The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-07-15
From the Albany Evening Journal.
The Charge of Attempt to Bride the Attorney
General.

In ASSEMBLY, July TO-
Mr.. TOWNSEND made report on the charge
that the attorney general had been offered
/ $4,000 not to institute proceedings to prevent
the operation of the canal BILL
The following is the correspondence between
the chairman of the committee and the attorney
general:
ATTORNEY GENERALS OFFICE,
July 9Th, 1851.
Hon. !. J. TOWNSEND, Chm, &c:
SIR | have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt Of a copy of the preamble and resolution,
adopted by the assembly on the 18th instant,
together with your note. asking me to appear
before the committee, appointed in pursuance of
the resolution, ut II o'clock at noon of to-day
Allow me to say that | am not unaware Of the
object of raising this committee its purpose has
been abundantly foreshadowed, in both the
senate and assembly during the present ertra-
ordinary session. The whole proceeding is en-
tirely extra legislative, and can subserve no
full purpose whatsoever, and permit me to sng
gest that you possess too much discrimination
MT to know, that no action whatsoever can be
taken by the assembly on any report which
this committee may make, and that the subject
matter of the investigation is not within the
jurisdiction of the assembly.
If all that is charged in the quoted remarks of
Mr.. Elderkin is proved to be strictly true csn
any use be made of this matter in the assembly
except to enable Mr.. Macomber Mr. Briggs
and others, to reiterate this ungentlemanly
charge of fnisehood and perhaps superadd to it
that of perjury
During the sittings of this legislature. either
at the present or the past session, am not aware
that have ia an. maunerinterfered or attempted
TO interfere wi h the course Of legislation. On
the contrary, have forbcrne to ask for the pas
sage Of bills affecting my office, and vitality i'm.
portant to The transaction of its ordinary bust
ness yet have constantly been mnde the sub
ect of ridicule, vtuperation and lliberal remarks
IN both branches of the Legislature. You, Sir,
on more occasions than one, have forgotten the
The respect due TO your exalted position, if not
TO your character as a gentleman, and descended
10 the ignoble occupation ofabnse ind detraction
of me and my character, in your place in the as
-embly and others, less learned and circumspect
ttsn yourself, have followed your perncious
example, in language less refined than your own.
AdmoniShed AZ am by these transactions,
cannot tn to comprehend the purpose of raising
this committee, and the tact exhibited in the com
position of the committee, while 1t commands
my unfeigned admiration, does not serve TO
change my views of lis intended use
If was less informed in the history of the
past few, months, might he disposed to attri.
butte this movement to an earnest desire, on the
part Of this assembly, to expose guilt; affecting
the administration Of the government, and to
punish the offender But knowing, as do, that
in this case there is no guilt punishable, either
by law or by the legislature, and that transac-
tons a thousand fold more criminal and more
dangerous to the public than this, and deeply
and directly compromising the legislature itself
have been allowed to sleep undisturbed, must
be allowed to say, that have good reason to
doubt the purity and patriotism of this proceed
ing
A committee was appointed by the assembly
Of 1850 to inquire into the official acts of certain
public officers, who were charged with gross
misconduct msiority of that committee re-
ported the result Of their inquiries, with the
evidence taken by them, to the present legisIa-
ture, The report was in some nnaccoun'able
manner suppressed at NIL events, il cannot be
found The suppression Of this document j.
unexampled in the history of the legislature of
this State Yet no committee Of inquiry was
raised, although it seemed TO be necessary, TO
the vindication Of certain members of this as
sembly from the suspicion of connvancc at the
loss of the missing paper.
A bill was passed. at the regular session Of this
legislature, taxing certain great interests, and
deerly interesting to large districts of the State.
This bill, after having been properly certified by
the presiding officer Of each house respectively,
mys!eriously disappeared, when on its Journey