Morning journal and courier., 1885-03-11
THE PIeoTr CASE.

New Havenss Big PetitiOn-A Hearing Before the House Portion of the Ju- dietary COmmittee-Govern Waller i'm Defense of the Offending New Ha- ven Representative.
 The hearing on the petition of the hVe thousand citizens, more or less, of New Ha- ven asking that committee be appointed to inquire into the charges made by Represents tive Pigott that undue influence had been used in making up House committees, &c., was held in the Judiciary committee room at the Capitol yesterday afternoon at 3 o'clock. The large room was well filled with people, there being liberal sprinkling of those in terested in the case from this city. There were also many members of the legislature present, many of them being drawn there from the fact that it had been noised about the Capitol that ex-Governor Waller would appear for the petitioners. MT. Plgott, al though at the Capitol during the day, did not put in an appearance at the committee hear ing.
 After the petition had been read by the clerk of the committee Governor Waller opened the argument on behalf of the peti- tioners. He spoke in substance as follows: 'sThe city of New Haven has population of about seventy thousand people and is repre- sented by only sstwo Representatives in the General Assembly. The interest Of that great community is so diversified that they should at least have the voice and vote of \ those two Representatives. A few weeks ago one of them made remark that was no doubt an unparliamentary one. He said 1t \ in the heat of debate without malice toward \ the Speaker or any member of the Railroad ! committee. He made retraetion at that | time and many members l am informed l heard that retraction, although all did not. | While guilty of indiscretion he acted the \ part of & gentleman in making his retrac- \ tion, The petitioners say that they know ot | no parliamentary law that would compel l member to make a retractlon ln humlllat- | ing way They say that you might as well make him stand on top of the Speakers desk | and make a retraction as to ask h1m \ to make it in writing. His constituents say | that the mode of retraction demanded \ is unparliamentary, undignihed and unjust. | If there is any doubt about his having made | a retraction he would willingly stand on the \ floor of the House in the usual way and make I it hundred times If his constituents had any doubt about his making retraction al
 the time they never would have signed that l petition. If the hearing is not had as asked | for in this petition then it is the duty of the ! House to expel this member I hope, and do not believe he ever will make the apology
 in the way called for. Now if this commit
 tee will not make the suggestion that MT Pieott make his retraction in the ordinary
 way, then I say expel him and let his con
 stituents elect someone to represent them il
 this General Assembly. Finally don't be
 lieve that Mir. Pigott or any of his constitu
 ents meant to charge corruption on the Speak
 CT in the appointment of any of this commit tee Thank God we have not got so far ye
 as to be corrupt in the appointment ot com
 mittees. That there may have been consul
 tations with prominent gentlemen In regart ! to the make up of the committees do no doubt. It is always the csse as it was whel was Speaker and nobody ever thought o ! charging corruption on account of it. l would suggest to this committee that they rec I ommend that MT. Pigott be called upon t' 1 retract in the usual way and have no doub l he will do it. If you give @ mem Der an ap nortunity to apologize for indiscretions O | charges against any other member, then
 say give him a chance to apologize in tn
 ordinary way and if he won't do it expel hin
 at once.
 The committee informed Governor Walle
 that all they were to consider was the subJec
 matter in the petition, which called Tor | committee of inquiry into the charges mad l by Mir Pigott It was not for them to con | slider the form which had been prescribed b, l the House in which MT. Pigott should mak l his apology or to recommend that the forn | should be changed.
 l After further argument between the GoV ! ernor and the committee, Mayor Holcom was called upon to give his views. The Mayo ) said that he did not think that he could ad
 anything to what the Governor had said . l He thought that the wishes of the petitioner
 had been fairly stated by the Governor. Il said there was no question in his own mn
 l,ut that New Haven should in some way D | represented by two persons as provided l | the constitution.
 ! Weigand Schlein added few words | | favor of the petition. The committee aske
 if there were any others desiring to be heard
 and there being no response the hearing wa | closed
 Notwithstanding the fact of Governo | Walters appeal for justice to New Haven b | the expulsion of MT. Pigott, if he had not c
 would not make a sufficient apology, so ths | a new presentative could be elected. ye
 there is bar to such course. Chapter l0s page 331 of the public acts of 1878 provide l that in case of any vacancy Tn the douse
 the death or removal of a member beto1
 the first Tuesday in February, ths
 it shall be filled by election. etc. Thel
 is no provision made for filling vacaneie l after that time and hence no election coul now be held, except by special legislation meet this particular case.
 The Judiciary committee will report ln
 day or two and the general feeling anon
 those who were present at the hearing , that they will recommend that the petition , l CTS have leave to withdraw.