Bank of New York Co. said that...

Bank of New York Co. said that nearly half of Irving Bank Corp.’s outstanding shares have been tendered, giving it an apparent edge in its battle to acquire Irving through a rare $1-billion-plus hostile bid. But Irving’s “white knight� merger partner, Banco Commerciale Italiana SPA, said it remained committed to buying a large stake in Irving as part of a major restructuring plan that Irving proposed as an alternative to the Bank of New York offer. As of the close of business Wednesday, Bank of New York said it had 53.96% of Irving’s shares.