Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1886-11-06
THE DERBY INVESTIGATION.

Report OF the Special Committee-The
Charges of Bribery Not Sustained
MIR. Sargent Charged With an I'm.
warrantabIe Attack ON the Comm en-
Council-A Dissenting Opinion.
At the meeting of the Board of Aldermen
last evening the special committee appointed
to investigate the charges made by J. B. Sar-
gent against the Common Council of 1884
submitted their report. 1t was as follows:
To the Honorable Court of Common Council
of the city of New Haven:
Your joint committee to whom was re-
ferred the petition of Herbert E. Benton ct
ais. beg leave to report that, in accordance
with your Instructions, they have made an
investigation of all the matter referred to in
said petition; have heard the testimony of
all the witnesses of the parties in interest,
together with able arguments of counsel;
and have also summoned and examined all
such other witnesses as your committee had
any reason to believe had any knowledge of
the matters to be investigated.
From the evidence thus heard your COM
mittee find:
First-That Joseph B. Sargent did pub
licly charge that the Derby railroad compa-
ny paid money for the purpose of corrupt
ly influencing municipal legislation.
Second-That said Joseph B. Sargent also
did publicly charge by implication that Ger
tain members of the Court of Common
Council of the year 1884, twelve in number,
were bribed by the payment of 500 each to
vote for the plan known as the Derby rail
road compromise.
Third-That said Derby railroad company
and it's agents employed a lobby to influence
the members of said Court of Common
Council to vote in favor of said compro-
mise.
Fourth-That no member of said Court of
Common Council received money or any other
considerable on to influence his vote on said
compromise, and that member in his
ton in reference to said matter was infu-
enced by an offer of money or any other il
legitimate consideration.
Fifth-That no money was paid or
offered to be paid by the said railroad com
pany, or its agents, to any member of said
Court of Common Council, either for his
vote or to influence the same, in reference to
said compromise.
From the facts thus found by your COM
mittee, they respectfully recommend the
adoption of the following resolutions:
Resolved, That the making and publishing of the
said charges by Joseph B. Sargent and the conse-
o Gus and unWa2ranted attack upon the reputation
and character of the members of the Court of Com
upon the good name Of the city, and was without
Resolved, That the methods of the lobby, whose
existence in this matter was admitted. were i'm
proper and justly deserving of censure
declare that the prevalent practice of corporations
employing lobbies to influence legislation is detri
mental to the best interests Of the city and of the
State.
Ali of which is respectfully submitted.
Dated at New Haven, this thirtieth day of Octo-
Der, A. D., 1885,
GEORGE L. D1cKERMAN, chairman,
RICHARD NJ. SHERIDAN,
G. W PALMER,
E. j. SULLIVAN,
OF the committee.
Councilman Hitler dissenting from some
of the opinions of his colleagues of the COM
mittee, submitted the following report:
I differ from the majority of the committee
on the following points:
First-While believe that Mr.. Sargent
should be censured for the insinuations con-
tanned in the published letters against mem
bers of the city government whose upright
characters are well known to the community,
also think that he has rendered a service to
the public in calling attention to the ad-
mitted conduct of the railroad and its agents
in trying to influence the decision of the
Court of Common Council.
Second-From the evidence submitted to
the committee am not prepared to find as an
ascertained fact no money "was Offer ed to
be paid by the said Derby railroad company
or its agents to any member of said Court of
Common Council' to influence his vote.
Third-The censure in the proposed reso-
lutions is in my judgment too severe upon
Mr.. Sargent and not severe enough upon
the railroad and its agents for the whole
course of action in regard to said COM
promise which their own testimony dis
closes.
With these exceptions I approve the re-
port.
Respectfully submitted,
ALLEN MAxY HITLER,
Member of the Committee.
Dated New Haven, Nov. 1, 1886.
The report was accepted and tabled until
next meeting.