New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-21

Mr.. ~McMaster said that the Assembly had lost
confidence in the Committee on Appropriations,
and put in resolution providing for the appoint
mcnt of a social committee Of five TO continue the
ceiling investigation. Mr. Ainsworth, VINO had
been silently enduring this drubbing now came
forward, and said:
matter, without heat All win remember that dla
not want the charge Of this ana ina ao n4,
who have made the valuable report. II we had been
sticr Would VI we have selected such expersi
delayed going on with the investigation untii tne
getting the contractors who put in bids
and another officer Is In syracuse collecting edsn c
considered lmpeached the report Of the experts
ruled IL out / think did right IN ruling II our.
admitting testimony which would destroy the valuable
report OF tho committee OF experts. Mr. flsh;
Tor bill last year, removing him from the office q
Aqueduct Commissioner. Mr. sheehan Yesterday s Ns
that no lawyer could admit such question as Mt.
M Mr. ' sheehan-Pernlt me to say that | said that
no court would admit such question; yet that ID
such investigation as we are cond9ctinS 4 had
been he aOT Asf ssnsSe = S Ses
fail play and even II am to go home with furnished
name, should do what think is right In this matter
Mr. Fish~wil the gentleman please not call me
M Ainsworth--very well, thon, I VIII call you
my enemy, for believe you 70 be such Gentlemen
!, you want to censure u.s. do so II you want to
discharge us, do so but at least do us justice.
MIR. Fish thereupon followed with speech
which riveted upon him the attention Of the
Assembly. He said
he distinguished gentleman from oswego. Mr. Aims,
WORTH has mentioned my name, he has my tlanKs. ~
Wien wss he os bsfe e% ns e In
breath he charged me with certain derencuohhs anu
stated that had been removed from board THEREFOR
md minnie afterwad he gets up and announces 70
his House that he was ashamed Of the acton we,S e
Why did be make make his rst charge and insinuatOni
Ses he ia y Thew s may do him credit but they do
no one else credit 50 much for that. ,s 49,, MANN
viii t sear nn wif that the soSs@a
from oswego, of telephone fame; but we are not
S to do i IS get p at the facts and not suppress
the facts Of this steal which was perpetrated through
man who is now chairman of the Committee on APP
propriatons, and who seeks to keep this investigation
Bnt now I saw he made deliberate misstatements
In the speech which he made in regard to the testimony
me the opportunity to bring out. Tho House VIII
bear me out farther that the gentleman from osweg9
his House could appear before his committee and ash
my questions he desired. believe II he had nor
Se COMMITTEES % Approprsistig4ns at tina, that
itions composed There are as understand it,
but two lawyers on that committee Now. say that
almost the entire examination in the committee has
been done by the gentleman from oswego himself
What was the proposition which he ruled out yester-
day would ask him here TO produce the stem
Ographic notes, and then the House can Judge
whether he misstated the matter or not ! say again.
ment Of the facts to this House. What was il that
was seeking TO obtsin7
Mr. Fish here detailed the facts concerning his
attempted question to Mr. Sinclair, and continued:
/ appeal to the members Of this House to know
whether II the duty of that committee TO ascer
lain the price by whatever method they can II they
TO produce the books and papers and contracts IL
Is within their power call for them Why. what arc
the resolutions OF the gentleman from Kings They en-
BODY this very principle that this committee is author
tied send for books, papers and anything else which
may lead up to matters relating to this contract-snd
Snaith got into little difcuIty, the chairman of The
committee ruled that should go no further on thai
was proposing attack the report and findings Of the
COMMITTEES of experts. My inquiries were leading up,
not 10 attack or impeach them, but TO sustain them
Now, Mr.. Speaker, take the other horn of the d.
lemma. The virtuOuS chairman OF this committees
who seeks only to get at the facts and nothing else
who does not appear stand to protect any con-
tractor or anybody else-this gentleman yeStenrosy
informed the contractors they would have the right 10
call counsel for their protection
Mr. Ainsworth-Oh, 30, ild not:
Mr. Fish say and ,epeat It that he told them that
tie face Of this House, deny the statement that
mako that he Informed Mr. snalth yesterday that he
Mr.. BIpswor;li-De you want me TO answer thatf
Matthew Hale asked that no might appear as counsel
I left the question 10 the committee, ana we unanl
mously permitted him to appear.
MI FshM that does not bear ogt IT. VIVA, sc s'a'eh bY
were before that committee to bring builders there
o%mse Of enpe that 10 sy Mr. Hale could
appear there and bring witnesses to attack the report
OF the committee Of experts; and yet. fDrsooth,
could not go into that question at all although my
object was to sustain the committee OF experts
the press Of the House, that would get far
as we have in this matter. / would like to know on
Ter to the bottom can object to single one OF the reso
buttons offered by Mr. Aspinall.
Mr. Fish then analysed and defended Mr. Aspin-
slrs resolutions, asking what objection the Com
mittee ON Appropriations could reasonably have
to them, and affirming that the investigation
would carry no terror to contractors unless their
books and contracts had TO be produced
In q reference to Mr.. Greene, who was absent
yesterday, Mr.. Fish was interrupted by Mr.
Greene who asked Mr.. Fish how he Bfr Grcene)
voted. Mr.. Fish admitted with pleasure that Mr..
Greene had been willing to admit all testimony, but
said that unless the House adopted the Asphalt
resolutions. the chairman, Mr.. Ainsworth, would
maintain the rulings which he made yesterday,
"and you will never get at the papers and the
books of these contractors and their coadjutors."
Continuing he said
This Investigation might as well stop. now unless
Before ' ST do VIZ" wish S1 to say that
/ do not believe that the time has come for this
Master. do not think the time has come to dis
charge the COMMITTEES on Appropriations. The more
which being retained and adopted by the House the
chairman OF the committee will have 10 live up 10
for II VIII not be merely his oral statement.
General Hustled said that he agreed with Gen
eral Ratcheller that the Committee on Appro-
priations had all the powers of Grand Jury
81 believe, also,7 said General Hustled, " that
any Asscmblyman has the, right to PROFOUND
questions at meetings Of investigation committees
II the chairman objects to the question being
put, he can appeal to the other members of the
committee.
Mr. Asphalt, by permission of the House. with
drew the last two clauses Of his resolution; and
Mr. Crosby offered the following additional clause
as an amendment, which was adopted:
Resolved, That the Appropriations Committee be
required, whom they make their report 10 recommend
such legislation as they may deem proper having for
Oh ~ al