New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-04-05
Senate Upholds Wagner,
Controversy Is Dropped
Upper House, Tired, Decides to End Hearings
After Debate in Secret Session Over
Censuring of Mayor Mitchell

albany. April .. The State Senate
....5,5 q, - o'clock this morning 20
~..-s.e the contempt proceedings
IL. Mayor Mitchell A resolution
=, adopted iu secret session after i've
,.,r.' debate expressing confidence in
s.,.,or Robert r. Wagner.
~. .,souooa follows:
.Vhor,as. John Purroy Mitchell.
Sic eoDearance and examination
80 Tho bar Of the Senate, he's dis
- chat hC intended 20 imDesch
Zeal the loyalty and patriotism
o., Sc~ator Robert F. Wag1er and
',.-,b,. has disposed Of The questions
h. determined in these proceed
ssVto~ese. The evidence shows that
H.. r.-o.isfi,ns by tho Onlt9d states
..rcr-Tcat 60 acquire land ~ foek-
-, Point for fertilization purposes
- ro-ding more than one year
--,or 20 tho request for leris'anon.
SWbcr,se. Said land has this day
-, sc3u.rcl by the State Of New
~ for ttc benefit of the Unite ;
5 5oS bv LEGISLATION duly enacted;
@Peso'ved. lat the pending pro
.,,5,rc. Do terminated
Abbott Scores for Mayor
-.,o-ol Abbott scored the strongest
-. Tor tho Mayor lie said that the
W. Dersrtmcut had been able 10 erect
arIv nc most temporary Kind OF small
90 batteries az Rockaway, able
-'i, - rcpel raids Of small naval UNITS.
IS .,suse Of che delay I'm transferring
lie 20 the fort land TO the Federal
1o .J bs5 .., cash for TIE purchase Of
.ts lsnd. he testified, "and ! had some
aTbe rfief OF engineers had his own
sr,5s for the construction OF heavy
,rSrsrce batteries capable OF covering
go In the sea. IN which a. present
To5ern hstrcship could lie with I'M
~upitv and she'll the lower part OF New
York City.
"Wbe,ber this money should be al
,o.ed 20 New YORK or other parts Of
he Tritel States depended A. that
.in,e ON whether we could secure the
o,nroval NJ 81. title 10 these lands by
ne ATTORNEY General Of tht United
S.s,ss .yric1 IS the legal requlr- ment
boforo work can be started on any
De-manent foruacatlon.'
The net result 90 tie day. however,
can be summed I'D m a few lines.
Tsyo~ Mitchell no. only uullifed what
he Senate regard Yesterday as re-
.-sr.ion of The disloyal inslnuation, but
nsde his Original .anti-Wagner state
r,ent stronger on cross examination by
Wr Trtermycr. who tried 70 show
ralice on the part of the Mayor. On
Tho other hand. Senator Wagner's coun-
sol proIvced evidence 20 justify Sens-
-or Wagners suspicion Of the Mills bill
bargain and 70 vndICate him Of. any
disloyalty 20 the United states.
Meanwhile the cause Of the whole
controversy has been removed by the
Massage OF the amended Brown seizure
bin. with an appropriation of S2,5Op.OoO
20 cover any damages awarded 10 the
Eockawav Pacific Corporation. owners
OF the fort land required by the War
j. tonight and sent 20 Secretary
Department Governor Whitman :igned
Baker OF the Way Department tele-
gram that he was ready 20 execute
satisfactory deed 70 the United states
OF the lOrt SIZE property. ] 'dt = o.
that is necessary for the immediate
construction of heavy batteries at
ROckaVly
Senate Was Tired
The determination 10 wind up the
contempt proceedings against Mayor
Mitchell was reached about 9 o'clock
after an entire day devoted 70 cross
examination Of the Mayor by Senator
Wagner counsel, Samuel Untermyer.
Il became more and more apparent as
The proceedings went on and the Mayor
and counsel were getting further and
further aheld into the merits Of the
Rockawav land transaction that the
Senate and everybody concerned was