Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-04-20
WARD HANDS BACK
PROBE OF ORGY"
TO THE GOVERNOR
Speaker Tells Mr.. Fort It's His
Place to Act if He Be-
lieyes Stories.
DENIES SENSATIONAL
REPORTS ABOUT CLOSING
Urges Executive to Call Special
Session if He Has Any
Doubts.

That there will be no investigation of
the alleged orgies attendant upon the
closing hours of the Legislature. as
predicted by the EVENING STAR. is
made positive today In statement
by Harry P. Ward, speaker of the AS
sembly, replying to the letter of Gov
ernor Fort. dated April IA. The
speaker says that his investigation re-
veals what this paper has already
shown. namely. that sensational news
papers grossly exaggerated the frivoli-
ties INDUCED in. and that in certain In
stances these yellow sheets printed alb
solute falsehoods. Equally as cheer
fully as the Governor shifted the re-
sponsibility to the speaker, the latter
tossed it back to the chief executive.
Governor Fort did not go to Trenton
this morning and, therefore, did not
receive the speakers letter, which was
addressed to him there. The conclud-
ing paragraph of the letter urges the
chief executive to assert his preroga-
tive and call special session of the
Legislature If he believes the occasion
warrants it. The speaker all through
his statement shows that he does not.
Governor Fort, when seen at his home
in East Orange this morning by an
EVENING STAR man, said that he
did not care to discuss the speakers
letter till the original had officially
been received by him. Appended is
complete copy of the Ward letter:
Speaker wards Letter.
Honorable John Franklin Fort, Gov
ernor of New Jersey.
my Dear Sir:
IT herewith acknowledge receipt of
your letter of April ID, with an opinion
from the attorney-general annexed
thereto and made part thereof.
THE attorney generals opinion is
based upon the opening sentence, which
reads: You have asked for my opinion
as to what power you, as Governor,
have to Investigate the alleged acts of
disorder which are said to have oc-
Cured on the floor of the House of As
sembly and in the committee rooms ad-
jacent. during the closing hours of the
recent session
my understanding of this opinion is
to the effect that the organic law of
this State prescribes definite limitations
not only upon the powers of the law
making body and the judiciary, but up
on the executive as well,' and by reason
of these limitations such an investiga-
ton, IL prosecuted by you as Governor,
would be not only without precedent,
but without legal warrant or authority
as such authority cannot be found in
the constitution or in the statute law
that a research upon your part with a
view of ascertaining the facts. IL at
n -
that any such voluntary assumption OF
such a duty might be properly charac-
terized as both fruitless and meddle-
some;' and that whatever you might
do then in the premises could, in the
nature of things be no. more than any
private citizen might accomplish upon
his own initiative and responsibility
1.-THE attorney general also quotes sec
tion A. article A. of the constitution.
which declares each House shall choose
its own officers, determine the rules OF
its proceedings, punish its members Tor
disorderly behavior, and with the con-
currence of two thirds. may expel a
member and then says, 1T is true, or
course that the House of Assembly has
adjourned and it would, therefore. fol-
low that S an official body it could not
deal with the question here presented
He suggests. however, that its individ-
nal members and officers might conduct
voluntary Investigation They too
he saws. would be without power to
s,,mnon witnesses, administer oaths, and
do sucb other things as are essential to
wholly efficient investigation.
"Who Charges Actss"
eIn your letter to me you state,
| while. as the attorney general points
ont the House has adjourned and there
is no authority to appoint committee
with any power to subpoena witnesses
and the like, still the matter can be un-
dertaken by a voluntary committee,
which YOU may designate, and the whole
proceeding conducted upon your initia-
tive which would mean in the words of
the opinion of the attorney general that
,whateyer | might do in the premises
could. in the nature of things, be no
more than any private citizen might ac-
conn,isb upon his own Initiative and
responsibility.' If then have no power
10 annoint the committee you suggest.
any committee I might appoint would
also be without any power OF authority
And who would consent to act on such
nersonal responsibility and subject
themselves to actions of libel by those
affected. if their conclusions and ind
ings were questioned in court OF law?
"Before any investigation should be
undertaken the matter to be investi-
gated should he clearly stated.
"Who is 1t that charges that acts OF
disorder occurred on the floor of the
House of Assembly and In the COM
mtttee rooms adjacent. and what are
the nets of disorder chnrgedf
From the columns of New York
newspaper under date of April 5,
among other things, the following ap-
pears: In a little room back of the
Assembly speakers chair and under
the historic relics, champagne was
flowing fastest AS you we'll know
and as / recently stated in the public
press, the room on the ground floor
Immediately back Of the speakers
rostrum is the private office OF the