The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-03-07
CHARGES ARE ORDERED
 FULLY INVESTIGATED
Speaker Cannon Appoints Committee To Look Into Lilley's Charges and
 the Latter Is Not Made
 Member of the Same.


 whose agitation the House this morning passed a resolution providing for an in- vestigation of corruption by the Electric Boat company in securing appropriations for submarines, has a very difficult task ahead of him. Should he prove his case there are prospects that the question of the expulsion of several members of Con- gress will result. Un the other hand if I MT. Lilley fails there is little doubt that { a motion will be made to expel him from the House. Either way the case goes I there promises to be some interesting de- { zvelopments.
 \ Washington, March GA resolution pro- Aviding for an investigation into the 4 charges made by Representative Lilley of E Connecticut, that members of the naval { tcommittee had been unduly influenced in Recommending certain torpedo boats, was @reported to the House of Representatives #by MT. Dalzell of Pennsylvania from the Ncommittee on rules and adopted by the Blouse. The subject had been under con- &sideration by the committee for two &weeks. The resolution follows:  from the state of Connecticut, Eon his responsibility as a member of this EIouse before the committee on rules has, #among other things, stated in substance 9 hat the Electric Boat company of New II #Jersey and their predecessors, the Holland #l3oat company, have been engaged in ef- Eeorts to exert a corrupting influence on k pertain members of Congress in their leg s slative capacities and have in fact ex- Ehrted such corzupting influence. A "Therefore, be 1t resolved, That com nittee of five members be appointed tq Investigate the charges made by said L. Lilley of corrupt practices on # he part of the said company and mem- #bers of Congress with respect to legisla- * ion, and that said committee shall have r uthority to send for persons and papers Mo take testimony in Washington, or either before the full com nittee or any subcommittee thereof. Said ommittee shall report as speedily as Possible with such recommendation, if ESny, as to the committee shall seem Eight
 k Investigation Agreed Upon. Nj Accompanying the resolution was re- Mort, declaring it to be the belief of the Blouse and its members that an investi- El ation should be made.
 | Speaker Cannon announced the follow Ehg as the committee to conduct the in- 4 estigationy
 Messrs. Boutell of Illinois, Stevens of lliinnesota, Olmstead of Pennsylvania, DNIoward of Georgia and Broussard of Louisiana.
 Without a dissenting vote the resolu-
 on was adopted
 MT Lilley was present, but made no .marks
 The committee report by MT. Dalzell, Accompanying the resolution, says, re- *,rring to the resolution of inquiry intro- suced by MT. Llney:
 There was nothing on the face of the
 solution that charged corrupt or even inn Proper methods on the part of the Elec- fic Boat company in connection with leg flation or proposed legislation, but that 5l the next and succeeding days news Saper articles appeared in which MT. Riley was quoted as charging corrupt Practices, and thereafter numerous al- tged interviews with Mr. Lilley ap-
 sared in certain newspapers of the coun- |+y coupling the names Of members or [he House with the Electric Boat cont tany and legislation in it's interest. Fol
 wing upon these publications MT. Lilley T his own instance appeared before the Committee on rules and admitted the au- henticty of an interview in the Wash gton Post, but repudiated all others and ade a statement which is submitted lerewith as part of this report.
 Fin that statement charges are made of f,rrupt practices on the part of the Elec- lie Boat company in influencing mem- Frs of Congress and legislation and of IAch character, taken as whole, N to lead your committed to con- Rude that 1t is due to the maintenance oi Me dignity and integrity of the House
 d it's members that an investigation into
 e charges made by MT. Lilley should
 had
 Committee Meets.
 Shortly before the adjournment of the Rouse Chairman Boutell got his commit 5e together and partly organized it. He Mid afterward that the organization
 ouid be completed at meeting to bs 3Id tomorrow, when the question of 3lether to make the committees sessions xblic or private would be decided
 Reports that Representative Lilley was Aeatly incensed by the action of Speaker .nnon in not making him a member the committee, and that he had been fpected to be named as its chairman Fined circulation and became topic of 1,cussion after the committee assign
 ent had been announced. MT. Lilley
 nself refused to discuss the situation.
 
 Hrsus CaNad