Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-04-09

appropriation for the Arsenal. because il was an
institution erected without authority of law, so
far as the State was concerned-one built NJ
for certain hangers on of the Governor, and the
profits of which, so far as could be ascertained,
thew appeared TO be pocketing; q, least men
connected with IL who, when they formed that
connection, were not worth dime, were very
soon able 10 buy fine houses. and live at the top
of the pot A former Legislature had appropri-
ated large sums of money TO purchase arms,
with the expectation that the militia of the State
would be organized, and arms placed in their
hands TO defend their homes. Acts Special Ses-
sion 1861, p. Is. OF the money so appropriated
it was believed large sums had passed into this
Arsenal Arrangement Honest members wanted
TO know whether that true, and If so, what
was likely 10 become Of the money. If IL had
been SO used il without authority of law
and they did not desire 10 sanction that use until
there was some guarantee that the money would
be returned. AS il was. and yet is, so far as the
public knows, the peoples money, set apart to
arm the people, was being used for the private
profit of the Governors friends, in the hands of
irresponsible persons. Instead of fully and tho
roughly organizing the militia. the political
friends of the Governor were being organized
into Leagues and arms distributed 10 them by
this no pdrtg Governor il was charged.
On the 26th dav of January, 1868, the House
had bv a resolution called upon the Governor
for full statement of the arms purchased those
on hand, and those distributed. and &c whom.
! On the 10th of February. by way of answer, the
Governor refers the House to the reports of the
Quarter Master General Stone and Chief of Ord
nance. and X. ID. Owen. This sentence occurs /:
The report of General stone will show that only nine
hundred and ffy'hree have been issued within the
/ n bordering
river these have been issued companies regularly
organized under he law and upon acquisitions made
1 The Governor knew, when he penned this sem
! tence that the resolution was but the result of
rumors that rife, all over the State, TO the
effect that he was arming his friends; that even
during the sittings of the Legislature he was
sending arms abroad TO other counties, and
/ openly avowing that civil strife was fast ap-
preaching in Indiana In this view of the reso-
| luton and the causes which called for its adop-
ton. there is really not one word in response 10
! H. He cannot shield himself behind the fact
that he should operate through these officers
for il is a part of the well known history of the
State that he is continually attempting to disre-
gard the fact that these officers exist, with duties
fixed by law, and striving to assume all power in
the State witness his issuing commissions
without the signature authority of the Secre-
tarv of State. His attempts to coerce the Audi
tor and Treasurer into violation of their official
duties in the payment of money without ap-
preparation, and, upon failing, his establishment
of a finance bureau" as he calls IT, without
even a shadow of legal right, in which the money
of the people is being handled without bond or
other guarantee for its safe keeping. Now, II
this kind of man desired TO secretly
League, he would not stop TO operate through
known and responsible officers. 4 reference
therefore, to the report of such officers is
swer to a resolution of inquiry, as to what he
was doing with the money and arms intrusted TO
him. Some facts were even then known, and more
have since become notorious, namely: Ii was
known arms were shipped from Indianapolis and
placed in the hands of those Leagues; members
thereof had said they were obtained from or
through Governor Morton. Whether this latter
really was SO, and if so, whether they were State
or United States arms, and to what amount dis
tributed, were facts not then known by the men,
bers of the Legislature who appealed to him to
know the truth, and, for answer, received nought.
They were, under these circumstances, and
others to which we will vet allude, justifable in
refusing appropriations of money TO place muni-
tons of war in his hands.
But he says that he was informed by Mr.
Branham that he had repeatedly urged the Com
mittee of Ways and Means to report bills at an
early day making appropriations, and they re-
fused. 1t is an old trick TO dodge behind a false
il is an old maxim in law that If witness will
be false as TO one thing; he will in all things.
Who is the witness, then On the 5th dav of
February, 1863, he making violent speech
/ in the House, threatening TO bolt, and said
"He, for one, would return 10 this Hall, If he
| left it, and forced back by those who would
/ thus trample down the laws, only to assist in
/ hanging those who would attempt to do it."
Brev. Rep, I2O. Mr. Niblack asked him: "Did
/ b,,s Oh
on the Saturday before) that the majority on this
| floor were in communication with JEFF. Davis,
| through an emissarv who had been in their
council room 2" Mr. Branham-"I did not.
did not say that the majority Of this House were
in consultation with JEFF Davis, but that
emissary of Jeff. Davis was in consultation with
members of this House on certain night"
! Brew Rep. 12l Several members, Democrats,
asked him to name the persons, and if IT was
true, thev would vote 10 cxpel them. he re-
fused On the next day, resolution, reciiing
the said charge was adopted by the House, and
a committee appointed TO investigate the truth
/ thereof with power TO send for witnesses. Brev.
Rep, l23.-House Journal, 335. The Republi-
cans voted against the adoption of the resolution.
The committee reported House journal, 74s,)
that Mr.. Branham had been subp9naed, but
had declined to appear The committee, there
/ fore, conclude that Mr.. Branham had no founda-
/ tlOH duu lDl pOlit-
ical effect" Brev. Rep, p. 236.
IT. as n sworn officer, 4 man would for polifi-
cal effect, make a false charge, the inference
would be very strong that to produce the same
effect he would, an individual, tell lie. Such
men Morton needs and uses.
These appropriations, then, were not passed,
and the Governor undertakes 10 give, as a rea-
son, the unconstitutional action of The majority
in attempting 10 pass
MILITARY BILL.
In point of fact this is not the truth, as we will
/ be able 10 show. For il was desirable to defeat
the passage of any law reorgsnzing the militia |;
or the Board Of the Benevolent Institutions or to
guard the purity of the ballot box through police
commissioners; or TO apportion the STATE for
Senatorial representative and Congressional pur-
poses; or to regulate the management of the
Arsenal. Bills for all these purposes were be-
fore the House, and ought TO have been passed,
in some form, as required BY the Constitution.
These measures were all defeated By the bolt Of
the Republican members. The apportionment
of Congressional Districts would stand for ten
wears; for S,na,ors and Representatives for six.
1t was no doubt. thought by the Republicans
that if they could defea; these appointments
until they were in the majority, thcy might so
unfairly shape the districts as TO ezpctuaic them
selves in power That they intended 70 10 so
unfairly i manifest from the fact that they can
not find any reasonable objection 20 tie bills pro-