The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-01-28
WEST VIRGINIA. LEGISLATURE.
house or DELEaATEs-
WHEELING, Jan. &c, 1867.

WHEELING, Jan. 26, 1867.
Prayer by Rev. j. I. Mcclure, of the
United Presbyterian Church. e. s-
Mr.. Fleming from the Committee on
Finance, reported "a bill to provide for
the reassessmeut of all the real estate
within the State.
He also from the same committee, re-
ported adversely on the petition of
James q. West, of Wetzel county, and
on the proposition to tax the earnings
of the national banks, instead of their
capital stock.
Mr.. Smith, from the Committee on
Counties, &c. reported bill to- alter
part of the division lines between the
counties of Mason and Jackson, and a
Dill permanently locating the county
seat of Boone county.
Mr.. Caldwell, from the Committee on
Roads, reported Il bill making an ap-
preparation to rebuild bridge over
Greenbrier river between Lewis burg
and White Sulphur Springs.
MT. Ferguson rising to privileged
question, sent to the clerks desk to be
read, copy of the Wheeling Register,
containing slanderous article in refer
euce to himself, charging him withhav-
ing stolen in Kentucky "A carpet sackand
overcoat. After the reading from the
clerks desk Mr.. Ferguson said:
Mr.. Speaker-Forthe first time in nv
life rise to question of privilege, and
would not do!so now if the privileges
of this House were not concerned. NY
own personal matters l propose to set
tlein another way. rise for the pur-
pose OF putting the House in possession
OF the facts in relation to the affair re-
ferred TO in The publication just read
No explanation of this matter is neces-
sary where l am known. My consti-
tuents understand the affair, and have
passed upon it in electing me, and they
are gentlemen of responsibility and
character.
The day after the election in 1864, /
was induced by a party of friends to
visit the town of Ironton, in the State of
Ohio. On our arrival we fell in COM
Pany with very convivial party and
the result was that INDUCING in more
alcoholic substance than L was in the
habit OF doing, L became, for the first
time in my life, totally oblivious7 of
passing events l have a vague recol-
lection OF insisting that must go home,
and7o getting on the steamboat, but
instead of getting on a boat that would
take me home l took the regular Cat
lettSburg boat which only took me
eight miles in that direction, which, OF
course, L would not have done in my
sober senses. With this exception have
no recollection of being on the boat at
all, and have no more knowledge or
recollection of what occurred there,
than if I had never been born, and
therefore, can only give the facts as
they were stated to me afterwards. This
! would say before the throne of On
impotence. If called upon 10 answer this
charge. There was Il gentleman on
board ofthiS boat who resided in Cat
tlesburg, of the name of John Burns,
whose Stateroou- was entered and his
carpet-sack and overcoat taken there
from and placed upon the forecastle
When Mr.. Burns missed his property,
he, of course, instituted an inquiry,
and another gentleman on the boat, not
then personally acquainted with me-
pointed me out as the person who took
it. Mr.. Burns came to me, an alterca-
ton enSued, L struck him, and was then
knocked down and very badly beaten.
Upon the arrival of the boat ut Cattles-
burg l was taken in charge by a friend,
conveyed to "A hotel, Il doctor sent for
and my wounds dressed These are the
facts precisely as they were afterwards
told to me. When L came to myself on
the next morning, L found my head
and eyes bandaEed and very sore, with
out the slightest idea where l was or
what it all meant, and hearing some
person moving in the room, l asked him
for an explanation, which he gave me-
and Immediately sent for Mr..
Burns, who related to me the whole
affair. l asked Mr.. Burns if he had
the slightest idea that l intended to
steal his property, and he promptly
answered that he had not, and he
what he said, for he stayed with me
great part of the day, and ministered
in every way he could to my necessi-
ties, In the evening L took passing
boat and went home, and here the mat
ter, for the time, ended, Every one
who knew me knew that I was not
guilty of stealing. They knew that
my life had been spent in scattering
thousands instead of gathering togeth-
er for the future. a term of the court
with II grand jury sat in Catlettsburg,
as am informed, not II great while at
forwards, and no person thought pro-
per to bring this matter to their atten-
ton. l came to Wheeling, took my
seat as II member of this House, and
took a prominent part in the legisla-
ton of that winter which had for its
object the protection of the State and
her loyal citizens against the rebels.
Among other laws passed for this pur-
pose was one to prevent persons against
whom judgments had been Obtained
for outrages committed during the war,
from obtaining re-hearing unless
they took Il certain oath known as the
test oath. 1 took certified copy of
this law, With others, home with me,
and at the March term of our
court 1865, efforts were made to
open some Judgments of the character
OF which l have spoken, which We're
defeated by the production of this law.
It then became necessary, in the opin-
ion of certain parties, 10 get me out of
the way, and conspiracy was there
upon entered into to get me indicted in
the copperhead county of Boyd, Ken
lucky, and thereby drive me from the
country, or if they failed in that, then
by employing the leading lawyers and
packing juries, to convict me, if posi-
BILE, of felony. They accordingly re-
paired to Cattletsburg, managed to have
Mr.. Burns and other witnesses called
before the grand jury and procured an
indictment To show that this was not
the work of Mr.. Burns, he declared
when he appeared before the grand
Jury, as l am informed by one of the
members thereof, that he knew nothing
of the purpose for which he was called,
or Mt whose instance he was called,
The finding of this Indictment soon
came to my Knowledge, and I was adj
vised, i'll the stricleSt confidence, by
some of my professed friends of the
cupperhead stripe, that it would be
better for me, under all the circum-
stances, 10 leave the country; that 1
could make n living anywhere, and if
I stayed in the country would be de-
manded of the Governor aud delivered
up to the authorities of BOYD county,
Kentucky, where they would use
means 10 convict me, whether
was guilty or innocent. 1 thanked
the gentlemen kindly for their
advice, but instead OF netting. upon
it, 1 went voluntarily to Ken
lucky, and sent word to the Sheriff that
was there, ready,to answer to any
process he might have in his hands
against me, aud am free to say, for
this officer, what cannot often be said,
L. NIL ", L. Il,