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


treason. then tie Republican iud.ps, grand jury.
AM district attorney have been guilty 81 deri-
LECTION % duty in not bringing y n g. punish
rnent Rut under the Constitution words can
not constitute treason against the United States.
hut such crime consists
ony u tsvyi1g VA ssan-i thsua. - - 4dher.nr 70
f5sr ~uele., ssisg thea all AID comfort. 3
:, Coast z. ;.
On the 10Th Of February, 1865. & resolution
Of inquiry, dircc.ed 70 Gov. Morton, was int-o-
ducea into the House Br. Rep. l59. T. Journal
s2&l, and On the 24:A il was adopted by party
vote Il. Jour. 59s. The debates show much
feeling about IL. Br. Rep. PIP. l59. leo, l69-7z.
On the next day the men who voted against
this resolution OF inquiry deserted their posts
seeded. went 10 Madison on a big drunk. and
refused 70 come back during the balance OF the
session, which expired by constitutional iimifa-
ton on the 9th dav of March.
II j. said that stravs show which way the wind
blows, and, in politics, very small matters are
sometimes ve-v significant When, on the last
day, a committee waited on the Governor and
inquired whether be had any further communi-
casion 70 make, he answered that he had none
he would hsvs 'eni in 81 answer 70 the resolution
.t fh-rv had been 90 quorum. be had Tor reason
not done IT, Br. Rep p. 23s
This resolution referred to was the one adopted
on the gath. There would be nothing extra
ordinary in the language Of the Governor TO
this committee If he had promptly answered
various other resolutions of inquiry, adopted
during the session but he had not done so, es-
peciaiy in reference to the details of the expen-
ditures OF certain moneys; and a. 10 whether he
procured the arrest and imprisonment of about
fifty citizens for opinions sake, in the Govern
ment Bastile! THIS resolution appeared to have
awakened memories that like Banquo's ghost
would not down at the bidding of His Excel
lency. From his anxiety on the subject il Is bat
reasonable TO infer that he had in some way, di-
rectly Or indirectly, procured the adoption, by
the officers Of the 9th Regiment, Of the resolu-
lions. But why should he be anxious! First,
because the resolutions had wrought in con-
trary direction from that expected. The Legis-
lafure did not scare worth a cent, but were about
TO push him to the wall on the subject. An at
tempt, bv military power to intimidate the law
making department of great and free State, is
no SIN Ill matter. IL strikes at the very founda-
ton Of tree institutions. If the Governor should
thus art, il would be very grave offense-in-
deed, positive crime against republican institu-
tons Il would be broad stride towards assu-
ming absolute power. Ii was, therefore, met
bv an inquiry which startled this tmId Gov
ernor out Of his properties. Ii would not do TO
send in an answer for he not aware how far
the members were already informed; nor would it
he polite 30 refuse, for refusal in the minds Of
many would be equivalent to confession of guilt
Bv his course he had stirred up bad blood be-
tween the executive and legislative departments
An attempt bv an Executive TO brow beat a leg
isative body, and failure, is very apt to produce
retaliation, IL the way is presented Here the
way might open. There was no telling where
the thing would stop. The Constitution gives
the General Assembly the poarer Of impeachment
Of 3" all State officers" Art. 6, see. =
Second. In the appropriation bill for the ben
eft of soldiers, the Secretary of State was named
as the officer disburse il. This Morton could
not. for moment. endure. He would rather see
them suffer than that any other person should
have any credit arising out of providing for
them Nor dare his friends vote against the APP
preparation solely on that account. Therefore they
break up. In this, and in various other instances
hereafter referred 10, of interference BY military
officers with the Legislature the danger forci-
chilly spoken of by the present Attorney General
of the United States. in letter of September
l6. 1863, to Judge Knapp, is fully illustrated.
He saws
There seems to he general and growing disposition Of
the military. wherever stationed. all power.
and the civil with contumacy. if
the object was 70 bring il into contempt.
But enough a. to this branch of the contro-
ver-y between the Governor and the Legislature.
We pass TO the question of
APPROPRIATIONS.
The State Constitution contains this provision !:
sac. ,. ART. 10. No moner shall drawn from the
public treasury but IN pursuance of appropriations made
By law"
The appropriation bills, among others, having
been defeated by the secession of the Republican
members of the House, the question arose, how
are we To get money from the treasury; for with
out money, the lamp of loyalty does not burn
quite bright with many men-the Governor
among others. Then commenced mos; dis
graceful scene of grabbing for the people,
money in the public treasury. These grabbers
were headed b. the Governor himself he first
wanted them to Join him in borrowing money
$50 900 per month-io carry on the Arsenal.
TliS they could not do, for two reasons, because
there was plenty of money in the treasury unap-
propriated; and, second the Constitution forbid
the at by said officer, unless idt0 should au-
thorize 10 (sec. >, Art. 10, Const. of Indiana J,
and there was no Jaw. Then the effort was made
TO get money out OF the treasury. They would
coax and wheedle and then brow-beat and
threaten Mr. Brett whom the people had placed
the guardian, the treasurer, 10 take of
their money. He would call their attention 10
the fact that by the act of 1859, D. go Il Gavin
x Hord, 6f7 J he eXprc~sy prohibited
from paving any money out OF, or transferring
upon the warrant of the Auditor OF State" and
that by the act Of 1861, sec. 3, IT Is made Grim
inal otfense for him 10 pay out money in any
other manner than "a prescribed by law u G- x
H., p. 1885, Leaving the Treasurer, the Grab
bers would then charge upon the Auditor of
State. About once satisfied them with Mr.. Ris
tine, for Uncle Joe presented face as hard
a shell-bark TO them, anu pointed 10 the said
Act of 1859, in which il is provided that " lie
no
surer of State, unless there be money in the
treasury belonging 10 the fund upon which the
same is drawn 10 paw the same, and IN conform
itv 10 appropriations made by tGU; and that, by
TIC act of 1861, IL was made crime for him 10
draw a warrant upon the treasury unless there
was an appropriation. They then did. as Gov
ernor Morton again does in his speech, pointed
10 the fact that upon the breaking up of the
Legislature in 1857, without making appropria-
lions, Governor Willard had drawn money, and
money had been paid out of the treasury. That
was true. But the fact that public officers thus
loosely handled the peoples money, and let it
pass out of their hands, without the previous
sanction of their representatives, caused the pas
saye Of the laws of 1859 aud 1861, forbidding
such acts in the future. Not satisfied with the
action of the Auditor and Treasurer, the Courts
were resorted to, and the opinion of the Supreme
Court taken in two cases, IN an attempt TO COM
pel the Auditor 70 draw warrants for tue interest
on the funded debt of the State for the half year
VIZ. about 100000. In each the decision was,
that inc Sta,c officers had decided night II Is in