The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-03-10
Refuse to Hear Arguments of At
tOrneyS in License Case.
MCCARTHY Will LPRESENT WRITTEN STATEMENT
End of Testimony in the Curtain Raising Burke Case and
Farce Continues With Samasky.

For the sixth time the investigating
| committee, headed by Alderman Fuller,
OF the Sixth Ward, got together last even-
ing and entertained q crowded house at
the council chamber. There was a change
OF bill in the middle OF the session and
the committee, after hearing the last OF
the evidence in the Bishop and Plain
street case, otherwise known as the
Burke case, turned their attention to the
charges brought against the license COM
missioners by Adolf Samasky through his
attorney, Benjamin l.. Dennis.
When the first case, which has dragged
| through three weeks, was disposed OF,
there was a general exodus from the
| council chamber OF Sixth Ward lunch
| men, chairman Fuller seemed to lose in
terest and Attorney Mccarthy retired
from the arena witt the indifference of
| bored spectator. The real purpose OF the
| investigation was over--that of attaining
more political popularity in Ward Six
| and the cases su bsequenly brought in
under the provisions of the resolution are
merely necessary evils. To hear them
will be the price that the committee must
| pay for past fun.
They did the best they could, however,
under the circumstances. for at the be-
| ginning OF last nights session Chairman
Fuller announced that the next meeting
would be week from tonight and that
all charges must be made in writing in
| the meantime or else they would not lie
+ entertained.
The members OF the committee cutssde
OF the Sixth Ward went still further and
! decided that they would not listen to
the arguments Of counsel IN the Burke
case. Chairman Fuller objected to this
and stated that he had voted in favor OF
| full hearing but the committee had
been against 1t four to two. Attorney
| Mccarthy emphatically protested and de-
l clared that he should submit what he had
to say in writing, wbereupon Committee
man Waterman said something about
| waste basket.
General John Brennan opened the de-
bate last night withia protest against the
| limitations which the commissioners had
| fixed relative to the number of licenses
that may be granted in year. He said
that 1t was unauthorized and arbitrary
action which had resu ted in greatly en-
hancing the value of the liquor business
of the few, kept money out OF the city
! treasury and caused the establishment OF
hundreds OF kitchen barrooms.
He asked IL the committee had suffi-
cient authority under the resolution to
| consider that phase Of the question and
| il not he wanted them TO secure it. Chair
man Fuller replied hat the committee
| had authority for most anything and
| General Brennan retired without going
further into the details Of the case which
he will present later.
IN SECRET SESSION.
/ Although the members of the commit
tee were on hand promptly at 7:30 O'Clock
the hearing was not begun at that hour,
| as usual, as n meeting was held in the
large committee room OF the Council
chamber, the doors of which were closed
| to all save the vestigators and Clerk
| Hayden. At 7:s5 the committee con-
cluded its secret session and fled into the
chamber and after rapping to order chair
man Fuller announced that whea the
hearing was adjourned it would be 10 one
week from this evening. That is, to next
| Tuesday night. He further stated that
| II any person had any further complaints
| to make against the license commission
he should put them in writing and
| hand them to either MIR. Hayden, the
clerk, or to the chairman on or before
next Tuesday, otherwise the committee
| would not take them into consideration.
| General Wilson stated that as he under
| stood the matter charges, IL any, were TO
be made TO the committee in writing on
| or before next Tuesday evening, when it
| is expected that all will be in. He took
| 1t, however, that the license commits
| sioners would not be expected 10 answer
| those charges on that night and that time
would be given them to do so.
Chairman Fuller replied that the board
| would not be expected to answer COM
| plants on Tuesday night, and further
| that time would be given them TO do so.
Mr.. John M. Brennan said that the
| principal charge against the commission
| ers was that instead OF granting all APP
| plications as directed by the Legislature,
| they had limited the number without
warrant or without authority OF any kind
| to four hundred. The result of this arbi-
| trary order was that IL raised the value
| OF those Licenses granted TO the persons
fortunate enough to get them from the
fee Of 800 charged to 200 or $500. The
whole mischief was that the board had
made this limit. IL it had granted Ii
censes as directed by the Legislature there
| would have been no favoritism and no
| charges. Now what he wanted to know
was IL the committee desired to have that
charge specified.
Committeeman Waterman Do you
| question the right OF the board to fix a
| limit9
Mr.. BrennnnAI question the purpose
for which IL was fixed.
Gen. Wilson-Do you question the right?
Mr.. Brennan-I shall question the right
| OF these com m issioners to arbitrarily nix
a liimt by which revenue of hundred
thousand dollars In shut off from the city
and eight hundred kitchen barrooms are
established here.
WHAT MR.. BRENNAN WILL PROVE.
Mr.. Wilson said that ~ any one wanted
to charge thUt the limiting OF the num-
Der OF licenses to four hundred was done
Tor any improper or corrupt purpose they
had right to do SO; but otherwise the
right OF the commissioners TO fix a limit
would be question OF law.
Mr.. Brennan answered that he would pro-
duce proof from which there could be but
one inference drawn and that inference
would be that the vote To limit the nDm-
ber OF licenses was not taken for any
proper purpose. Mr.. Wilson said the
commissioners did not deny that they