Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1863-04-22
Report of the Minority.

The minority of the Committee appointed
to investigate the allegation that unlawful
means were employed to procure the election
of United States Senator, respectfully report
as follows:
Said Committee was appointed rufsuant to
the following preamble and resolution of the
House. viz:
WHEREAS, il is of vital importance to the
perpetuity of our free institutions and to the
citizens of Pennsylvania that the electoral
franc hise be preserved inv iolate; aud where
as, II has been extensively reported and is be-
lieved by many that unlawful means were en-
piOyed to procure the election of United
States Senator on Tuesday last and whereas
1t is due to those on whom suspicion may rest
| as also to the citizens of this great Common
wealth, that this subject be investigated !;
therefore
Resolred, That committee of four fsub,e
quently increased to seven) be appointed to
| examine the facts in the case, with power to
| send for persons and papers, and that they re.
port to this House.
We believe that the duty imposed upon the
COMMITTEE by the resolution recited, was fnl-
ly completed when the testimony was taken
and reported to the House. Neither the Com
mitfee nor the House have power to enter Ie-
gal Judgment against or infict punishment
upon persons implicated, and in view of the
probability that the matters submitted to the
Committee will undergo judicial investiga-
tion. there would seem to be much propriety
in submitting the testimony. taken, without
argument or comment.
The majority OF the Committee have thought
otherwise, and in their report. and accompa-
nying an abstract of the principal testimony
taken, they have subm itted to- the House ar
guments, inferences and dedue tions, founded
upon, and, as they think resulting from the
facts in proof. After rpciting the testimony
of Doctor Boyer, the majority of the Commit
tee, singularly en-. ugh, address themselves
with zeal to an examination of his, Bo, rr's.
claims to truthfulness.
Alter reciting various nonesseniiar points.
in which Doctor Boyer is corroborated by 9TH
er witnesses, the majority report says ..thvre
Is almost perfect agreement between the m
except tn regard 10 the alleged moaey fransac-
tions.
II appears to us that what is thus ca He'd
s'the alleged money frdnsacfiOns'' was the only
important point in the whole investigation
and the only point on which il was necessary
to inquire for cOrroborative testimony Up
on that point, the report states, aud we do not
dissent IRON the statement, that either Doctor
Boyer on the one hand, both Brobst and
Patterson on the other, are guilty Of s.down.
right and deliberate falsehood.
We do not now propose to discuss the rela.
tive claims of Boyer, Brobst and Patterson to
credibiiity; but as the report already submit
ted omits no occasion to commend the testi
nony of Boyer, and as the majority have not
been able to see anything in his agency in the
matter but what entities him to commcndstion.
and it may not be inappropriate to inquire
whether the zeal of the majority TO aim at GER
tain conclusions has not blinded them 20 some
cases of probable guilt which presented them
selves at the outset of our exam nation, and
reappeared in the testimony Of many of the |
Witnesses.
In the statement of DIR. Boyer published in |
the Patriot and Union, and which he swears is |
his statement, he says he conceived the prof. |
ect Of putting himself in the way of the oper- |
atives, for the purpose OF seeing how far they |
would go. Once conceived, (to use his own |
languags0 "I determined to act upon it," |
The same statement il substantially repeated |
in the evidence submitted with the addition |
that it was for that purpose that he continued |
his interviews with Gen. Cameron and his
friends. he further states that he did con- L
ciude bargain by which he agreed to vote |
for Gen. Cameron ir consideration OF S20,-
OOO, which Gen. Cameron agreed to pay him.
BY the act of 166Oit is provided that il any |
member OF assembly shall agree TO accept any
bribe offered for the purpose of influencing /
his vote as legislator, he shall be guilty Oh d
misdemeanor, and, on conviction, shall paw a
fine not exceeding 81 900, and suffer impris.
onment not exceeding five years. DIR. Boyer,
II his own statement is beiev ed, did so agree |
and II does not matter whether he did or did
not intend TO live up to his agreement. The
act is ieveled against corrupt Influences aud
it places him who offers and him " ho agrees
10 accept bribe upon the same level The
mischief which the law was intended to guard
against has been accomplished, and the inten-
tion not to comply with the agreement is i'm
maferial-the only question being, did the
party agreeing to accept the bribe intend so
to agree. or did he design to entice another
into a violation of the law 2 If this reason
ing be correct, it follows that T. j. b yer a
member of this House, is guilty of resorting
to s'unlawful means'' to secure the election of
a United States Senator
It is well established rule of law that he
who cOunsels, advises, and encourages anoth.
er In the perpetrat ion of an offence of the
grade OF a misdemeanor, is himself an often
der OF the same grade of the principal actor
The report already presented duplicates no
person or persons as the advisers OF Mr.. Bower
in his scheme to entice Gen. Cameron or his
friends into violation of the law by Offering
money TO secure vote for United States Sen.
ator. The majority Of your Committee hav-
ing (doubtlessy through inadvertsnce) failed
to discover spot or blemish upon Mr.. Boyer,
by the same inadvertance, fail of COURSE to
discover any thing wrong in the conduct of
those who were privy to his schemes and his
therein.
DR.. Boyer states that during the progress
of his negotiations with Gen. Cameron, and
his friends, he was in consultation with Mr..
w allace, OF the Senate, DIR. Early, of the
House, and one Robert Vaughan, the proprietor
of the Pennsylvania House at Harrisburg.
He also states that he communicated what he
was doing to his father, Mr.. p. Boyer, and one
or two others.
1t is but fair to Senator W ailace. DIR. Early.
and the father OF T. J. Bower. to state that
they all deny this statement so far az is might
be inferred thereirom that they were coeni-
zant of the fact that he (Boyer) had, or inten-
ded to consumate q bargain for the sale Of his