Year: 1873

TO RRCOMHIT PREVAILs-THE BILL MADE
THE SPECIAL ORDER FOR THIS MORNING.
! IRON A REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE ThBUN8l
/ ALBANY Feb. 25.-An unexpected hitch oe-
CURED in the Charter programme OF the Custonhonse
leaders to-day. The intention TO move a suspension
The so as take tue Charter out OF its regular
order in the third reading OF bs pass r. and send It to


the Senate before the adjournment OF the morning sos-
sOn But Il rulOred carly in the morning that MI
Bttcbeler Of Saratoga wOud attempt to cbeckmate
this summary proceeding by Offering a resolution
to refer the Ch ,rtcr back TO tue Committee
OF the Whole for full discussion OF al its proviiOns.
and that there was n fair chance OF his getting
majority Of the House 10 support him In the movement.


raid was therefore made upon Batche Her rs soon az
the Assembly convened by Tie active agents of the Cns
tou-bouse party to induce him TO foreco hl8 purpose
Speaker Cornell, Per3)n OF Albany, Patterson OF N'"-
York, and others laborod diligently with The mcmber
from Saratoga and exhausted al their powers OF per
suaslon to prevail upon him to keep quiet, but
without avail. Instead OF moving suspension of
tho rules, therefore, according TO the pre-
vious notice given by M Piorson
last evening" they took mp the regular order Of business
and considered several bills in Committee Of the Whole
Meantime Mr.. opdykc, on whom appears 10 have been
cast tho burden Of rescuing his colleagues from awk
ward dilemmas and giving their tricks q plausible APP
pearance was set to work TO invent some excuse Tor
sending the Charter back the Standing Committee
again, with power to report complete at any time lie
finally discovered that there some amendments
needed to the Charter and when the time arrived he
stated to the that verbal corrections 70 the
bill as engrossed had beeu found necessary
and he would therefore move 10 send
1t back, with instructions TO the Committee
to make these corrections and also TO strike out Sections
CO and Co. and consolidate Sections 5 and TO- He sad
that so far as no concerned he had doubt that
Sections CO and GO, which gave the Superintendent OF
Police the power to transfer officers aud detail detective
policemen would tend TO the better government Of the
city, there appeared to be good deal OF opposition
to the sections and the friends OF the Charter had
cuded TO acquesce In the objections and strike them
out knowing that whenever it became necessary the
superintendent could be vested with this power by tho
Police Commissioners.


Mr.. Batcheller then moved to amend Mr Opiykc'5
motion by recommitting the bill to the Committee Of the
Whole where they would be enabled to understand the
full scope Of Mr.. Opdyke's amendments, and discuss
them on their merits. He said that when the debate
closed this Charter Thursday Of last week they
had got through the reading OF 25 sections only out Of the
125 sections the bill. Pending amendment to the
25h section the Committee rose reported progress and
after getting into the House ordered the bill 10 third
reading. For one, re objected to final action on a
measure Of this importance without members beng
able TO say that they had read tho BILL 1t was Viola
ton Of the spirit IL the letter OF the Constitution
It was also violation Of their pledges Of legislative re-
form made by the Republican party when they declared
that they would set their faces against hasy tnconsde
ate and mprudent legislation. He had heard no good
reason assigned why this bill should be rushed through
the Legislature under party discipline He wished it to
be borne in mind that he did array himself in oPpo
sitiOn to the Charter On tho contrary, he
proposed at tho proper time, 10 vote
for IT, because he believed that the representatives from
NewYork understood better what was wanted for that
city than he did. But he believed that IN enaetng the
fundamental law Of city like NewYork there should oe
ample time for deberauon and fun discussion He also
Io1ia hat fry n ~
the wisdom OF measures presented here and likewise OF
the wisdom Of any proposed party policy Did not the
Republican party pledge ITSELF Sin the last campaign,
against the basty and corrupt legislation that had pre-
vailed here In years past Did it not elect Speaker
at the beginning OF the session with professions
OF reform in that respect While he did
not propose to array himself against his party yet be
appealed to HIS colleagues Of the Republican party 20
stop consider whether they could afford to pass tins
bill with the fact spread abroad the State that only
2j the sections OF 10 had ever been read to the
House. The fact that member OF the Committee on
Cities now gets up aud offers a list OF important amend
mens TO the bill sufficient proof that the bin mad not
been properly considered and maturcd even by those
who NAV be supposed 10 have made it their special
study. He was willing far as his party
was concerned, aud individually, TO take the re-
sponsiby OF the Charter passed here, but he Insisted
that IL should he passed deliberate and becoming
manner. He did not expect We wonld get ISrleeI
charter and he would venture the pcdlelon mat In
than from now thc men VINO now ufEfn
This Charter including himself would be anxious 10 have
It amended. There no need OF haste; the majority
Why use the power precpitatey or unlustly1 lie did
not speak for the Democratic party for he spned that
party. but he asked that his own party should act
deliberately and manner to command the approval
OF all candid and far-miIdei men. .,


Speaker Cornell called attention TO the fact that this
Charter introduced the 81 day OF the session
that it had been considered ia the Committee on cities
for fun month or more ana wa, only re5SrIed week
hut subsequently postponed tin Thursday -Four hours
4
sessions were heid ana upWaI1 pl IEc hos @ F,o & co
sumcd In discussing the bill. How long ne askeh,wond
II take TO get through witt n at that rae OF ProSfess


1t his desire that il should be read through IN Com
mittee the Whole and discussed section by seebon
and he had refused. although frequently urged
to the contrary 10 consent to reporting prog
ress on the bin until he found that the
Committee making no progress, when he Welded.
had been any hasty action the time the bill pro
gressed" IL afterwards referred back TO ~ Stand
ing Committee, who reported II complete Win many or
the amendments inserted that had been proposed IA
Committee Of the Whole An amendment Was also ~
serted providing for commission TO draft charter for
the city and submit IL TO q vote of the people. The
Charter had been published in all the newspapers and
had been Thoroughly discussed by peOp'e ana he
could not the necessity OF further delay. .


Mr. Blumenthal congratulated ne majority that u had
in its ranks men who thought It necessary 70 giye
opportunity for ull and fair discussion Of this bill.


tenton and he reearsed the history or the b ,lnco ts
introduction to show that there had been no disposition
10 undue haste


Nj opdyke said II there any merbero Of tho House
who desired a chance further discuss the Charter be
was in favor gvingit to hlm. He wOuld therefore
accept the amendment OF Mr. Batchecr, and he moved
that the House into Committee OF the Whole nj once
and resume the discussion


Objection was made to this from several sources and


finally motion was made and carried that the Charter
be recommitted to the Committee OF the Whole and that
1t be made the SPECIAL order for 10 morrow morning,
after the reading OF the Journal


The result OF the debate action tha followed
1t is regarded as decided defeat OF tle
IN the Lower House In its present form.


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