New-York tribune., 1908-03-24
ADVANCE RACING BILLS
UP FOR PASSAGE NEXT.
assembly Kills September amend
ment-Senate to Act To-day.
fBy telegraph to The Tribune.

By telegraph
Albany. March 23-With only preliminary
diminishing the two snti-racetrack gamohhs
bills were advanced to the order Of final passage
by the Assembly tonight Assemblyman Cuvil-
Iier. OF New York, offered several amendments
to the bills amending the Percy Gray law. but
finally withdrew all save one. making them tahe
effect on September 1. This was voted down oe
cfsfveIy only portion of the Tanmany Haii
delegation standing with Mr.. Cuvillier.
The amendments proposed to the bill were
provision for a. fine OF $500 an alternative 10
a years Imprisonment for gambling; the post
ponement to September 1, and technlcai prop-
osition permitting any racing association III
corporated under the Percy-Gray law to take
..subscriptions" toward premiums or prizes from
ANYBODY paying an entrance fee. the associatioil
IN nav over the prizes in case of the success OIL
tho horse for which the premium was onereu'
or In other words as some said later, to permit
the racing association itself to become glsanuc
bookmaking trust.
In support of the amendment Cuviilier MADE
q yociferous II incoherent. speech. various ne
publican and Democratic members urged MN 'o
withdraw the amendments and to permit ali oo
bates to take place on the third reading Oh tiie
hills He consented to withdraw all but the
Septenber amendment. On that the vote
stood 81 against to 16 for This debars him from
third reading.
Three amendments also were offered to the
coupanion bill changing the Penal Code Ihe
important one was fine OF $3.50 as an aiterna-
tive to the years imprisonment for gamonns.
Another was the Spet proposition and the tnfrd
amended the definition of gambling to Include
the passing Of money as well as recording Oh
a wager He withdrew all these amendments.
Paradise Jimmy Oliver IN urging him to per-
ft,C,yt
the amendments now. declared that many men,
bers would want to explain their votes
YES the press will be waiting for them to
esnIain" said he land the people in many or
vour districts will be waiting for explanations.
too"
Senator Agnew expects the anti-gambling bills
to be reported in the upper house to-morro"'
when he will try to have the september
amendment striken from the code Dill lie 1eeis
that ne will have hard fight, but expects 70
win The vote on this motion will be the test
of the Senate's temper. Tremendous pressure
of every sort is being brought to bear on the
members suspected of being willing to vote
against the bills or even to weaken them Re-
ports Of use Of money are rife.
One Senator who does not believe that these
bills will accomplish wholesale reform, SAID that
the campaign against them had been Wageo III
such manner that many members. practically
for their own protection would have 10 vote
for the bills.
Anybody with half an eye can see what is
going on here and in New York and out around
The state" said the Senator, and he does not
have to be on the inside, either. It's pretty
rotten proposition in my judgment There are
several of us here who are not converted 10
this proposition by any means, but this 1901
campaign puts us In the position Of having 10
vote for the bills. maybe against our Judgment
as to the working out of the scheme, or subject
ourselves to accusations of having been IN
fuenced by improper motives
Senators opposing the bills MAINTAIN thal
there are surely twenty eight votes against
them and thirty-one If necessary. These votes
apparently are counted on the September
proposition On vote to kill the bills the
anti Hughes men could not hold that number
and there is some doubt even il they can hold
some of the Republicans on whom they are
counting for the weakening amendment. The
situation though, Is serious. Friends OF the
bills admit that but they do not consider II
necessarily fatal. The Governor stands firm on
his opposition to the September amendment
There was talk to-n night that the Assembly, If
the Senate should send over the bill with that
amendment. would adopt 1t rather than cause
deadlock.