Page:Immigration and the Commissioners of Emigration of the state of New York.djvu/108

94 On motion,

"Resolved, That the proceedings of this meeting be authenticated, and transmitted to the Senate and Assembly of the State of New York."

Of the committee above named, Mr. Carrigan alone went to Albany, and in a great measure it is due to his indefatigable exertions that the Legislature finally passed the people's bill.

The Common Council likewise appointed a committee to proceed to Albany and oppose the passage of the bill. On that committee were two Whig aldermen, namely, Abraham Wakeman and Thomas McElrath. These two aldermen were the personal and political friends of Mr. Weed. The attention of neither had been previously directed to the enormous frauds to which emigrants were subjected. But as they were just and fair men, the facts, when presented to them, had the effect produced upon all impartial minds. Messrs. Wakeman and McElrath returned immediately to New York, and reported themselves in favor of the measure which they had been sent to Albany to oppose.

The bill introduced by Dr. Backus and drafted by Senator Ira Harris had the support, with one exception, of all the Whig senators. That exception was the Hon. George Folsom, of New York. It required the votes of eight Democratic senators, of which number seven only could be obtained, and this occasioned a tie vote, so that the bill was finally passed by the casting vote of the Lieutenant-Governor. That Lieutenant-Governor was the Hon. Addison Gardiner, of Rochester. Judge Gardiner, though greatly and deservedly esteemed by his Democratic friends, was accused by the excited opponents of the bill with listening too readily to the representations of Mr. Weed, with, whom the Lieutenant-Governor had been for many years on terms of warm personal friendship. The simple truth was that Judge Gardiner was too enlightened and philanthropic to allow any considerations but those of justice and duty to influence his action upon such a question. The same motives and feelings prompted Mr. John E. Develin, of the Assembly, to give his voice and vote for the bill. The bill was finally saved by the casting vote of Lieutenant-Governor Gardiner. The highest praise, however, for