Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-02-27

ma Ill ANEAiAA1a AiOii AfIVii ~
County took an active part il
negotiations between the Commercial
Aeetvlene Company on the one hand
whose present freedom of action woult
be 10 a certain extent limited by th'
passage of Senate bills Nos. 70 and liz
or either Of them. and a certain person
or persons unknown, at whose instiga
ton the said bills were introduced.
THAT the purpose Of the said neso.
tiations was 10 defeat tho proposed leg
i~slation either by procuring the with
drawal Of bills themselves or by pro
curing an adverse report upon the
said bills or otherwise.
THAT the basis for such negotiations
was a financial consideration. which
was to pass from the Commercial
Acetylene Company to the instigator OF
the said legislation.
THAT the said Senator from Morris
County had knowledge of these nego-
tiations, at least to the extent of in
curing of the unknown instigator OF
these bills, whether he would Withdraw
his interest in consideration of the
receipt of u certain sum of money.
And that, upon receiving a favor.
able reply to this inquiry. the said
Senator from Morris County communi-
Gated to the representatives of the
Commercial Acetylene Company this
fact, himself stating thai he would act
in accordance with the instructions
which he should receive from the party
unknown at whose action the bills were
introduced.
I'VE believe, therefore. and can only
report on the evidence presented to us,
that the Senator from Morris County
has been guilty of such IN offense as is
Inconsistent with the trust and duty
of a member of this Senate, and we
hereby recommend that the Senator
from Morris County be tried by the
Senate on the question of his expulsion
from this body.
I'm view of the fact that your com-
mittee was not clothed with powers
of subpoena, and therefore could not
compel the attendance of witnesses.
and we have since learned that addi-
tional testimony may be secured
through the use of ~subpoenas, and in
further view of the act h a counsel
for the said Senator from Morris
County has asked for an opportunity
to be heard before the body of Senate.
this committee recommends that the
Senate as a body upon a day and time
to be fixed sit for the trial of the said
Senator from Morris County Upon the
charges of commission of an offense in
consistent With he trust N duty of
a member of this Senate, of which
time and place and this charge the
said Senator from Morris Counts shall
have due notice in order that he may
be present, n may present In person
or through counsel such testimony and
statements as may seem to him proper,
n that subpoenas do issue under the
hands of the president and secretary
OF the Senate, attested by seal thereof,
to be served by the sergeant-at-arms
upon such witnesses as may be recon
mended by this committee. es
We are submitting with this report
the sworn afidavits as presented 70
the committee at the hearing held on
this date. We will later present a
transcript of the proceedings taker.
stenographically before the commit
tee"
Probe Assumes Political Complexion.
The affair has taken ON a political
complexion. This will not be ad-
mitted by any of the senators when
asked to talk for publication, but
many of them are willing to discuss
the matter unoffieially. The fact that
former Senator William D.. Edwards,
counsel for Fitzherbert. asked that the
Senate sit as a body in hearing the
charges against his client Is construed
to mean that he does not believe that
Il majority of the Senate would stand
for conviction.
1t takes q two-thirds vote to expel
and three Democrats are necessary to
have this number. The defense is of
the belief hat the Democrats will
stick by their colleague.
One of the Republican Senators said
to a reporter for The Star:
THE fact that Edwards was not will
ling to let the committee judge the &C
cused Senator shows hat he is afraid
of the two Republicans on the COM
Eittee. but viii trust the whole Senate
because of the fact that it requires
three of the Democrats TO Dust tn
man He docs not believe the Denn,
Gratis win vote that way"
The name of Uncle Dan VOORHEES,,
which was brought in by Wisehart,
~ Wv iVih sun man, 10 tGSpttloiblt
for many political guesses. 1t is unds.-
stood that the friends of F~itzherberl
allege that Mr.. Voorhees, had a finger
in the pie and that it was a political
scheme cooked up by Fitzherbert's ELI
omies to play the game against him.
Nothing of an especially damaging
character was brought out against Fitz-
herbert yesterday except the fact that
two reporters testified that at the hear
ing last Tuesday afternoon Fitzherbert
declared that he promised to act as d
go-between and do with the acetylene
bills whatever the "backer" of the bills
asked him to do.
The committee was very anxious that
the reporters go on record on this point
because there was no st~enographer last
week to make a note of it. This time
a s~tenographer took down the minutes
of the hearing.