The sun., 1910-02-25

mtctee, and Rt the next committee meet
ing we had the bill was thoroughly dis
cussed. and it was agreed generally b.
every member OF the committee at tha
time that the bill should be held in tn,
COMMITTEES out OF courtesy 70 Mr.. COnger
and II there was any amendment made
that Conger could make any amendment
satisfactory TO him provided it did mo-
conflict with the then existing law. Tha'
wss the eyreeme1t we he'd with refer
enco to it,
BY senator Grady:
! Y. When You stated that the agreement
to keep the bill in committee as a matter
Of courtesy to Mr.. Conger was agreed q
/ by all the members OF the comm ttee did you
mean TO include the Democratic members
OF. the committee? A. did This bill
was taken up In conference the very next
day. at the very next conference we had
with Senator Conger. and the Democratic
members agreed to stand by Conger Just az
well as the Republicans There was no
! politics in this measure whatever; II was
| simply out Of courtesy entirely to Senator
Conger that our action was taken.
BY Senator Brackett:
q. Did any one ever sive you any money
| for your action on that bill. one way or the
| otherg A. DO you want me to answer that
dirsCty
y. Yes A. No
U. In any way? A No STR
Q. Did anybody Offer you any money?
A. No sir,
By Mr. Littleton:
o. You said that after Mr. stevens had
been to see you. or about the time he saw
you, he said he would go higher after he
had had an indignant talk about II? A. I
did
y. After that you said you were sent for
by somebody? A Yes
. Who sent for you? A. Speaker Nixon
U Did you have a conversation with him
in reference to this biilp 4, | did
q. What was itl A Mr. Nixon asxe1 me
II the statements that Mr.. stevens made to
him were correct. ami that had refused
to report the bill I said: That is cor
rect. and he said: DO you think the at
titIfde that you people are taking on this
bill Is treating Mr.. Stevens decently?"
said: Il am not permitted to answer that
question. Fred 1 made n promise to Mr.
Conser. and every member OF the commit
tee made that same agreement. TO hold this
bill In committee and am not going to break
nay word for any man"
y. Is that all OF the conversation?
No sir
q LWhat elseg A. Nixon said: .Mr
Stevens may possibly make an effort to
have this bill reported from the floor and IL
Ii were not for establishing a precedent in
the Assembly, diScharGing the committee
from further consideration Of the bill,
should certainly stand by him and have that
bill reported.
Mr.. Doughty said that Mr. Burnett
had never approached him or attempted
t9 unduly influence him or pay him any
money.
In view Of the testimony Chairman
Doughty gave and the impression he
created. Senators Wainwright and Brack-
EFT urged that all reference to Doughty as
d tkA - R,,- -
expunged from the record Senator
Wainwright was instructed to put a mo-
tion TO that effect in writing for considera-
ton by the committee tomorrow.
s. Percy Hooker. the chairman Of the
new State Highway Commission. who was
q member OF the Aids committee which
drew the new highway law. came next.
Mr.. Hookers testimony was sought
regarding the Heacock bill which Senator
Aids killed in the Assembly Rules Com
mittee last year after Senator Conger had
tried to have the Rules COMMITTEES report
the bill. Mr. Hooker contradicted Senator
Conger in many details regarding the
cir yumstances attending the Introduction
and action OF the legislature upon the
Heacock bill and said that he had asked
the Rules Committee to kill the bill instead
Of asking IL 10 report the bill favorably,
as testified by Senator Conger.
Mr.. Hooker testified that he had had one
conversation with Senator Conger and
ONCE when Mr.. Hooker said he finally
agreed to letsthe limit provided in the
Heacock bill for town boards to spend
for bridge construction be q, 500 as a
compromise to Senator Conger, who was
demanding at least a ~, 600 limit.
Mr.. Hooker was asked IL he did not
agree TO making it q. 500 in smaller towns
and g, 900 in larger towns. in proportion
to the assessed valuation OF property 10
these towns. as Senator Conger has testi-
a a l. n
anything said about the 5000 limit and
would have been unalterabiy opposed to
any such suggestion had IL been made.
Mr.. Hooker was reminded that Senator
Conger had testified that Mr.. Hooker and
he had gone TO the Comptroller's ofice to
look up these assessed valuations. Mr..
Hooker answered that he never went to
the Comptroller's Office with Mr.. Conger
Finally Mr.. Hooker said he might have
suggested 20 Mr.. Conger that he should
60.
Mr.. Hooker was then reminded again
by Mr.. Littleton that Senator ConEer had
sworn that Chairman Hooker had Rp-
peeled 20 Speaker Wadswortb and the
other members Of the Rules Committee
u report out the bill. Chairman Hooker
IL he was in favor OF the bill end he told
the Speaker that he was not in favor
Of II. Mr.. Hooker said he never asked
the Rules Committee to report the bill.
As matter OF TACT, PSked Mr.. Lit
Teton. you were sincerely opposed 70
the bill; is that its"
Yes. ! was sincerely opposed TO it,"
replied Chairman Hooker.
Assemblyman Louis Bedell. who was a
member Of the Assembly Rules Committee
in 1901, was the frst OF the former Assem-
blymen called. Mr.. Bedell was a vol
untary witness. He denied statements
made on the stand by Senator Congcr
that he had discussed the amendments
to the Stevens bill with Senator Conger.
Mr. Bedell said he could not recollect
anything about the amendments or tho
bill. Other Assemblymen and former
Assemblymen who testified were John r.
Yale Of Putnam county. William H
Delaney OF BROOKLYN. Martin l.. Cadin Of
Syracuse. now chief OF police there
W. p. Fitzpatrick OF Brooklyn, Edward
B. Baker. now the postmaster OF Mar
cellus, Oneida county; Gustavus G. Weber
of Brooklyn. Martin Davis OF Rochester
junction, William W. Phipps Of Albion,
Orleans county; Daniel ID, Frisbie of
Schoharie, the present minority leader
of the Assembly, who was on the Assem-
bly, Rules Committee in 1901. and &. W.
Reynolds Of Petersburg. Rensselaer,
county.
They testified generally that the
introduction Of the Malby Stevens bills