New-York daily tribune., 1851-07-12
suspicion of connivance a, the loss of the missing pa


per
bill was passed a, the regular session OF this
Legislature, taxing certain great interests, and deep
y interesting to large districts 0f the state ms
bill after having been properly certlhed Dy the pre-
siding officer OF each House respectively. myster-
ousy disappeared, when on It's journey from the As
semtly through the Senate, TO the Executive Cham
Der, and under circumstances calculated to excite
reasonable suspicious of the fidelity OF certain Off
GERS of the Legislature. But no Committee OF In
quiry raised and this wrong, affecting the integ
rtv of the Legislature itself, was allowed to pass
without investigation
public officer of high trust was accused before
the Assembly OF making report for the Commis
soners of the Canal Fund and Transmitting Il TO the
Legislature withou, authority, and with the name Of
one of the Commissioners forged upon Il. Com
mittee was raised upon this charge but the nvestl
CATION was SmOthered, the Committee did not report
and nothing has been heard of the matter since.
The Assembly has been informed, in a mode quite
as authentic as that which promptly originated
this Committee that certain public officer charged
IN some measure with the custody OF the public mo-
neys, had, without authority OF law, and in violation
of his duty, taken the Sinking Funds of this State
from their proper depository and used them for un-
lawful purposes. This runOr or reasonable suSpi-
cion should have induced the Assembly (whose duty
II is TO mpeach the officer, If the charge be true) to
inquire into the truth of the allegation, and to raise
a Committee for that purpose. But no inquiry has
been made, nor has any Committee been raised
II is currently reported and believed that during
the stlngs of this Legislature, persons in daily and
confidential communication with It's prominent
some twenty persons, for the ayOwed purpose OF
taking the entire contract for all the work to be put
under contract on the Erie Canal enlargement, un-
der the new Canal bill that roll or list containing
the names of the members of the proposed company,
has been frequently exhibited with five blanks,
which II said were left blank, because five OF the
members of the company desired their names 10 be
kept concealed from motives of delcacy. 1t is be-
heved that the existence and object of this company
were well known TO certain members OF the Legsia-
ture, and that the blanks were to be filled with the
who could
ETY. be interested in Canal contracts The authors
of this scheme have been In daily attendance on TINS
Legislature. To what extent the knowledge of the
existence Of this company has been potential with
the Legislature cannot undertake to say but that
Committee should have been raised to expose tins
dangerous plot If really existed Is beyond denial
1t not, al this day, necessary. perhaps. 10 attend
TO the daily complaint deep If not loud OF citizens
of this State, who have found II impossible TO ap-
proach either branch Of the Legislature with any lit
tie business of a private nature without paying
liberal tribute al the door, because this evil has near
y or quite disappeared since the gentle expulsion of
Geo. w. Bull from the Senate and may not now re-
quire the attention OF the Assembly
If these matters, affecting the proper discharge OF
highly responsible official duties, and exposing the
Assembly itself to censure are not of sufficient i'm
portance to engage the attention of the House. with
what proprlety can II take cogniZance OF any re-
marks may make in common conversation
Ii probably will occur to the Committee and to the
Assembly, that the subject matter OF this conversa
ton was IN no sense legally criminal, and could not
become until the act to which 1t related should be-
come law 1t Is not TO be presumed that every bill
pending before the Legislature Will receive Its sane
ton, and the offer Of a consideration for orbearance
10 inon bill which has existence, and may never
become a law, cannot subject the person offering 1t,
TO punishment, and certainly the refusal to accept
the offer, hardly be SAID to SAVIOR of crmlnalty.
Do not understand me- sir, as lustifylng the proceed
ing on the contrary, in moral point Of view, the
distinction between such offer and actual bribery,
hardly percepble, but when legal proceedings are
contemplated, the distinction becomes one OF the
least Importance
take this occasion to say that the proposition
made to me precisely in the manner detailed by
Mr. Elderkin Gf | understand his evidence) before
the committee but, lnasmuch as the offer is not an
ndictable ofense, and the matter in wise con-
Germs the Legislature, and cannot nghtfully be
brought under the jurisdiction of the Committee.
respectfully decline 10 appear before the Committee
to testify in relation to 1t.
have another reason for refusing TO appear be-
fore this Committee In the published report of the
debates ofyesterday, on the resolution IN question,
Hon Mr. Briggs is reported to have said in sub
stance, that he did not believe the offer was ever
made, for two reasons first that no man in the
State would be fool enough 10 offer so large
as $4,000 and second, If the offer had been made
the Attorney General would have taken IT, i MS
charge so grossly insulting, and under the crcum'
stance betrays much of the mean spirit OF cow
ardice, that cannot consent to appear before your
Committee while such "A man holds a place on IL
made, as the nslnuation was under the protection
of membership, and In the confident security OF that
protection, II exhibits much inherent depravlty IN
the man, and the possession OF quantities so opposed
TO honor that can feel no security while he is al
lowed TO participate IN proceedings involving my
personal rights.
The remark itself implies asonishment that any
man should refuse bribe, and measuring other men
by the standard of his own morality, the aStonlSh-
men increased III the ratio of the amount.
Feeling this afrOnt as do, shall never answer
before YOU Committee until the Assembly shall do
itself the Justice 10 fill the place of Mr. Briggs with
man Of sufficient reSpectaby OF character to feel
the true responsibility of representative and gen
toman am, Sir, very truly, your obedlent servant,
l.. s. CHATFlELD.
Mr. TOWNSEND preiaced by an elaborate critl-
cism of the conduct OF the Attorney General,
the following resolutions:
Rcsolred, That the commgnca'Sn Of Levi s Chataeld
dated the Sth inst. TO Mr. j. Townsend Chairman OF
the Committee of Inquiry appointed by this House ON the
7th INST. TO summons To appear aad testly
before that Committee and which has been lad before
this House is not only breach of its privileges and con-
tempt of It's authority, hut an unprovoKed msu' 10
branch Of the Government immediately representing the
People an mSeen ana and afSgan d nnd oe
libel upon character and proceeding, and low and
scurous vituperaon Of members OF the House and of
the highest public officers Of the State disgraceul 70
pubic fnctionay unprecedented and unparalleled
That the assumptions contained IA 1t OF an authority TO
rebuke tins House for alleged omissions Of duty, such
fagrant outrage upon all decency TO moI universal
and execraon That the pretess assigned by the
said Chatfeld for defyng the authority Of this HonSe
equally futile and disingonuous nothing Can be more
absurd than the pretence that the neglect OF the Holsc 10
inquire other alleged OF misconduct, excuses
witness from testhng upon when the House
thinks proper 10 drec, investigation, on that witness
10 determine whether the tribunal before which ne Is
summoned has jurisdiction OF the subject o inquiry
That such example OF disorder aud dsobedence IN the
person occupying the position OF the Law Ocer OF the Gov
ernment pencious and should receive the reeuKe
of overy good citizen That lnasmuch as appears from
the TESTIMONY taken by the aforementioned Committee
and rep0 ted tins House that the SAID l. s Chatned
volunteered his statement of corrupt offer to influence MS
Official conduct member OF tins House, and To mem
the Senate with make the same public,
A. Is evident that the same was made with me expectation
# not purpose, of fastening Worthy npuaton lndls
crmnae upon all those who had favored the passage Of
the hill which the subject that statements and II no
investigation truth should be made 10 furnish ground
for charging and approval Of base attempt al
bribery that after having thus been the of an IN
qu which should exonerate the innocent and expose the
guilty the refusal disclose the whole truth proof either