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82 BETWEEN THE OCEAN AND THE LAKES
desire of the people in the Southern Tier of State they indulged in some pleasant badinage
for the construction of the road, which now depended
upon favorable legislation. The road lay dead at would vote.
Middletown, and the only hope of its resurrection
was involved in the issue at Albany.
Our bill was introduced in the Senate, that being
the less numerous bod}-, as a thorough canvass of
the Senate could be more easily and quickly made
pense, which gave no assurance as to how they
" On the first call of the roll, Mr. Corning, whose
name stood near the head of the list, did not vote.
This alarmed me, as his omission to vote would be
fatal. But I noticed that after his name was called
and he did not answer, that he left his seat and
than in the Assembly. Its progress in the Senate walked up to the clerk's desk, and stood by the side
was slow. It took a long while to getit acted on of the clerk who was calling the roll. When the
favorably in committee and reported to the Senate, names of Judge Lott and Mr. Mitchell were called,
and a long while asit seemed to advanceit so as to each looked smilingly at me, and voted ' Aye.'
be placed on the calendar for finalpassage. But this When the roll call was finished,which Mr. Corning
delay gave me time to thoroughly canvass the Senate.
Mr. Diven and Major Brown became impatient
had been watching by the side of the clerk, and before
the result of the vote was announced, Mr. Corning
at this delay, but I assured them that the prospects stepped back toward his seat and requested that his
were good, and they found consolation and rest in name be called. The clerk called ' Erastus Cornplaying
whist at their elegant quarters at the grand ing,' and Mr. Corning responded 'Aye!' That
old Eagle Hotel.
settled the question, and the clerk announced the
I had thoroughly canvassed the Senate before vote, 'Ayes, twenty-two.' The ' Noes' I did not
the bill was ready for its third and finalreading. I listen to hear.
had received positive assurance that nineteen Sena- " Diven and Brown were so well pleased with the
tors would vote for the bill. It was a ' two-thirds ' passage of the bill through the Senate that they
bill, requiring twenty-two votes for its passage. The offered me the enormous sum of one hundred dol-
Senate consisted of thirty-two members. To make larsif I would secure its passage by the Assembly
the requisite number of twenty-two I looked to Sen- within a certain number of days—I do not remember
ators John A. Lott of Brooklyn, Erastus Corning of now how many days. I told them I thought they
Albany, and Thomas B. Mitchell of Montgomery ought to be quite satisfiedif the bill became a law
County. From their location they were not favor- at any time before the close of the session. So
ably inclined toward the legislation we desired. they returned to their whist and euchre, at their
They had actively supported Mr. Dickinson in the easy quarters at the Eagle Hotel, and I turned my
Senatorial contest, and were his warm friends, and attention to the Assembly.
I appealed to them to support our bill on personal " The fieldof labor was largely extended when
consideration. They would not promise positively the bill reached the Assembly. Instead of thirtyto
vote for the bill. The most they would say two members as in the Senate, the Assembly conwas
that they might vote foritif their votes were sisted of one hundred and twenty-eight members.
necessary for its passage, out of personal considera- In this branch I had active and earnest co-laborers.
tions.
Thornton N. Niven, my friend from Newburgh,
' When the bill came up on its finalpassage I took special charge of the bill in the Assembly.
took care that every Senator upon whose vote I had George Noble of Unadilla became as earnest in his
depended was in his seat. I placed myself behind
Judge Lott and Mr. Mitchell, as they occupied ad-
support of the bill agreed upon as he had been in
opposition to the plans of Diven and Brown. Coljoining
seats and stood where I could whisper in
onel Fellows, one of the three members of the
their ears. I thought perhaps my presence might Assembly from Otsego County, the neighbor of
have a favorable influence when the crisis came. Mr. Noble, was active in support of the bill. Gen.
They could not help seeing my great anxiety and
Frederick Mather, a member of the Assembly from