New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-08-21

oral Tracy in,eruosed an objection on tho ground
that tho Witness refusal TO produce the ic''ers
was the end OF IT, -, n, r,,,
appealed 10 the committee. ,..,
Senator Pierce thought the question perfectly
proper one.
gencrsi rr,sv-Th. eounse, Of the committee arc be-
coming divided against themselves and we shall DC put
in the unscemly position Of obIcctlng to eaeh others
questions Mayor Hewitt was summoned herc 70 pro-
duce a letter That was the only purpose oil that sum
After the preliminary questions NJ 70 TIC e''e
by whcn It written, to whom 10 was written ana gen
cra subject matter he has been required by the commit
produce that letter. and he has refused athou2h
appears evidence that letter wns followed by es~
ation that placed In the hands OF the writer me eh'c
power and oOnsrW ct this great wwk Tic &C.
c'ircs 20 produce II, snd having deeiinca 70
produce IT, Is but for the committee 10
take ard that Is to report his conduct 10 inc senate anu
ask the Senate take action against the Mayor Oh the
City OF NewYork for contempt OF the Senate ID foushg
10 0bcy the order OF the committee.
Tic Senate is not In and cannot and Will not
be again until January Therefore 10 is within inc power
Of Mayor defiance for the present the orner
the committee o. the Senate, and you VIII be eompeea
to walt until the rcasscmbng OF the Senate before you
can report to your supcrors the action OF the witness In
refusing TO obey your command. But, having done that
submit that all further inquiry touching the letter tha
he has refused produce is out OF Older Is immaeria
ana is irrelevant.
AN IMPUTATIoN OF pART1sANsH1P
De Lanccy Nicoll made a rather long reply. In
which he said that when he sworn IN as
counsel for the committee he was assured that the
committee would not be used for partisan pur-
poses, and had determined to oppose oil tendencles
toward that. The imputatiOn that there was
partsanship in the action of the committee called
forth rebukc from Senator Fassctt. lie main
tanned that tho committee had done Its duty, no
matter whether the axe fell on the head OF a
Republican or Democrat It so happened that
there was a majority OF Democrats hoidlng Offices
at present and, therefore, OF course more oi tcin
than Of Republicans were ilapie TO conuo VIM, VIM
the scope of the investigation, III Is uhtor'uha.y
for the State. perhaps" he added smilingly, and
for the city that most Of the officials are OF tho
opposite political ath ron mn Ie orh"ps Il NAV be
dTerenl TIL Then he allowed tIr NcO TO ask
more questions Mr Maj Sf Ts vau ro ans as
sistancc, prompting him frequently IN loud
whisper. ..... -o, :, withdrawing tho
copies Of the letter from this committee eScep, the r@
sons you have given the committed A-Nohe what
oyer feel IL Is MY duty refuse should do the same
II the Governor were Republican
Mr. NIcoll-we suppose that Is putting IL rs strong
ly as it can be put I'D,
senator Fassett-You may have something to do with
Republican Governor yet daughter
The Mayor-I may have. daughter
THE SESSION IN AN UPRoAR
Promntcd by Mr. Sheehan, Mr.. Nicoll returned
70 the charge. and Senator Fdssctt, with ringing
rap of the gavcl, said the committee would al
iourn till the following morning ot ii O'CLOCK.
This produced great commotion. Senators fassett
and Van Colt Immediately left their seats The
snectators rose I'll 20 on with the minority
cried Mr. Nicoh. -. IT.
defended the Mayors action and attitude, but
said that since the Governor WAS agrecable therc
was 10 objection to the ar oil o ,nS cy
dence. Senator Fassctt returned to his scat, re-
marking that 10 intelligent man would object TO
the production of the letters.
Mayor IIcwitt-Tm sorry I'm out in the cold
QauchteE)
Senator Fassett expressed himself ms willing to
60 on with the work If it could be conducted WIN
decornm, But il was not resumed lmmedihry.
The gale did not blow over for about five minutes
when it died away in regrets that the committee
looked rs if il to be divided in Two ana
its future progress blocked, Senator Van Cott
Was then called to his place by the chairman ana
thc committee rcconvened at 3:l2, amid much
laughter.
TIE LETTERS PRODUCED AT LAST.
Mr. Nicoll then explained that he had cot
the letters from Mr. Shcchan. He next handed
them TO the Mayor, who identified them, and
then read them aloud Then the Mayor explained
how he and Colonel Rice hod gone over the
rlst letter. sentence by sentence. That letter
he had taken unusual pains with lie had made
two drafts Of it, then sent finished letter. which
was finally replaced by the one in evidence.
General Tracy asked for the orisnnal letter lgtter,
tho one 0rst sent TO the Governor. The Mayor
refused pcnt-blank and was much cnragea ".
The request am astonishcd." he said, that
auy Gentleman should ask the Mayor 10 take
any ether position than that hold, when IS
that letter cannot he made puDllc wlthou1 me
consent OF the person 70 whom II IS adufesSca' ~,
Mr. Shcchan, OH being applied to said Inc
socaIlcd representative OF tho Governor has never
Seer IT, Then he asked Mr.. Nicoll to explain
that he hadn't come to represent the Governor
at ALL but 1T oGy tb 10 n be- aiS for CEN
era Tracy YVES told by the Mayor mat DC was
repeatedly in the habit of getting pack let,ers
that do not satisfy him and substituting others
for them.
General Tracy-Never heard of such thing and never
did my twenty years experience as public ohlc,a,
The Mayo--wc, you're the only infalble ofhciai
have ever heard OF. (Lsughter)
General Tracy-I agree with you there decIafe'
(Laughtcrl
Tho Mayor-I'll get down TO live in NewYork and
youll under nv description OF angels ana Ia
have you Ia Office tIaughtol)
The air was much clearer now and the en-
animation ran OH much more smoothly as follows
Q-whab were tho considerations that Induced you TO
mako changes in your letter tho Governors A-Noth
Ing but the desire my letter in the shape
was best satisfied with.
Senator Tassctt-hs regards stylo'
Tho Mayor-Ycs style partly. and h" desire to be Just
10 Lanccy Nlcowero there errors OF fact called
to your attention. A.-None a. all.
MORE PRAISE FOR GOVERNOR Hill"
Il think the Governors recommendation was
admissible" Mayor Hewitt continued with en-
uhnsis But | would like to correct error
which General Tracy made in his remarks to the
Committee, if General Tracy will give me his at
tention"
General Tracy will please attend TO ma
Mayor said Chairman Fassctt. Thus adiured
General Tracy fixed MS gaze on the Mayor. Gen
rral Iracy saidn continued the Mayor with some
sharpness, that the result of my letter WAS to
give me absolute control Of this great Commission
and IFS work That is not true 1t merely gave
me tho appointment Of four Commissioners. The
Commissioners control the work Of the Aqucduct;
not the Mayor lie merely controls his own vote.
When he appointed the Commissioners he in
struccd them TO do their duty. to act according TO
their independent Judgment. and that the Mayor
IL hnnn.Ll.. II fnrnd ,riih Linn