The Washington times., 1931-03-24
BOTH HOUSES
EAGER FOR
ACTION
State Senate, 1924, Passes
Resolution; Assembly Follows
In Morning Hours by 1910
Continued From Page -

Samuel Seabury would become
counsel to the commission, pavec
the way for adoption Of the reso
luton in the Senate.
The new resolution, sponsored
by John Knight, Republican Sen
ate leader, was substituted in the
Senate for the Story resolution
which went down to defeat lr
that body on February 18 be
cause of Wards opposition.
Seabury to Direct
While no mention Of Seabury l:
made in the resolution, it was an
nOunced that definite agreement
had been reached whereby nj
would become counsel to the
probe committee and, in reality
personally would conduct the in
VestigatiOn.
Under the Knight resolution
the probe committee will be com
posed of three Senators and four
assembIymen to be appointed by
the Republican legislative chiefs.
The committee will be clothed
with just as broad powers as
would have been conferred upon
a similar body under the original
investigation resolution, but de-
nunciation of conditions in New
York city was toned down" and
provision was made to have
private hearings in the resolution
adopted.
S25O,OOO Aids Probe
The probe measure carries an
appropriation of $25O,0O0, which
will be paid out of the legislative
contingent fund and the com
mittee will submit its report to
the 1882 legislature.
Republican leaders of the leg
1slature are not expected to an.
nounce the personnel of the
probe committee until after the
legislature adjourns early next
month.
It is expected that one OF
three Senators will be a Demo.
crat and that one of four as
semblymen will be member of
the same party, thereby giving
Republicans complete control of
the committee.
Democrats Fig Loss
Democrats in both .2ouses waged
q bitter but futile fight to pre-
vent adoption Of the probe reso-
luton.
They attempted to amend the
proposal to provide that the in
vestigation should include all
cities of the State, but they
were beaten.
Then they attempted to amend
1t so as to provide that the COM
mittee should be composed of an
equal number of Democrats and
Republicans. Again they were
beaten.
Under present plans the in
vestigation probably will get
under way about May /, and Sea-
bury, a former Democratic candi-
date for governor, will vertually
be turned loose on Tammany
Hall.
Seabury recently was appointed
by Governor Roosevelt as com
missioner under the public Of
ficers law to investigate District
Attorney Grain and for some
months he has been acting as
referee for the appellate division
in it's probe of alleged corruption
in magistrates courts.
Adoption of the resolution pro-
viding for top to bottom investi-
cation of New York city was re
garded as a signal victory for
w. Kingsland Macy, Republican
State chairman.
Laud Mayor Walker
During the debate, Democrats
characterized the Republican in
vestigatiOn as a political fishing
expedition" which they said would
sound the death knell of the Re
publican party in New York city.
They lauded Mayor Walker to
the skies: said that If he were
running for reelection tomorrow
he would receive a greater vote
than ever before, and then ended
mn by asserting that New York
was the "cIeanest and finest"
city in the world.
N. Y. City Stunned
He said:
'Tt is true that there have
been some irregularities in up
state counties, but nothing that
could be compared with what
has been disclosed in New York
city. With what liOn-like roar
of outraged virtue our governor
has jumped at every OppOr.
tunity to investigate upstate,
but how he has Stunned New
York city"
Assemblyman Mandlebaum, New
York Democrat, charged investi-
cation will cost taxpayers Of the
State upwards of $1,0OO,OOO.
Assemblyman Streit, another
Tammany Democrat, Slashed at
Seabury, saying:
"Seabury has an axe to
grind and he is not being fair in
what he has been doing. He
should not be counsel to this
commission in all fairness to
New York City,"