Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1857-02-03
EpIToRIAL } coRREsP oNpENo oE.

i M CoLUMBUS, ~ an 70, 1897.
J, The death Of a near relative called III
! from the city for d few days. Since oui
return, Legislative business and othsrpress
ing engagements have wholly occupied ouI
time until this moment. Those who may
have grown weary Of our frequent and te.
6ious correspondence, therefore, have beer
treated with something more interestingir il
Z the meantime.
The Legislative proceedings for the pas
week have Been higllyinisresiipa Ths
Icase Of John Z. Sloug !. az 'k;6S Qa:
RUS Caldwell has enlisted considerable az
|tention. The facts elected by the Com
mittee Of Investigation do not vary much
from those stated in our last. Mr.. Slough
has acted much more like rufian than a
gentleman sincethe occurrence. We think
his expulsion is certain; although every
effort will be made to save him by his par
Ity. The Statesman has an article defend
ing him, aud even justifying his course.
Ever since the attack Of Brooks upon Sum
ner, it has been the EMISSION" of Democ-
racy to defend Rufiianism in high places,
and if their doctrines are sanctioned by the
people, our halls of legislation should be
literally furnished with pistols, knives,
canes, boxing-gloyes, &C., at the public
expense.
The Report Of the Select Committee
appointed at the last session to examine in
to the affairs Of the Board Of Public Works,
have reported, and their report is before
us. It developes system of rascality
which will astonish all who are not familiar
with such things. Wedo no, propose now
to examine il atlength, but simply to state
one or two facts which are clearly estab-
lished by the investigation, By law
passed March 6. ls45 (Swan's Statutes,
page 764) the Board Of Public Works was
authorized to let the repairs by contract.
Accordingly, in Sept. 1865, they deter
mined to ''let the repairs by contract" !"
and advertised in nseveral leading. papers for
bids. Sixty-six bids were received and
approved. The law requires these con-
tracts tobc giysn 70 the iO,Osst responsible
bidder. Instead Of doing this, the con-
tracts were given to .favorites, at loss to
the State Of $64, ,39l per year, or $32l,- :
905 for the term Of five years, for which
the contracts are made. The testimony
shows the most bare-faced and outrageous
frauds in these lettings, and recommends
the Legislature to nullify them. 1t seems
that some of those actually employed on
the works by the State are interested in the
swindle. A more rascally piece of work
we have seldom examined. The Report
occupies about $50 closely printed pages,
and is filed with evidences of frauds COM
mitted by the late Locofoco Board of Pub
lie Works. We shall endeayor to furnish
few Of our constituents with copies as
soon as they can be procured ed-perhaps
one ortwo for each township.
The Reports of the other committees
appointed at the last session--one on State
Buildings and the other on Finance, have
not yet been printed. When they are,
we may have something to say of them.
Prof. Monroe, of the House, delivered
the fnestspeech Of the session, a few days
since, on the bill to strike the word ."white"
from the Constitution. We intend to mail
a few copies as soon as printed. We do
not think his measure is at all likely to
prevail; though we regard his speeches as
unanswemble. <f -
We succeeded yesterday in procuring a
set Of "Ohio Law Reports for Meigs
County, in place of those destroyed by
fire On the 9Th of August. last. They
will be Immediately forwarded to the Clerk
of the Court. H
The petition Of the Commissioners Of
Meigs County for authority to borrow mon.
ey to repair the Courthouse was presented
and referred to Finance Committee. We
have no doubt of its passage.
The Temperance Bill, whichis now il
our hands, will be presented in a day o.
two. Whether it will or win notpass, i
lis impossible to say. We have strong
hopes that it will pass and become a law
II will very materially aid in the prosecp
ton Of liquor cases in your midst, # !
j should pass. We presented q large mum
Der Of petitions from Galha, Hamilton
4 Clermont, and Montgomery counties, o.
this subject, the other day.
Many other matters Of interest occur t
J, us now, but we defer mentioning them 70
the present. We shallwrite againin da.
or two. "A. 7.
Ep1TIsc 4 PAPER OUT WEST. The ed
| itor Ola paper published at Lake Superior
after having been without . mail thre
weeks. saws: