Year: 1874

ATE-THE CAPITOL COMMISSION QUESTION COM


PRoMIsRD-FiNAL PASSAGE OF THE BILL.
lrRos REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF rHE TRIBUNE.


ALBANY. April 23.-The Supply bill came up again
in the Senate this morning motion by ID. +.
Wood to reconsider the vote by which the bill was
lost last evening. Mr. Wood coupled with his mo-
ton condition that after the vote was reconsidered
the bill should be put on its final passage in ten
minutes, "without delay, debate or amendment"
Mr. Jacobs denounced in the strongest terms this
attempt to force the bill TO vote without discussion,
after the important amendment that was made to it
last evening He said that he had heard of such
things being done in the Assembly during the reign
of Tweed and the Tammany Ring, but he supposed
those evil days were past and least of all did he
think that the Senate, which boasted of allowing
the fullest latitude in debate and would not tolerate
the previous question, would be the first to attempt
q revival of the legislative tactics of Tweed. Ho
said that the motion of the Chairnan.of the Finance
Committee was "disgracefu" and he trusted it
would not be adopted by the Senate.


Mr. Ganson also vehemently assaied this move
ment to apply the gag to Senators and shut off do.
bate upon this the most important bill of the ses-
sion. He said that, if it should succeed, he would
feel it his duty to vote against the Supply bill,
whatever might be the consequences. Other Sen
ators also expressed their disapprova of the motion,





it.


The vote of last evening was then reconsidered,
and the debate was renewed on the amendment
changing the Capitol Commission, and kept up for
over two hours. The discussion embraced wide
field and covered politics, sectional ealousies per-
sOnal animosties. and almost everything else which
could be brought into it by the loose, illogical,
supplementary and almost puerle forensic genius
OF the village debating society known rs the pres
ent Senate Readers of The TRIBUNE could not
possibly be interested in detailed report of the
miserable wrangle. 1t is enough to say that the
advocates of O change In the Capitol Commission
became satisfied that the Supply bill could ne"
g. 4H.'oh votAs &" nass "a O. :. t155 after The
amendment made last evening, abolishing the pres
ent Commission and giving the Governor power to
appoint a single superintendent, and that some
better reasons must be given for the change than
had yet been offered.


If the fault with the present condition of things
lay in the system Of constructing the Capitol under
the superintendent of commission as was
argued by the advocates of the charge, then the
same objections would apply to all other commits
siOns" that have charge of the erection Of public
buildings throughout the Stae-as for instance, the
Hudson River Insane Asylum at Poughlzeepse, the
Elmra Reformatory, and the Buffalo Insane Asylum.



instead of removing the Capitol Commission
sngly, to provide for an entire remOdeling
of the plan. An amendment was therefore
offered giving to the Governor the appoint
ment of two Building Commissioners, who
shall have entire control of the construction of all
the public buildings Ia the State except the new
Capitol, and also excepting the Willard Asylum,
which is on the point of being completed. For the
new Capitol, the amendment provides that the
Governor shall appoint single superintendent,
with all the powers of the present Commission.
This appeared to be satisfactory to both parties in
the Senate and was finally adopted without serious
opposition. No other changes Of importance were
made in the bill, aud it passed the Senate by vote
of 2G to 3-Messrs. Jacobs, Ganson and Lord voting
in the negative.


LATER.-The Supply bill down to the
Assembly this evening. when Gen. Batcheller moved
that the bill lie on the table, and that the amend
ments made to it in the Senate be printed. The mo-
ton was carried and the question will be
taken on cOncurring, which Will OF course be decided
in the negative and Conference Committees will
then be appointed From the current of opinion
among Assemblymen, as expressed this evening, 1t Is
certain that the Senate amendment abolishing the
present Capitol Commission will never be cOncurred
in by the requisite twothirds vote, even If the ses
sion has to be prolonged till September 1t is looked
npon by the Democrats as party movement to get
possesson of all the patronage connected with tho
erection of the public buildings for the coming cleo
tions while there are many Republicans who are
opposed to the action Of the Senate.