Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1855-10-16
nEMocRATrc sssH0w.n

ocO u cuilH duu al tuui -sAS<aitn oi'A'So ~
town little before night, and were paraded
through the streets after dark with Band of Mu-
sic and torch light procession, with great 'cere
mony. After which the crowd repaired TO the
Court House. and listened to speeches from seven
TO twelve oclock, from Smith and Macarthur,
with his excelicncy acting as prompter. All the
magnates of the self styled Democracy and
goodly number of the Shanghais were in item
dence, and undoubtedly greatly edited
GKo. B. SMITH Esq the present attorney gen.
eral of the State, and who by the way, is one of
that class of lawyers who has a very good facul-
~ of making the most of hard case, was the
first speaker. Before noticing his remarks, it
may be we'll TO remind our readers that this Mr..
Geo. E. Smith is one of the persons indicted by
the Grand Jury of his county for corruption
and abuse ~, Office His remarks consisted al
most entirely of assertions and denas, with
goodly sprinkling of abuse of the "Shanghais,
as he termed all who oppose Barstow, particular
ly Mr. RANDALL and Mr. TENNY of Madison, the
latter of whom he said, e he was "out doors, he
would say was damned rascal He related sew
eral anecdotes. of which is so pertinent to
his case that we give it here. He said there
once man who had been indicted for stealing
hog. He employed lawyer and went to trial
before jury The case was so plain against the
accused, that his council thought it no rse to adj
dress the jury, bat finally made few remarks at
the solicitation of his client The jury retired
and soon returned a verdict of not guilty. The
council asked of his client an explanation of SO
singular verdict, which he replied "the fact is,
squire, eleven of that jury had piece of the hog
Now this is just Mr.. Smiths case. He has had a
portion of the hog. Hence the desperation with
which he labors TO clear the guilty
Mr. Smith accused the Shanghai Legislature of
creating the State Tax of S35O,0oo, and said it
was $50 900 more than is necessary but he for
got TO inform his audience that the State Ire =
urer says that even that amount is not sufficient
to meet the expenses of the administration He
also forgot that them "Shanghais' had majority
Ia only one branch of the Legislature, and that
tax, and that Gov. Barstow signed the bill Why
did the Senate pass it and the Governor sign it if
It was only got up for political capital?
We have not room this week, TO follow the
speakers through their long addresses and will
only allude to the effort of Mr.. Smith to clear
Gov Barstow from the charge of corruption in
the Lunatic Asylum swindle He stated unequiv-
ocally that that contract was all in hands of
the commissioners and that his excellency had
nothing 10 do with it. He further asserted that
the law said nothing OF the cost of the Asylum
and that that matter was all left with the COM
m'ssloners to prove which he spoke OF the fallasy
of the idea that a Lunatic Asylum could be built
foE s22 900, and when called upon TO read the
law, and the report of the Lunatic committee
1t was found entirely too long to be read on that
occasion. To show our readers little of Mr.
Smiths equivocaton this question, we give
below portion of the Lunatic committee report
and also of the law-ali that particularly relates
to the cost of the building and duties of the Coy
ernor.
On the % of March, 1854, the Senate commit,
Zee 10 whom was referred so much of the Govern
or's Message as related to the Insane Asylum
made their report, in which they say they have
consulted the published account of the Worcester
Asylum. The committee say (page 119)
The commissioners 10 erect this hospital, 1.-THE
Worcester) state IN their report that the prepara
ton OF the grounds, the excavation and stoning
OF the cellar, making roads, and the complete
cons ruction OF the buildings including all labor
and m materials, was accomplished at an expense of
little .ass than 81 900 dollars
Your committee, aided BY a gentleman of This
town well acqnented with building have made
an estimate of the expense IT erecting an asylum
IN this State, upon the plan of that at Worcester
with the following result"
(Here follows the estimate of the committee
BY items amounting to 2, 32O)
The above estimate may not be entirely cor.
rect III every particular; but the committee are
confident the expense will not exceed the above
estimate.
4" Your committee believe that the exne,d;,,,a
OF this sum of money is warranted upon many
considerations
Believing that duty, no less than Justice
mercy, and true economy, demand the establish
ment OF an asylum, the committee report the
accompanying bill.
The law was passed and approved, March 30
from which we make the following extracts.
Sec /. Provides the appointment of commits
sioneFs, and purchase of the site
Sec 2 For the conveyance of title 10 the State
Sec. 3 & are as follows;
The said commissioners are hereby further
duAofiZet- ich the Gdcce and CO,,Scut of The carer.
ner, 10 cause 10 lie erected upon the grounds mr.
chased Tor that purpose, suitable buildings for the
use and accommodation of said institution. which
Shaii hereafter be called and known by the name
OF the WISCONSIN State Lunatic Asylum; and also
TO make such other improvements upon and
about the grounds. they may think expedient
and proper.
Such building shall be constructed in accord
ance with the plan of the Worcester Hospital for
me insane as recommended by the COMMITTEES in
/ 'helr report 10 the senate: Provided That said
( commissioners shall have power TO make any
! alterations therein which they may think neces>
esry and 'ehleh acH not materially change said plan
or picrfase The cost Of said building.
Now If Mr.. Geo B Smith can make il annear
from tins Report, and the law, that Gov Rarsrow
had nothing 10 do with the Lunatic ASYLUM ron.
tract, or that the commissioners had a rieht 70
contract for such building materially difTeren,
rom the Worcester Asylum either in plau or cos,
ne must do SO by placing different construction
upon language from that found il any published