The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1846-02-28

ma resre', lnal any man possessed OF
character and reputation and NJ. M'
Cook appears from the evidence TO have
,een1 could so far forget what was due
TO himself and 10 his fellow men, TO
voluntarily attempt and act ually con.
'ummdte, an offence second only in its
blighting consequences against the well
being OF Government TO TreaSOn itself
1t is proper for your Committee to
say, that IN their oplnlnn, there is moth
ing in the conduct of M. PioIlet, con
nected with this transac ion, calculated
% throw the least suspicion upon hlm as
! member OF this boiy. He acted
Throughout under the advice Of the Hon.
J h LapOrta, Surveyor Genoral, the
II IN. jesse Mller, Secretary Of The
Communicable, snd Jeremiah NJ.
Bdrrel, E'q., highly respectable mem
ber of this legiSIa,ure, who all urged
upon him the ben 6clal effects th6+
would result from such an exposure as
could only be made by permitting t'rt
Il 'nce TO be consunnsled by the acIu
al payment Of the money. AID your
Coml'tee concur in the Oplnion, that lhe
Exposure and proper pnulshment Of tsis
nighhsuded outrage, will leud to preserve
unlmpared lhe confidence OF the people
IN lhe purity of legislative action
| The committee deem il due TO N-ssrs
lIIIIands, S eel and BITber, the thaeo
mem bers OF the Commiite on Banks,
who are mentioned in lhe testimony, as
9elng understood 10 be favorable 10 Inc
l.shigh county B,nk, that there is not
the slightest evidence for supposlion
that they had been tampered with in re-
IsIion to this siilir: Their characters
for honor snd integrity forbds this idea
and it was clearly proved tha, they had
never exchanged word with M. NJ.
Cook, and that they did not even know
him, until after bis arrest by The Ser
gent st Arms.
10 view cf all the circumstances, your
lCommitlee is constrained TO say, that
most gross contempt Of The dignity Of
The House, ard a h,gran, attempt TO
corrrpt one Of its members, has been
perpetra,ed by Daniel M'Cook, The
evidence is clear, to the point; end
leaves no room for doubt. If any
loubl could possibly exist in the face
Of the paid testimony in the case, they
must ell at once be dispeled, by the
production Of the identical money with
which the corrupt attempt was made
Upon this conclusive fact, reas con-
sideration Of much importance in this,
md all similar cases.
Ii may DC alIedSed, That it was the
duty Of gentlemen who was approach.
ed, to rePel the attempt at the drskblosh.
! Ii mnst be remembered that previous
attempt was made on Mr. L,poce, Tor
the purpose ofreaching Mr.. P,oIlet, by
M'Cook, and that sn in,msrion end .
warning, was gwen 10 Gr. Pho Ilet, that
he "ou'd probably be cofruptly ap--
preached, aud that il was fer the pur-
pose of making a complete exposure,
that he concluded TO let the matter take
such course, and 90 jus, as far as the
author OF it Intended, and would push
II. 1t Is insufficient 10 say, and is not
susteioed by ,he evidence, that AFCook
was 4rawn in, and induced TO sct as he
( did. His previous deliberate iuteHton,
IS clearly proved, and thai he carried it
out, Is no mans wrong but his own.
No man OF honest purpose, could by|
possibility be induced 10 commit a
crime,by ,he mere fact hat no man stays
his hand.
The oAence being hen clearly proved
The question that presents itself, is this
what action shall the house take TO in.
sure the punishmen, Of the offend ?Thia
case being without precedent in this
CommonweBllh, il is important that the
action Of tke House upon ii, should be
dictated by prudence and care, as it viii
doubtless hereafter, 10 some degiees, bel
looked upon bs precedent, although it,
is 10 be hoped ,that as it is the first, 50 ii
may be the last case that may ever be
acted upon by Pennsylvania Legis-
laiure.
Your Committee can scarcely find Ian.
guage suliicjenly strong 10 express their
abhorrence and deleslaIon of The per Pc
traitors Of such offences as the one they
were charged investigate They strike
a deadly blow at our free Institutions,
poison the head springs of legislation,
ihwart the high and pure purpose of The
people, and laugh 81 law and morality.
If they be permitted to 60 unwhipl Of
liuRlirP and he thUs enCouraoad IN DroC-