ALBANY, Sept. 6 — Senate Republicans grilled the state inspector general, Kristine Hamann, during a public hearing Thursday, and suggested that she faltered in her investigation of Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s administration and lacked candor. Ms. Hamann, an experienced prosecutor, defended her handling of her inquiry, and a law professor called by Republican senators did not dispute her contention on a key issue: that she did not have clear standing to confer subpoena-issuing powers to Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo, who was conducting his own inquiry. Ms. Hamann also said she opposed Senate legislation that would compel her to refer future...