Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-07-10
WILD RIOT In PUBLIC PLUMBER
A Gard from the Central Committee.

A Gard from the Central CO mmittee.
A few days ago attention was called
by communication in a city paper to
the fact that the sum of $500 had re-
Gently been paid out of the State treasury
to VIM. II. Wisener, q lawyer of Bedford
county, well known as a leading Radical,
and at present candidate for State SEN
ator, for trifing service before the
Supreme Court The Secretary of this
committee was sent to the Treasurer s
Office to ask copy of the warrant, which
was exhibited to him, and reads as fol.
lows:
NASHVILLE, June s, 1867.
ITO the Treasurer of the State of Tennessee
+" Pay to William H. Wisener, seventy
five hundred dollars, the amount due and
owing on account of fees in the case of
Nichol VS.. Furman, Green & Co., and Rid
ley VS.. Sherbrooke, com'r.
Br &C. w. BLACKBURN,
Controller of the Treasury.
On inquiry of the attorneys who SO
ably represented the interest of the State
Treasury, in the case of Nichol VS.. Fur
man, Green x Co., we learn that Mr.
Wisener had never, to their knowledge,
had anything to do with the case He
had never appeared in the case, and had
never counseled with either of them con.
cerning it. Mr.. East, one of these at
torneys, had been paid $500 in this case,
as the warrant of the Controller will
show; and Judge Harrison $3.50 for this
and other legal services. These gentle
men had attended to half dozen or
more cases in the Circuit Court; and
had carried one of them by argument to
the Supreme Court, where they had ar
gued and won it, They never heard, we
repeat, of Mr.. Wisener i'm the case.
In the case of Ridley VS.. Sherbrooke,
Commissioner, Mr.. Wisener merely ap
peered before the Supreme Court, said
he had only been called on within the
last few days, and would not argue the
case then, bat would hand in brief in
u few days This he did and this is all
he is known to have done.
Out of abundant caution, the chairman
of this committee next went to the
Controllers office and made inquiry of
the matter. The account of Mr.. Wisener
was not admitted to his inspection but
he was informed by the Controller that
the account was in two items. The first
item was for services in the case of Nichol,
clerx, ct, plaintiff in error, VS.. Furman,
Green & Co., S2500-a case in which it
seems Mr.. Wisener had never appeared,
and with which, 80 far as the attorneys
on that side know, he never had anything
to do. The second item was for services
in the case of Ridley vs.. Sherbrooke,
$5000-the case in which Mr.. Wisener
merely prepared brief
This account, the Controller states,
was approved by VIM. G.. Brownlow,
Governor, with his official signature, and
with such approval the Controller felt
bound to pay it. The only color of au-
thority we have been able to find for the
payment of this exorbitant and corrupt
claim, is the following joint preamble
and resolution passed by the Legislature,
January 20, 1861;
ReSolced By the General assembly
of the State Of Tennessee, That the
Governor Of the State be and he is hereby
requested to employ two or more coun-
sellors learned in the law, to appear be-
fore said court and argue said causes on
behalf of the State of Tennessee"
Another (House) resolution, passed
March 4, 1867, directs the Governor to
pay II. II. Harrison, W. H. Wisener, J.
j. Noah and Z. A. Otis 500
each in the case of Williams and Martin
VS.. Anderson and other members of the
House of Representatives and to pay
b. NJ. Tillman fifty dollars for defending
the case of Ridley VS.. Sherbroeke in the
Circuit Court Compare these fees with
the $4,000 paid 10 Wiseuer for submitting
a mere brief in this same last-named case
in the Supreme Court, and S2500 for a
case in which he never appeared, and
with which he seems to have never had
anything to do. We hardly know how
TO comment upon this exhibition of
desperate riot after the public money.
This instance, which has happened to
come to light, may serve to give to 8
people groaning under oppressive taxa
ton an idea Of the way their money
goes
Our State Constitution provides that,
e No money shall be drawn from the |
but in consequences of sppro- |
priations made BY law; and an accurate |
statement Of the receipts and expendi- !
tures Of the public money shall be at |
tached to and published with the laws at
the rise Of each stated session Of the |
General Assembly"
There is no Law that we are aware Of !
for this expenditure and yet |
the Governor and his favorites are thus |
emptying the treasury for their own /
private purposes, and perhaps for the /
purpose Of securing their oWn elections.
Il Is time fer the people to awake and ]