Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1854-01-11


Il. SSsED, JoHs H. CRozlER, and THOMAS G. LYON,
advised Mr.. GALLOWAY in a written opinion,
which he submitted to Gov. CAMPBELL, that the
company were entitled to the bonds that Gov.
JoHSsoS has issued
There are many other facts "outside of the act
itself" which have come to our knowledge with
reference to this matter; and should the Banner
persist with such pertinacity in assailing Gov
son, and through him not only the Attorney Gener-
al but other members of the Executive Depart
ment, who advised and concurred in the Governors
action. some further developments may be made,
which will result in more injury to the Banners
purposes and advisers than it will to those who
have done this act of justice the East Tennessee
and Georgia company.
We ought, perhaps, to refer the Banner to the
fact that DR.. J. G. NJ RAMSEY, who was appointed
the agent of the State to dispose of $350,O00 of
bonds issued to the East Tennessee and Georgia
Company, under the act of 1880, made report
to Gov TRoUsDALE, which was submitted to the
Legislature of 1872, at the commencement Of
the session. This was report of DR.. RAMsEY's
transactions in the sale of the bonds and the pur-
chase of iron and equipments for that part OF the
road south of Blairs Ferry. From that report
which will be found in the Appendix, page POI,
to the House Journal of 1922, we make the fol-
lowing extract:
at was ascertaned that the State loan itselfwas
insufficient in amount to purchase the iron and
equipments necessary to put the road IN successful
operation from Dalton, Georgia, to the Tennessee
i Ill -aI Oif,f-
ment evidently contemplated. And it was consd-
cred essential to the interest of the State and other
stockholders as well as to the business and COM
merce of the country that the road should at once
tap that stream and thus extendits benefits through
it simultaneously to the whole of East Tennessee.
Unwilling that the road should stop, even for a
time, short of that point, the Board OF Directors
wisely determined TO issue bonds and stock Of the com
pany to be used conjunction Di the State uad IN
making the purchases necessary to finish and equip the
road to BARS Ferry"
From this it will be seen that the attention of
the Legislature of 1872 was called directly to the
sort to its own 'stock and bonds" to finish and
equip the road to Bairs Ferry; and yet the argu-
ment of the Banner is, that the Legislature had
reference whatever to the East Tennessee and Geor
ga company when it declared, in the proviso to the
18th section, that, SHOULD any of the companies
hereinbefore enumerated have bona tde, and before
the passage of this act, purchased otherwise con-
tracted for, upon their own credit, the necessary
ron rails, spikes, equipments, &c, for their road
roads or any other section sections thereof the
bonds of the State shall be issued to such company
or companies as is hereinbefore prescribed"
We think 1--WE have shown that the editor Of TIE
Banner has been laboring under an entire misap
prehensou Of the facts in this case and that if there
were objections TO the issuance of bonds to the
East Tennessee and Georgia Company, they have
not been hit upon by the Banner, We think we
have clearly shown this.
Weremark farther, as 'outside" of the argument
of the Banner, that the gentleman in the House of
Representatives who, after the opinion of the At
torney General in favor Of the issuance of the bonds
had been acted upon by the Governor, moved
resolution nquiring of the Governor his reasons for
his course, was a candidate for Attorney General
before the last Legislature, and defeated by the
present incumbent. We remark farther as tout
side" Of the Banners argument that this gentleman
represents Maj HENRY's county in the present Leg
stature. To these "outside" facts perhaps, more
than to an improper construction OF the internal
improvement act and the proviso to the 18th sec
ton, we owe the call upon the Governor and the
lengthy arguments of the Banner. Having fully
investigated the whole matter, and satisfied our
selves that the course of the Governor was right,
we shall not shrink from any investigation of it
which the Banner may choose to institute. We
think that paper however, will find it safest to con-
fine itself to the facts rather than to the 'outside"
information which has so greatly misled it.
= There are one two other points in the con-
controversy which will notice at an early day
perhaps tomorrow.