Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury [Connecticut]) 1903-1917, 1908-04-28


The contract price of the boat was
$250,000. -
The end of the inquiry by a spe-
cial committee of the house into the
legislative methods of the Electric
Boat Co is in sight. Practically all
the oral evidence has bccl heard
and the committee yesterday lis
tened 10 arguments as to the scope
of Its authority In enforcing It's de-
mand for the production OF the
books and papers by the Electric
Boat Co, the Lake Torpedo Boat Co.
and Representative George l.. Lilley
of Connecticut, the author of the
resolution under which the investi-
cation is being conducted.
Frank T. Brown, former men,
ber of the state senate of Connecti-
cut and counsel for Representative
Lilley, first addressed the commit
tee. The letters which Mr. Lilley has
been asked to produce are to or from
him to persons connected with Con-
necticut newspapers and refer TO the
house, its officers and the committee,
in connection with the Investigation
since February 1, 1908. Mr. Brown
took the position that the committee
had no authority to call fcf these
letters, as they were not pertinent
TO the inquiry.
1.-The evidence that you can prop
erly call for" he said, must be evil
dence bearing upcA one or Tie other
of the two things mentioned In the
resolution" Mr. Brown said that ne
had had read to him every copy oil
the letters which referred to this in
vestigation, to any legislation at any
time on submarines, or to subma-
rines and, in his judgment, there
was not one that bears upon either
of the two matters mentioned In the
resolution or is what is called in an
act of congress pertinent to this in
quiry."
IF these letters" he continued,
reflect upon any member of con-
gress or play upon this committee,
the mode of redress is to report the
proceedings to the house Of repre-
sentatlves and let the house take
such action as it sees At"
Mr. Brown was frequently inter-
rupted by members of the commit
tee whose questions indicated that
they thought the letters we're perth
nent.
A press copy of the Goff letter.
which has figured in the inyestiga-
tion. and which Mr. Lilley's secretary
testified he wrote and signed Mr. LII
ley's name TO. was produced by Mr.
Brown. This letter severely Critics
ed the committee, and Chairman Bou-
tell called attention to the similarity
to the signature on 1t and Mr. Lilley's
signature. also to the dissimilarity OF
Mr. Lilley's name as signed by Mr.
Webster to other letters. Mr. Brown
admitted that there was similarity
and said that both Mr. Lilley and Mr.
webser were willing to come into the
committee room and write Mr. Lii
Iey's name in order to show there was
a similarity in the writing Of the
two men.
Chairman Boutell said that this
was not necessary, but he did think
this letter formed a basis for the pro-
ductfon Of the other letters which Mr
Webster testified he was In doubt
whether he had signeS Mr Lilley's
name OF whether Mr. Lilley signed
himself.
You. as Mr. Lilley's counsel. have
advised him not TO comply with the
request Of the committee7" interro-
gated MFR BouteIl
-As a request | have advised him
not TO comply with it As a response
10 q subpoena I do not care to talk
10 hin at this time. IL ] we're in Mr.
LflIeyfs place I should produce the
letters-
Martin LittIeton argued against
the requirement TO prodaee the books
uf the Electric Boat Co. He said that
there vss not a line IN the record