350 



Q. When you found that this Hadley bill has passed the Assembly, 

 did the commission have a meeting to confer about the bill ? ' 



A. No, sir. 



Q. Who proposed this amendment to the Senate ? 



A. I think I heard about this bill first; Mr. Hadley then came up 

 and said it had been passed through the Assembly and explained it; 

 then Mr. Knevals and Mr. Basselin also saw the bill; it might not 

 have been a regular, formally called meeting, but at any rate the 

 amendment was decided upon by the whole of us. 



Q. At a meeting? 



A. Yes, sir. 



Q. You presided ? 



A. I can't say; I suppose so; I remember being there; of course I 

 would preside, nobody else ever presided. 



Q. You urged that amendment to the bill in the Senate ? 



A. I was in favor of it. 



Q. But after that amendment failed to pass and become a part of 

 the bill, the commission was not 1 in favor of carrying out the pro- 

 visions of the Hadley act ? 



A. That seemed to be the result. 



Q. During those years you didn't make any protest ? 



A. No, sir; no formal protest; I simply said I thought we ought to 

 look into those things. 



Q. You knew that the commission was not carrying out the objects 

 of the bill ? 



A. Yes, sir. , 



Q. Therefore, to the extent that it was possible, the commission was 

 nullifying a law of the Legislature ? 



A. Yes, sir. 



By Mr. Davie: 



Q. What was the substance of the amendment which slipped out? 

 A. I have forgdtten it; I can't remember the substance; it was 

 something or other that made it safer to do. 

 Mr. Fiero. — I offer in evidence the Hadley bill. 



CHAPTER 475. 

 "An Aot to amend chapter 283 of the Laws of 1885, entitled 'An act 

 to establish a forest commission and to define its powers and duties, 

 and for the preservation of the forests.' " 



The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and 

 Assembly, do enact as follows : 



Section 1. Section 8 of chapter 283 of the Laws of 1885, entitled 

 "An act to establish a forest commission and to define its powers and 



