The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1856-04-17
OHIO LEGIsLATURE
SENATE.
cOIuMbps, April :, . O'clSet =. 4,

COLuMBus, April 2, . o'clock =. h,
The Senate went Into committee Of the
whole, Mr.. Kirk in the chair.
The bill TO constituts three investigating
committees was considered. The Senate
blanks were filed with Mr.. Kelley for the
Treasury, Mr.. Hamilton, Public Works, and
Mr.. Brown, State House, Peniteniiary and
Asylums..
| Il being proposed to fill the blank for ex.
penses with 81 500, Mr.. Matthews said that
they had better put IN $1,000. The com.
miltees would spend all that was nppropria.
ted, every body knew that. He would also
suggest that the committees be empowered
to furnish copy of their report to every re-
publican newspaper in the State a. soon as
they got il ready. As for the Senator from
Portage, he was ready to report now. He
had expressed himself very decidedly upon
all these questions, and required no evidence
whstever to enable him to report.
The committee rose. The amendment
being put, Mr.. Taylor. of Mahoning, was
substituted for Mr.. Kelley, at the request Of
the latter.
The question being on agreeing to the
filling of the blank with Mr.. Brown. be-.
Mr.. Matthews said that he objected to
putting this gentleman's name upon this
committee. He was gentleman of very
sanguine, he might say sanguinsfy tempera.
ment. He had large vocabulary Of forci.
BILE terms, with which he commonly cypress
ed his adherence of everything not right.
So great was his hatred of anything which
had even the appearance of wrong, that it
would hinder him from giving to this In
vestigation that calm, judiciai deliberate in
quiry which these things ought to have
His ptejudices were SO violent, and the cnar-
ges he had made against the State House
Commissioners and others had been so Vehe-
ment that he (Mr. Matthews,) did think it
his duty to protest, very respectfully but
very earnestly against this appointment
He who brought these charges was not fit to
sit as Judge.
Mr.. Marsh defended the appointment
He supposed the Senator would object to
him, if he had said that he thought the demo.
crat officers were rascals.
Mr.. Matthew'S certainly should. Does
the Senator think the man who brings these
charges the man to sit as judge in the case!
Mr.. Marsh-The gentleman from Portage
was democrat once, and he has now come
out and taken his position upon the broad
ground of human freedom, is he to be con.
sidered unfit to sit on this committee for that!
Mr.. Matthews-And you will not answer
my question.
Mr. Marsh-I have gone off upon another
thing. The Senator from Portage has ex.
pressed himself here and gone sometimes
perhaps little too far. Sir, he hos always
had his eye upon the Treasury. II he had
not, the democrats would have charged upon
him. They would haye said, you were elec.
ted to retrench, and you have set wide the
door Of the vault for your friends to help
themselves. Mr.. Marsh continued in the
same strain.
Mr. Mathews spoke ngain, contending that
the people would. not have and ought not to
have any confidence in an investigation con-
Quoted by men-who had never neglected an
occasian to denounce beforehand the parties
whose conduct was to be Investigated, whose
minds were already made up as they con-
stantly proclaimed. and who were therefore
incapable of making an impartial investlg a.
ton and delivering an intelligent judgment.
He had not objected to the Senator from
Franklin, nor to the gentlemen from Union,
nor to the gentleman from Mahoning, be-
cause none of them had pronounced hiT self
before hand.
Mr.. Brown rose and charged Mr.. Matthews
with having made q personal attack upon
him, malicious and unprovoked. He then
attempted to retaliate, but did not answer,
nor attempt to answer the reasons advanced
by Judge Matthews against his fitness TO sit
on the committee.
Mr.. Matthews replied, rsiterating his oh.
iections to the Senator's appointment, and
repeated that the Senator from Portage
had in tho most intemperate and vehement
manner charged that the Commissioners
were guilty OF personal corruption
Mr. Csttell had nominated Mr. Brown be.
cause he thought he had frmness enough to
conduct the investiJ alton as it ought to be.
Mr.. Phelps would give the reason why he
could not vote for NJ. Brown. He could not
consent to gentleman being placed uren the
committee who had over and over again
charged the Commissioners as personally
corrupt The gentleman knowing the very
decided objection the minority had to him, he
ought to have Withdrawn his name. The
minority had not placed him in the position
he now occupied. He had chosen to oc.
cupy that position in the opinion OF the
minority, by the charges he had Haade up
on the floor. and he must take the conse-
quences He did not say that he had sought
the nomination, but he was here occupying
the place of candidate.
The amendment to fill the blank with the
name Of Mr.. Brown was agreed to, yeas 90,
nays 8.
When Mr.. Kely's name was called, he
arose and said that he wished that Mr.. Brown
had not. expressed himself SO broadly, but
under the peculiar circumstances ofthe case
he thought it his duty to vote aye.