The Sentinel=record., 1914-02-14
LEA MEASURE TO ADD SENATE COMMITTEE TO RAILWAY lN-
 VESTIGATloN IS FOUGHT.
WOULD BE A USURPATION
or the Power Of the Courts and Com mission to DabbIe in the Louisville & Nashville Muddle, Many Senators Are Claiming.

Washington, Feb. 13.-strong op- position developed today in the sen. ate to the passage of the Lea resol,. 'loh to appoint a special committee of hVe senators to cooperate with tbo interstate commerce commission in It's investigation of it's affairs of tba Louisville x Nashville railroad and It's allied lines.
 Senator John Sharp Williams ro ported the resolution favorablv from the committee on accounts and read report from commissioner Never winch charged that Wible L. Manotb. CT, Vice president of the Louisville q NashVIile' had defed the commis. 9iohs agents and threatened to das- troy valuable records. The commis sion Senator Williams said had asl. eu TOT the special committee in order 'o provide Jurisdiction for contnrrt anu to expedite the inquiry pending ,ndluainus proceedings in the courts '0l possession Of withheld records
 Doubt as to the Jurisdiction of +h. senate in the premises led to nro, 'onsed discussion and delayed action on the resolution until tonorraa. senator Lea said tonight bowevor 'nat he believed he would ha ahla to convince the senate that action u,.,s necessary to make possible continaa. tioh ot phases of the commissions inqulry' which officials of the I.onis- 'llle & Nashville had blocked
 olhclals of this railroad may Ina as guilty as hell" said Senator senator Brandegee of Connecticut :" anu perhaps they should be hung as Hish as hamen, but am against such extraordinary proceedings as Onls resolution contemplates If seems to me that this is an attamnt sion"
 senator Lea asserted that Vice fresldent Mapother had taken tho position that he would yield te inc commission only such records as ba saw fit to give up.
 We have information. be said
 rom an agent of the commission that officials of one of the Louisville x Nashville's lines, the Nashville Chattanooga and St. Louis. have be. gun to destroy and burn records some of which extended as far back as 1865 The passage of this resolu- ton can stop of this lawlessness.
 Senator Works denounced the res. olution as proposed to deny to a citizen resort to the courts to have his rights determined.
 Senator Sutherland insisted that the proposed step would invade the domain Of the executive department Tn authorizing an inquiry as to wheth- CT or not a crime had been commit ted and the field of the judicial de- partment in authorizing the calling Of witnesses and contemplating the commitment for contempt in event they refused to produce papers
 This resolution is wholly void and of no legal effect whatever" said Senator Root" and the senate will find itself. if it passes 1t. in the mor- tifying position of failure in it's at- tempt to execute powers it does not possess"
 Senator Williams had read to the senate, in connection with the report from Commissioner Meyer reply received from Vice President Ma bother in a telegram today denying Commissioner Meyers charges but admitting that he did eject two ex- aminers from a file room because their conduct had become such that no self respecting man could submit to it any longer