Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1842-03-08


hls whole time aud attention. Mr.. Hendricks
compiltuts were -Dbsequ utiy nude u the board of
Internal Improvement, AID Mr. Thomas \. Morris
de-p1traed on the specI II service Of making
measurement al tue wuTa. Mr. Hendricks seems
10 have entertancd an oPtnl8u, that hr. fhomas
\. Morris was confined by the chef Engineer to
b .ckwiths profile and estimates 10 making his cal
cuatOns. but this does appear to have been the
case. On examining the Transcript from the books
OF the board, certified To your committee 10 appears
that hls operations were not I'm ted, and Mr..
Williams denies, in his examination having gwen
any such directions verblliy. Complaints OF the
same character were also preferred by Hendricks
az aust BeckNth before the board Of Internal I'm
provcmcnt and abOG0gsly Investigated An 40
stract OF the whole testimony and proceedings have
been certified 10 your committee, from which it APP
pears that the trial was fairly made without Mr.
Wlllans's interference. and Mr. Beckwith acquit-
ed. Mr.. Beckwth's character was attempted 10 be
impcached at this trial, but he sustained tri-
umphantly by testimony OF the most unimpeachtbe
character. Another charge against Mr. Williams
IS that at tins trial he swoEc positively that the
profile made by Beckwitlf&as correct. Mr.. vii
liams would have hazarded great deal in making
such oath. 1t IS not pretended that he had
ever surveyed the ground. Mr.. Williams would
have found II difficult To have sustained himself in
this assertion, had lie made It, for the next most
natural enquiry would have been, how did you
rive at that conclusion The naked eve cannot
termine quantities and levels with certainty and
Mr.. " llllams had be made such an assertion, would
have been driven from his ground at the next gues
ton. The abstract of testimony furnished by the
secretary Of the board (Jadge MorTiSonj does not
sustain this charge Mr.. NilIiams's opinion as to
the correctness Of TIE profile is given in very quail
fled form. Mr.. Hendricks heat seehis to have in
lured his case before the board Some of the levels
noted on the profile afterwards found to be IN
correct Nj. Beckwitb atteswards prosecuted
by Mr. Williams and Gov. Noble, and found to be
guilty Of the basest acts
Tie testimony of Messrs Palmer, Bright, and
others sustain Mr.. Williams agains: another accu-
saton made against hun, to-wit that he had offer
cd to let B,ckwth escape IT he would testify against
contrac 'ors. This charge Is supported by the tcs-
tnony of but one witness 1t Is reiutcd by the tes
taony 81 y. Noble, VI G.. Bright, and y. Il. Pal
mcr. Mr.. Williams prosecuted Beckwlth with be
coming diligence aud perseverance, waea Informed
of his rascaIity.
Your committee VIII barely notice some hcarsay
testimony of Gov. Hendricks, b. Which II Is at
tempted L. be shown that charges OF serious
ture, were preferred to Mr. Williams aud Gov
Noble through the medium OF third persons, some
three months before his arrest GOV Iendrioto's
hcarsay statements would have been excluded from
the record By the committee, had Nr. Williams de
sired It, as Improper evidence. But the array OF
facts presented by Mr.. Williams, forms so complete
= deieuce On this head, that it conceived the u-
tile attempt To attack hia by such Improper means
can do his character no hurt.
Charges have been preferred against Mr.. Williams
by dismissed engineer on the New Albany and
' nceunes road. The charges are that ct Mr.. VII
lIan.ss instance the officers were dismissed on that
road, and that two OK them were dismissed from a
motive OF political prescription. The facts are,
rs shown by tae records, that violent controversy
had arisen that road between the engineers
and the commissioner. THIS controversy was of
the biterest character. ead manifested itself in
abusive hand bills and anonymous newspaper pub
+ locations. 1t involved only the officers, but
the citizens and contractors. Under these circCm-
stances dsmissai OF the whole batch Of officers on
+ that road, was recommended to the board by Mr.
+ W llams, and that recommendation was followed
and new orgnzation CT tie corps OF engineers
made. by which a saving made to the State IN
IN expenses and the public interest advanced. One
of the engineers dismissed, Mr.. Smith, was tenn
porarly employed afterwards by the resident engi-
.neer, an assistant, bat against Mr. Williams
advice, Is shown by his letter record. la all
.thls. Mr. Williams appears to have acted correctly
Mr.. Frazier the dismissed Engineer, who preferred
'these charges against Mr. Williams accuses him of
lacking the necessary qualifications for his station
Your committee cannot determine, whether tins
clarge true not they profess no skill IN the
SCIENCE OF Engineering. Ii appears, however. iust
probable to your committee that Mr.. Fray or nm
self incompetent 10 .ecidc OH Nr. y dlIams's quail
lcations. as that Mr.. Williams should DC SO Dc si
/ tute OF skill as lie supposes. We must have more
evidence before can pronounce against Mr. VII
+ l1m~s reputation for skill, based oil a long con
tIuUea employment IN the service Of Ono and In
diana.
There may be zcvc-ll ra.aor points in VI. VII
llaiuss ease, ebich your committee have omitted to
notice. But they think that las vindicstIon is com
plete and triumphant all points aud VIII be so
found on examination. Tint he has r:alo ru;hies,
mud bitter eu1lnes ;c pa 1lic service cred.ta5le
- hlin, f'r every man has h. ebeEes who deserves
them. lie Of whom all uila peak wei IL a tine.
server and hypocrite.*
Norr.-My attention hlyng been called to
sghr error 4 the statement of " am~- testi-
mony. touching Nr. Niorris's instructions, / here
with append the testimony Itself
J. G. EGGLESrON.
.lasts.r q J. l. Udi,s.s d, t,terro- afotg ~ -.
Mr. Morris was detailed to measure IIsnir,ckz'
section m pursuance OF the rec 1luneal4toH ol the
Hoard, which vas 10 the fol owing words
The committee reconH end 10 ;he Board that To
settle the question rs the All pLn; o. work actuli
~ done on sad section. the Principal Engineer
cause estimate 10 De made by Resident Engi-
taken from some other line, WHOM he shall or
der upon that espec al service as soSH as che rubc
interest viii admit Of AMI that m OF any
excess over the estimates already made. the acting
comm .ssIoncr shall. IN accordance with the term.
of the contract between the parties forthwith pay
the same 10 the mcmoralist and also flr any ex-
ira work which ne may be satisfied has been done
winch may not be embraced in former estimates
The object OF Mr. Morris visit was to carry out
the spirit and intention OF TINS order. think /
gave hm no written directions. nor 90 remember
the particular conversation which took place.
one Of tic committee Mr. 6hamhcrala. d.sscsis gen.
eray from The c3nclu> Of the tce. eNeullat.n.
Jesse l. Williams from blame, and acsuittu- him
proper conduct, believing that the testimony only does
nj justify such conclusions but the contrary shows hm
hce him