Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-06-13
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Toe Trying 20 Find Out HOW the
go Street Rider, was sncnixed
Through ths Le4islasure-sonle
Interesting Testimony.
The legislative committee of City
Council is now engaged in an investiga-
ton of the means by which the famous
&c street rider" which repealed the bill
requiring the funds of the Street and
Bewer Department to be kept In the same
bank that the city funds are kept in, was
secretly passed through the Legislature.
The members Of the committee are
Daniel A. Forrest, Aaron 8. Beale, Will
liam H. Quinn, Isaac Dillin, Samuel
Chambers and President OF Council John
q. Farra. w. II. Lyman, Esq, of this
city, and Il. Il. Kenney, ESQ.,, OF Dover,
have been retained as counsel. The com.
mittee met Monday afternoon in the
Council chamber.
Among those summoned to appear and
give testimony at Mondays meeting
were Joseph L. Carpenter, Jr., president
Of the Street and Sewer Department and
l.. O. vandegrift, Esq, who was counsel
for the department at Dover during the
last session Of the Legislature. Both de-
clined to appear and Mr.. Carpenter sent
the following letter:
DEAR Sm: Yours OF June 7th, requesting
me to appear before the Legislative com.
mittee OF Oity Council and tell what l know
of the passage OF q bill vacating certain
lands In the city OF Wilmington, received.
i decline to appear before the said COM
mittee and my reasons for so doing are as
follows:
First, the charter of the city Of Whining
ton gives said committee no power to ex-
anime me or any one else in such case.
and the attempt to do so is In violation Of
law.
Second. the matter said committee "a
seeking to inquire about in no wise touches
the functions or the rights of the Council
and does not In any way concern said body,
but relates entirely to the affairs OF the
Street and Sewer Department and Is said
departments business solely.
Third, II should have chosen to appear,
could not tell you anything OF my own
knowledge, az the matters referred to were
In the hands Of counsel employed by me.
Yours truly, JOSEPH L. CARPENTER, JR.
Mr.. Vandegrift's response was even
more curt and psremptory. BE wrote:
SIN: decline the request OF the legisla.
tive committee OF Council to appear be-
fore said committee and testify with
respect TO the passage by the last
Legislature Of an act entitled "An act
to vaeate certain lands in the city
OF Wilmington" Said committee have no
authority under the city charter to carry
on such an enquiry, and this is emphasized
by the fact that said committee are seeking
to enquire about matters which were re-
moved from the control OF Council more
than two years ago for reasons so well
known as not to require mention here.
There are several other reasons why
must decline this request, but the above are
sufficient for the present. II any OF the
members Of this committee choose 10 call
upon me as private citizens l will explain
to them fully all / know about the passage
OF the act referred to. Yours truly,
LEWIS O. VANDEaRIFr.
State Senator John p. Donahoe was
the first witness, and said that the G
street bill, TO which the bank rider was
subsequently attached, was handed him
by City Solicitor Turner, and he had it
passed by the Senate. He was absolutely
certain II contained no rider at that time,
and knew nothing of the manner In
which the bill was subsequently, amended
until after the adjournment Of the Legis-
lature.
b, Walter II. Hayes, Esq, told the com.
nnittee that during the last day Of the SEES
sion he was in the House almost con-
stantly, helping the reading clerk. He
was called out once to see L. O. Vande.
grit, Esq, who asked him il he were
ling to ASSIST in passing a biii % divide
ths BANK dep0aiis ~ me city, cod be de-
....as,as. He then returned to ttA HousS.
:. He had no recollection Of the passage Of
the @ street bill, and felt sure that Il
passed &C all II was during the few min
utes he was out comforting with Mr.. Van
degrift.
willard Salisbury, Jr., ESQ.,, who wai
counsel for the Union Bank, to prevent
Just such legislation as was secured by
the rider to the q street bill, told of thi
measures he had taken to guard sgains
defeat. He was in the Senate on tn,
last day Of the session, when Mr.. Vande
grit called him out aud notified him tina
he had introduced q bill In the House TO
division of the funds. Mr.. Ssulsbur.
then went into the House and warned tn
members to be on the lookout for thi
bill. He subsequently believed, however
that the bill had already passed tn
House, and was returned to the Senat
while he was out comforting with Mr
Vandegrift. He had examined the
street bill after its passage by the Senat
and knew that it contained nothin
wrong In its original shape.
Representative Theodore F. Armstron
said that at the request of Joseph /
Carpenter, Dr., he took charge of the
street bill in the House, bat before cal
ing it up showed it to Mr.. Salisbury an
others, in order to see that IT containe
nothing wrong. The bill had no ride
attached, to his knowledge, when
passed the House, and was not emende
in any way.
The committee then adjourned to nei
In Dover on Wednesday, 18th instant, I
III o'clock, a. IN, to hear further test
mony with respect to the famous
street bill and its notorious rider.