The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-05-12
HILLS TESTIMONY
FORMER sENAroR BEFORE STATE
 BAR ASSOCIATION.
Ipvestisst,on At His Request of His Profcssienal Conduct h Accepting Attorneyship Frem Equitable
 Life Assurance Society.

New York May l1.--The sub-com-
 mittee of the grievance commit
 tee of the New York State Bar
 request of former Senator D. E. Hill.
 tc investigate his relations as counsel
 to the Equitable Life Assurance Society
 ana to report whether his appointment
 was in any way improper or unpro-
 fsssional. and whether his compensa-
 tion and s5,ooo yearly retainer from the
 company were reasonable met here to-
 dsy heard MT. Hin in his own behalf. lock the testimony of witnesses And ad-
 Charles A. Collins submitted the case
 ,vithout ArGument. Professor Huh-
 sui Dean of Cornell University Law
 School and chairman of the sub-com-
 mittee, then announced that 1t will con-
 sider the testimony and submit its
 decision. During the course of his
 testimony Mir. Hill said:
 T never questioned that as a Sena-
 tor had the right to practice in the courts of any State of the United States
 The law makes no provisions against
 1t except that . Congressman shall not
 practice before the government de-
 partments. was employed by the States attorney to try case against | Senator, and have tried numerous other
 cases while represented, New York In the State Senate"
 Who was your Superintendent of Insurance when you were Governor? ?' | he was asked.
 John A. Mccall was Superintendent | of Insurance when I went in He re- signed shortly afterward to take | position as manager of the Equitable l annninfod Rnharf la | successor. He-served some time whei appointed James F. Pierce to sue
 ceed him."
 | Was Mir. Pierce Superintendent oi | Insurance afterward when you wer, | counsel for the Equitable?"
 l T want to explain. Don't put thi.
 down. want this explanation to b, | given without going in the record. be. cause I don't want to drag in anJ | names. At the time the State Senate was heavily Republican and I had tt l have my appointment of a Superin. tendent confirmed, Mir. Pierce was I Democrat with many Republican | friends in the Senate. felt sure thai | this appointment would be confirmed
 so I appointed him for that reason
 more than anything else.''
 When did the subject of the Equita. b1e retaining you as counsel first come upG was dnOtuer Qu6sllOI
 'I first met James H. Hyde and the elder Alexander in Washington in 1889. did not see either of them again | until I was elected United States Sena- l tor in 1892. Mir. Hyde came to see me then and steted that he had been informed that I was going to resume the practice of law when my time was
 not occupied in Congress. I told him that was the fact as I believed l would spend not more than half Of my time in Washington. The result of the interview was that I accepted an offer of $5,00o to become consulting counsel of the Equitable"
 Were you ever consulted by the company in relation to matters pertain ing to the insurance department" T never was, that I can remember At this point. Chairman Huffcut ask ed: Were you not consulted about the enactment of insurance legislation?
 No, sir. never" replied MT. Hill After the aftersoon session, former Governor Frank s. Black, General B. F. | Tracy, former Judge J. F. Dillon, De lancy Nicoll and others testefied, all | declaring that they had known MT | Hill many years, that he ranked amona | the first men of his profession and tha | the S5,O00 retainer paid him by the Equitable was reasonable compen' sation.