Daily national Democrat., 1859-07-30
Latham and the Supreme COurt--Letters
from III. o. Beatty and Judge Terry
The Matter Assumes Shane,

from III. o. Beatty and Judge Terry
The Matter Assumes Shape.
TWe are under special obligations to the
San Francisco News for the following letters
from II. 0 Beatty and Judge Terry to that
paper Union.
SACRAMENTO July 2S, 1859.
Mr. JoHN WHITE-DEAR SIR Your favor
of the 9th inst, in which you say, "NIv Sac
ramento friends inform me that certain facts
concerning 1.-THE attempt to influenced the
Supreme Court by the offer of money are
within your knowledge" has just been re
ceived. In reply l have to say have no
personal knowledge of any offer having been
made. In the Winter of 1855 learned that
the late IL. G. Murray had made such a charge
against Mr.. Latham. | heard all the par.
ticulars from Mr.. --. who had them, as
| understood, from Judges Murray and Hey
denfeldt | do not give the name of the gen
tleman who gave me the first information,
because he occupies position which would
mace it very awkward for him to speak
about the matter 1t was, however, freely
spoken of at the time and no secresy about it.
also heard it spoken of freely among the
leading members of the Sacramento Bar,
some of whom | know derived the informa-
tion direct from Judge Murray. A part of
the report in connection with the matter was
that Mr.. Latham had been warned by Judge
Murray not to appear in the Court whilst he
presided there. This attracted my attention,
and | noticed particularly to see if Latham
would appear | was as much in the Su-
preme Court room as almost any lawyer in
! the State | never saw Mr.. Latham there af.
| ter heard that report until after Judge Muir
rays death. The conversations about this
matter were generally confined to Judges
and members of the Bar prior to November
or December. 1856. At that time a series of
articles appeared in the Sacramento Union
discussing the qualifications of the different
| asprants for Senatorial honors An allusion
was made to the charge in these articles.
Many persons who had not previously heard
of the circumstances were unable to under
stand the allusion. Inquiries were then made
as to what the writer meant. Judge Murray's
charge against Latham then became the sub
iect of frequent conversation in the street
Recently, (but prior to the nomination of
Latham) heard Judge Terry detail the cir
cumstances of the alleged misconduct of La.
than. He gave Judges Murray and Hey
denfeldt as his Authority. In addition to
stating the facts as derived from his former
associates, he stated, in effect Il cannot, of
course, give his exact words, having made
no memorandum at the time,) that Judges
Murray and Heydenfeldt had ask his opinion
about the propriety of eXpelling Mr. Latham
from the Bar ; he agreed with them that the
matter ought to be investigated, and, if the
charge was proved Mr. Latham out to be eX-
PEELED from the Bar. He (Terry) afterwards
called the attention of his associates to the
matter, and Heydenfeldt said that the motion
to expe ought to be made by a member of
the Bar and that he (I.) would frame the mo-
tion to be made. 1t passed over from time
to time, until the excitement of the Vigilance
Commettee caused it to be entirely over.
looked. | have forborne to state the facts
of alleged offer of money for the reason that
| have heard at least three gentlemen of un-
doubted veracity state the facts as they were
related to them by Murray, and all differed
in the details, as such verbal statements will
differ, but all agreed in the main features
therefore prefer that those persons who heard
| the statement direct from Judge Murray
should make their own statements. Several
! private persons who have made these state
ments to myself, do no not wish unneeessa.
rily to involve in this matter but their names
will be given if Mr.. Latham wants them
have given the name of Judge Terry, be
cause he speaks boldly Of these matters he
holds position in which the public have an
interest; he is the political partizan of Mr..
Latham. l have never heard his integrity
questioned by any man. He is, therefore,
the proper person to speak. 1t is also assert
ed that Immediately after the alleged offer of
Mr. Latham was communicated to Judge
Murray, he (Murray) called on Judge Bald
win in a state of excitement, stated what had
happened, and called him baldwin, to take
a note of the facts l did not derive these
facts personally from Judge Baldwin. but
have good reason to know or believe they ex.
ist substantially as stated. In fine, Judge
Murray made serious charge against Mr..
Latham; the exact form in which it was
made is known to Judges Terry, Heyden-
feldt, Baldwin and Bryan. Those gentlemen
owe it to the memory of Judge Murray, to
the public and Mr.. Latham, to make the
facts known. If Judge Murray made false
charge against Mr.. Latham, let it rest on his
memory; if true, let the people have it, and
Mr. Latham bear the consequences.
Respectfully, H. o. BEATTY.