New-York tribune., 1873-03-19
INVESTIGATING TWEED.
AN EXCITING DAY IN THE STATE SENATE.
THE TWEED INVESTIGATING COMMITTEE RECON-
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. LOwERY AND ALLEN

ADDED TO IT-sEyERAL SENATORS AND THE
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR INsULTED-A COM
MITrEE WHICH MEANS BUSINESS.
IRON THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT oP TIIB TRlBUNRI
ALBANY, March ls-The Senate Chamber was the
scene to-day of the most exciting discussion which
has taken place there since the present Senators
took their seats in 1872. Immediately after the
transaction of the usual routine business, Senator
johnson offered a resolution for the appointment
of Messrs. Lowery and Allen as additional members
of the Special Committee of three johnson, Lewis,
and Graham), appointed TO investigate the allega-
tions in the public prints and elsewhere that Mr.
Tweed had corrupted members of the Legislature,
and by the use of money secured the passage OF
laws by which he was enabled TO control
the entire municipal affairs of the City Of
New-YOrk and rob and plunder the people
of the said city to the extent Of millions of dollars
In order to understand the full significance of Mr..
Johnson motion for additional members, 1T is neces-
sary to premise that five of the present Republican
Senators tMessrs. Lewis Bowen, Winslow, James
Wood, and Woodin) were members of the Senate OF
1901, and have been less distinctly charged
with having been bribed by Mr.. Tweed to vote for
the Charter of 1870 Mr.. Johnsons original resolu-
tions provided for an investigating committee of
three. Mr.. Wosdin, the President pro tempoe of the
Senate, and one of the five above named appointed
Governor, and named as one of the three Mr.. Lewis
of Erie, also one Of the suspected five.
Mr.. johnson appears to have been, very naturally,
dissatisfied with the composition of the Committee.
However last Friday he proceeded to NewYork,
found Mr.. Tweed and was informed by that gentle
man that be would be represented before the Com
mittee by John Graham, his counsel. Mr.. johnson
then proposed that the Committee should employ
David Mitchell. an able lawyer living in Syracuse,
to assist in prosecuting the investigation Messrs.
Lewis aud Graham, his associates on the Committee,
objected to this, and accordingly Mr.. Johnson asked
for the appointment of additional members, as
stated above He certainly could not have found in
the whole Senate two men who better qualified
to conduct honest and fearless investigation than
Messrs Lowery and Allen, the former having assisted
in exposing the thefts of Terwlger and the latter
having investigated the transactions between Tweed
and James Wood and voted for the expulsion Of that
Senator.
The old Senator's with the exception of Mr.. Wood,
who has been through the investigation mill
already, distinguished themselves by bitter oppo-
sition to Mr.. Johnsons motion They interpreted
that motion discOurteous to the Lieutenant-Gov-
ernor and insulting to Mr. Lewis. On the other
hand Mr. johnson declared that, as the Committee
was then constituted he was poweress to get at the
on with this investigation, and some one will be
hurt" Mr.. WiDslOw lone of the tivel moved to
amend so that the two additional members should
be appointed by the Chair This proposition was de-
feated by a vote Of s to Il. OF the five Senators
who voted for Tweeds charter in 1870, all but Mr..
Woodin voted for Mr.. Winsow's amendment and
Woodin voted against it only because he that it
was useless to vote the other way The four others
voting in the affirmative were Messrs. Benedict,
Dickinson Graham, and Wagner. There was a vast
amount OF discussion on the matter but. as the real
issue was studiously avoided, the manner in which
the controversy was conducted was much more sig
niticant than the matter.
Mr.. Woodin represented the action of Mr.. John
son as merely device to enable that gentleman TO
have his wishes carried ont in the naming of conn
sci, and denounced the motion a direct reflection
on the two other members of the Committee. Mr.
Palmer replied to Mr.. Woodn, saying that the latter
had made very fine speech, but had not touched
the true question He presumed Mr.. Johnson
wanted a thorough investigation, and he, for one
was willing to grant him what he asked Mr. john
son, who was now thoroughly in earnest, said he
was willing to leave the Senate to judge of the mo-
tives of the President pro tempore Woodin) in con-
stituting the Committee as he did" He never be-
leved the doctrine of the Poland report, that
Oakes Ames couldl be guilty of bribery without
anybody's having been bribed These re-
marks added greatly to the previous excitement
Mr. Lewis replied angriy that if Johnson meant to
insinuate that he lewis feared investigation, he
was guilty of gross insult He accused johnson of
attempting to STIR up disagreement, and OF insult
ingn Mr.. Graham and himself. He also accused
Johnson of going off and having private CONVERSE
ton with Mr.. Tweed, without the knowledge of the
other members of the Committee. Thereupon Mr.
Woodin arose, and asked, with some appearance OF
Indignation if this was true This drew from Mr.
Johnson the reply that whoever is to be hurt the
Senator from the Twenty sixth the speaker would
take his chances" Mr.. Woodin then said that the
Senator from the Twenty would have to eX-
plain at some time and in some place, in the Senate
or elsewhere what he meant by questioning the mo-
tive of the presiding officer In appointing the Com
mittee Finally Messrs. Allen and Lowery were
added to the Committee by the following vote:
YEAs-Adams Chatfeld, Cock, Foster, Johnson Lord
MCGOWAN, Murphy, Palmer, Perry, Robertson Seoresdy,
Tiemann, ID. T.. Wood. j. WoOd-l5.
NAYs-Benedict, Bowen, Dickinson, Lewis, Wagner,
Winslow, Woodin-7.
NOT yoISG-Allen, Graham, Lowery-3.
Democrats in Italics.
By an additional motion of Mr.. Johnsons, the
Committee were authorized to employ counsel to
assist them in bringing out the truth.
Though no formal decision TO that eHect mas peen
made, it is certain that the meetings OF the Com
mittee will be open. Should the services OF Mr.
Mitchell be secured as counsel the persons examined
by the Committee will be thoroughly questioned.
As now constituted, the Committee is as good one
as the Senate could afford. Mr.. Lewis is an able
lawyer, and if the Senate of 1901 was an incor-
ruptble body, impervious 10 the Establishments OF
Mr.. Tweed, Mr.. Lewis will doubtless be able to
Itch no fae for truth is
now hold that opinion appear to need some reen-
forcement.
THE DEBATE IN THE SENATE.
ALBANY, March 1S.-lD the Senate, this morn
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