The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-02-04
CHARGES SZ5rAINED Attemp zt Bribery Was
 Made. so SAYS THE COMMITTEE Minority Arrives at a Differ
 ent Conclusion. Both Reports Exonerate Quigg-A Proposition to Buy More sub-
 marine Boats is Voted H.vI Down g to 6. LA
;O SAYS THE COMMITTEE

Washington. Feb. s.-The House Com | miittee on Naval Affairs today reported | to the House Its findings in the matter of it's investigation into the Lessler bribe- | ry charges.
 minority report, signed by Represen- | tatives Kitchen Dem., N. O. Vandiver | also vas submitted.
 The full committee on investigation to- day took up the report submitted by the committee of which MT. Foss was chair ma1, which had been charged with the prepa1 ation of the findings for the conn., mittee Two hours were given to its con sideration, during which time there was much discussion as to the form the differ ent findings should take.
 One Vote Against.
 On the final vote on the adoption of the report as a whole, Representatives Kitchen Mudd (Mdo and Roberts (Mass) voted assent. Representative Vandiver (Mo) voted in the negative, he giving an explanation for so voting. There was desire on the part of some of the members to make the findings more sweeping in some respects. The majority report after reciting the reso- lution directing the Naval Affairs Com- mittee to investigate the charges Of bribery. says:
 At meeting of the Committee on Naval Affairs, held January 20. 1903, dur ing the consideration of the naval appro- priation bill, MT. Lessler, member of | the committee, charged that he had been corruptly approached for the purpose of influencing his action respecting pro- posed legislation providing for the pur- chase of Holland submarine torpedo boats. The committee immediately appointed | a subcommittee to make preliminary | investigation of MT. Lessler's charge. The following day Philip Doblin of New York appeared before the subcommittee and confessed that he had so approached MT. Lessler. The substance of this state ment having been reported the following day to the full committee, the chairman was directed to present to the House and secure the adoption of the above reso- lution. In compliance with the direction and authority of said resolution. your committee proceeded at once to take tes- tmony and examine such witnesses as were believed to have knowledge of the
 
 set out in full in the appendix to this report and in view of the fact that your committee in this report makes an ex- plicit finding of It's confusion, 1t becomes unnecessary to quote from or to com ment upon the evi 1ence.
 What Lessler Said. Mir. Lessler, in his testimony, before the Committee stated that Philip Doblin had come to him some weeks ago, and had said that Lemuel F.. Quigg had said to him (Doblin) that there was 5000 in it if Lessler could be brought to support the proposition to buy more Holland boats.
 This statement, in substance Doblin corroborated when he first testified before the full Committee. stating that MT. Quigg had said to him that if Lessler could be got to vote for more Holland boats, There would be 5000 in it, and that he (Quigg) added, I think I can make a thousand for you
 Subsequently Goblin again went on the stand and retracted his statement declaring that Mir. Quigg had never sug- gested money to him and that he Dob- lin) had not told Lessler that Quigg had made such a proposition to him. and that he made his first statement at the re- quest of Lessler, and for his protection"
 The report then cites Section 5450 of the Revised Statutes which makes 1t an offense punishable by fine or imprison- ment for any person to make any corrupt proposal to any member of either House of Congress, also Section 1892 of the Re- vised Statutes, relating to the giving of false testimony. The report continues:
 "A witness sworn in by the Chairman as in this case. who states any material matter which he does not believe to be af fha conducting an investigation under author fly of the House, commits perjury and Is liable to punishment therefor under Sec ton 53S2."
 In conclusion the report says
 Your Committee has most carefully heard and considered the testimony talk en before it and upon the same has come to the following conclusions:
 The Findings.
 "First-That the charge made by Mir. Lessler that an attempt had been made to corruptly influence his action respect ing proposed legislation is sustained by the evidence: such an atte npt in the opinion of tho Committee having been initiative and responsibility with the idea Of making money for himself if he should find Iessler corruptly approachable.
 ''Second-That there is no evidence to sustain the charge of an attempt hy Lem uel E. Quigg to corruptly influence a member of the Committee.
 'Third-That there Is no evidence to sustain the charge of an attempt by the holland Submarine Boat Company or any of its agents to corruptly influence a member of the Committee on Naval Af- fairs respecting proposed legislation be- fore said Committee and the House
 "Fourth-In view of the foregoing we recommend that the Clerk of the Court be ready to certify to the Attorney-Gen eral of the United States a copy taken of the hearing with a request that he take such action as the law and the facts war rant.",
 The minority report, after reciting that those signing it are unable to agree to all the conclusions of the majority, says:
 Conclusion of Minority.
 ''On the 20th day of January, ls03. Hon. Montague Lessler stated to the Commit