpoint Of the Church
The committee will take up the bill at an
executive session tomorrow morning.