Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1859-04-08
uov. rOnD ON TilE OIafo SENATE.


Senate, in the defense Of its immaculate
dignity, passed a resolution, as follows;
WifKaaAs, Tho members Of this body have
read with indignation and surprise, n
statement Of Thomas II. Ford, before tho
Investigation Conmittcc, as published in
the aOhio State Journal ofthis morning,
intinating his knowledge ofthe favorable
sentiment Of the Senate, towards tho pas
sage Of n bill, introduced or about to be
introduced into the House Of Representa-
tiyes, at the last session Of tho Legisla
tufo, Mt The instance of The said Ford and
r. @. Pennington, for tho relief Of John
G. Tfeslin and William H. Gibson and
their securities which statement is false
and basely slauderous TO every member
Of this body, and tends to degrade the
Senate in the estimation Of the public,
therefore.
Resoleed, That Select Committee Of
three bo appointed, with power to send for
persons and papers, to inquire iuio the rea-
Son for tho statement Of Thomas II. Ford, in
his evidence before the Treasury lnvestiga-
tion Committee, that they, the said Ford
and Pennington, "fet certain Of its (the
biIl) going through the Senate" and that
said Committee report thereon at the carli-
cst practicable poriod
To this resolution Gov Ford replied as
follows:--
Letter OF GOV. H. II. Ford,
To the Senate Committee formed 10 make
inquiries as to his reasons for the expression
an opinion, in his testimony before the
Treasury Investigating Committee;
GENTLEMEN Your letter of tho nth
inst, containing n copy Of q resolution Of the
Senate of Ohio, came during my absence to
the State of Michigan, and was received by
me upon my return home, with as much sin
dgnaton and surprise as the Senate seems
to have had when the preamble aud resou-
ton were adopted.
You, gentlemep, arc charged with the
grave duty of inquirng why thought the
Senate would concur in the passage Of bill
for the relief of the securities Of John &.
Breshn and William H. Gibson. If | fol-
lowed tho example set by some Of the graae
senators in discussing the resolution, | might
answer none of your business. Ny reasons
and my opinions are my own. But | will
be moro courteous. giF sa
In the 6rst place, | never assisted 10 Ell
ther drawing or recommending the passage
of bill for the relief Of either Bresliu OF
Gibson. That allegation in the preamble
is untrue, to use the chaste and beautiful
language Of the Senate, it is "falso and base
ly slanderous," and would tend "to degrade
me, if the present Senate of Ohio have pow
or to degrade.
The bill l did advise and assist in draft
ing was for the relief of the sureties of Brss
lin and Gibson upon their paying into the
Stale Treasury the neat little sum Of two
hundred and fifty Thousand dollars. ThosC
sureiies arc men of character and position
in the State, and acted openly as thei
attorney. ~ a ra
The bill neither compounded with o.
proposed to release either Breslin erGibson
ciyilly or criminaly. af
l recommend therefore that the Senate
first inquire into the truth of the preamble
upon which your Investigations are based
AS to inquiry, repeat now what testified
That felt certain if the bill passed thC
House it would also pass the Senate. II
is indeed strange that private citizen can
not express an opinion as to q bill passing
your honorable body without exciting tn
indignation" of its members.
To illustrate, there is a bill now pending
! believe, before your body to prevent mem
bors from receiving passes from railroad
companies. If | should say that the bill
ought to pass---that it would shorten you
sessions, and thereby ysaye a large amount t
the State; | would only say what is know
to be true, and yet / could simply expires
the opinion, / trust, without exciting you
indignation that such bill wW not pas,
although large majority of your member
express holy horror and jealousy of corpora
tions whose passes they use
Bat as you want the reasons of mr. opiu
ion, I'll give them. The billought to hav
passed. It was for the interest of the Stat
that it should pass. 1t is the only way
which one cent will be returned to the Statc
Such bills are common both in State Legi'
latures andin Congress--such law wa
passed in Congress for the relief Of citise
Sam Medary as surety for John i. Arthu
even after judgment had been rendered.
The State has not heretofore collected moi
ey.o seeurities,an it is facteoneeded by a
that not over one hundred thousand dollar
can be collected of these sufeties even if a
their assets are exhausted In both th
Senate and House Of Representatives. thel
was majority Of the political friends
John G. Breslin, and then, and 90 no
believe that thew desired to shield him an
throw the blame on others. ea b
This, think, is fully shown by the IA
that they assumeda a power not eopfeHe
upon the Legislature by the constitution
and appointed as majority Of the Invest
eating Committee, Morgan, who had bee
Auditor Of Stale, and Edgerton who hs
been Transfer Agent OF the State during Il
whole period of the defaleation. sa hao
The offer Of the sureties was to pay tN
hundred aud fi6y,thoussnd dollars fdTathe
own discharge, aica gd 81 fgG,A q
-dIbelieyed then, and btIlpknowitisrna
ifesh that this SUM is moro ibaB can ber
allied by the State IN any other way
These reasons induced ino 10 believe al
express the belief thai if che I'LL passed q