The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-03-10

hundred and they believed and had been
| advised that they had perfect right TO
| do SO, the intent and purpose OF the law
being to restrict and restrain the liquor
| traffic. III there was to be any charge OF
| this character he should insist that it be
| properly formulated SO that the commits
| sioners could meet It.
By direction OF Chairman Fuller, Clerk
| Hayden then read the resolution under
| which the committee was conducting
| the investigation, after which General
| Wilson announced that his colleague, Mr..
Page, and himself, reserved the right to
| raise the question as->to whether or not
| any complaint that might be made came
| within the scope OF the powers granted
the committee by the resolution.
Mr.. Brennan announced that he didn't
| propose to go into the investigation un-
less the committee should rule that 1t
had full and ample powers. IL the COM
| mittee doubted its ability to give the
widest possible latitude to the inquiry
then 1t had better GO back to the City
Council and obtain the needed authority.
:. III any one tries TO stop this investiga-
/ tion, he declared with a good deal of
1 emphasis, % he's going to get run over. "
Chairman Fuller-"l think the COM
mittee has all the power 1t needs and
| will say right here that for one don't
! intend to stop the investigation.
| General Wilson declared that while the
| fully answer all questions and complaints
| they reserved the right to object TO this
| COMMITTEES proceeding to Investigate any
| matter or cnarge not covered by the reso-
I luton. He would again call the Gtten.
| tion OF the committee to the provisions
! of the resolution under which IL was act
| ing so that there should be no quibbling
later on. The first part of this resolu-
| tion relates entirely 10 the matter OF To-
bias Burke. Thst matter Mr.. Mccarthy
has been proceeding to investigate.
Then 1t goes on 10 say that the commit
tee may inquire into such other matters
4 and cases OF a similar nature as in its
discretion the puDlic service and welfare
1 mey require. He contenced, therefore,
that matters and cases which were not of
| similar nature TO the Burke case were
not properly within the sc pc or the
| power OF the committee to investigate. IL
| other complaints were laid before the
committee he should certainly raise this
| question OF its jurisdiction and he there
| fore thought lest there should be any
| question about the matter that the wisest
| course for the committee to do was TO go
| to the City Council and get the power it
| desires and then go ahead.
Mr.. MCCARTHY TAKES HAND.
| hsnd IN the discussion. While the Ii
| cense commissioners and General Wilson,
, as their representative, professeo to be
willing TO have full and impartial in
| vestigatioa, they want to stop the inves-
| tigation at the earliest possible moment
| and for that purpose they had raised this
point of no jurisdiction. He assumed
that in desiring the committee to go back
| and ask for more power Mr.. Wilson was
! relying on the probability that the City
| Council would not grant the committe
power to proceed further. The very mo-
ment the committee accepted Gen. Will
| sons Interpretation of the resolution that
moment the Investigation would cease,
and Gen. Wilson would have won his
case. The fact is the other side did not
want the investigation to go on. Had
the license commissioners been in favor
OF 1t they would have been willing to
have thrown some light on the subject.
They would have said here are our books,
here are the records which will show
you how we do business. We are will
ling that the public should KIN ow all
/ about how We transact business. But
that Is not the way they have done.
They have acted as IL an indictemnt had
been draw against them and they have
sought TO block the investigation in
every way possible. They believe that il
they can set this committee to go back
and ask for more power the City Coun-
Gil will not grant Il and the investigation
will be at an end 1t is easy for Mr.. Will
son 10 say tDdb tney court lull ana
thorough Investigation, but he doesn't
believe word of it. Now the reason
able construction OF this resolution is
that this committee is empowered to in
quire into all matters which in its dis
cretion the pub ic welfare or service re-
quires. Mr.. Wilson says the authority is
limited to cases in which Burke Is inter
ested. That Is absurd. This committee
Is authorized to inquire into any matter
or affecting any license that IL may see
fit. liz Mr.. Wilson means what he says or
the commissioners mean what Mr.. Will
son says Tor them, why do they try by
all means in their p wer to stop the in
vestigasion here insteld OF permitting II
to go ONT
General Wilson replied very forcibly to
Mr. McCarthy's statement that he did
not mean what he said when he stated
that the commissioners were ready and
willing for full and impartial investiga-
tion. What he said he meant and wished
IL so understood.
He called attention also to Mr.. Nc
Carthy's insinuation that the book of the
board had been withheld, and pointed out
they had at all times bsen open to the COM
mittee just as they We're at the present
moment. What he did say,and upon this
he insisted thst every fair minded man
sit here and receive the hac and the hoe
from ell over the city TO inuuire into the
granting OF four hundred licenses ond
to require the commissioner 10 answer
vague and Indefinite charges was sheer
nonsense ond would serve no good or pro-
per purpose.