Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-04-30

1.-THE hnOXYllle htg,) IN regard 10 Uhe
responsibility for depositing the school
fund in the Tennessee National Bank at
Memphis
"The only State officer who had any
thing to do with the placing OF the school |
fund in the Tennessee National Bank Of |
Memphis, was Treasurer Stanford who was |
the only johnson Democrat connected with |
the State government The fund remained |
in the keeping Of the Governor and Comp |
troller for fifteen months, in perfect safety, |
when DR.. Stanford went 20 the Comptroll- |
er's Office and took possession Of it "a the |
legal custodian of the school fund. This |
step was taken without the knowledge Of
the Governor. Ii was the Treasures per-
sonal act The Comptroller had no disCre-
ton in the premises His safe had been
used to keep the bonds as a matter of con-
venience, and not of legal duty, and be
could do nothing but surrender them 10 the
officer appointed by law to keep them. The
Treasurer gave no intimation TO Governor
Brownlow as to the use he intended to make
Of the bonds, and, without consultation or
advice, placed the full amount in the hands
of the President of the Tennessee National
Bank of Memphis. The Radical officers of
the State government were kept ignorant
| of the Transaction, and the officer whose
folly and crime endangered so large fund
was an original johnson Democrat, not in
sympathy with Governor Brownlow or his
/ measures -
We know nothing as to the politics Of
the late DIR. Stanford We have heard
that he was an old line Wing, and he was
regarded here by outsiders as an intense
Radical If he gave any aid and COM
fort to the johnson Democrats, they
are singularly unaware Of the fact. But
how came this " johnson Democrat to
be entrusted with the custody of the
school fund The Governor states that
"the fund remained in the keeping Of the
Governor and Comptroller for fifteen
months in perfect safety" Then why
was it disturbed and who took it from
their keeping The Governor says DR.
Stanford took it. But who authorized
him to take charge of this fund ? Let
us see.
In the House of Representatives on
the 18th of December, 1865, Mr.. Mulloy
offered a resolution requiring the Gov
ernor, Secretary ofState, and Comptroller
to pay to the Superintendent Of Public
instruction six hundred and eighteen
thousand two hundred and fifty dollars,
with accrued interest" that being the
amount realized from the sale of the coin
belonging to the Bank of Tennessee
This resolution was adopted or the l4th
On the 9Th of February, 1866, this reso-
luton came up in the Senate, when Mr.
Trimble offered bill in lieu "to wind
up and settle the business Of the Bank of
Tennessee. This bill was passed through
the Senate, and when it came mp Oh its
third reading in the House, Mr.. Patton
offered an amendment in lieu of the fifth
section, providing as follows:
THAT the President and Directors, with. |
out delay, and at as early day as practi- |
cable, cause an assignment and deeds of |
trust of all the assets of said bank and |
branches, and property of all kinds real, |
personal, and mixed, including the fund |
above described of SGlS, $50, and all in |
tere7t thereon accrued or aecruing, 10 be |
made and executed in the name and behalf |
of the Bank of Tennessee and under its /
seal, for the uses and in trust az follows:
First, TO secure the full sum of 81 100000. |
the amount of the common school fund /
deposited in the Bank of Tennessee by acts
of the Legislature, which shall be q pre-
ierred claim, with interest accrued and /
accruing on said sum Of 81 500 600, since
the 9th day of May, 1861, which sum of
S6lS, $50, United States seven-thirty bonds,
shall be retained and placed in the hands
of the Treasurer Of the State of Tennessee,
part of the common school fund
originally deposited in the Bank of Ten
nessee," etc.
This amendment was adopted, and the
bill NJ amended, was then passed on its
third reading by the following vote
Ayes-Messrs. Anderson, Arnell, Baker.
Carter, Clingan, Doughty, Dowdy, Donald.
son, Duggan, Dunnaway. Fuson, Garner,
Gilmer, Grimmett, Hudson, Hale, Jarvis,
Jones of Claiborne, Mason, Maxwell, Nc
Nair, Mullins, Moss, Norman, Ordway,
Parks, Patton, Porter, Pickett, Raulston,
Rodgers, Symmetry, Smith of Hardeman,
Smith of Obion, Snodderly, Thornburgh,
Underwood, Waters of Wilson, Waters of
Madison, Walker of Rhea, Welsh, Will
liams, Willis, Woodcock, and Woods-45. |
Noes-Messrs. Brandon, Bledsoe Cow
ard, Elliott, Faulkner, Garrett, Jones Of
Greene, Melton, Murphy, Nix, Scales
Thomas Warren, VIM, and Speaker
Heiskell-l5
The bill as amended came up in the
Senate on the 10th of February 1866, for
concurrence in the House amendments,
and it appears that Mr. Trimble smelt a
mouse Of considerable size in that portion
of the amendment touching the school
fund, for he moved a concurrence in all
the House amendments 10 the bill, except |
that part of the amendment to the fifth |
section, making the Treasurer of the
State the custodian of the school fund
set apart therein out of the assets of the
Bank of Tennessee But his scruples
seem to have been overcome, for he sub
modified his motion, and ,
moved concurrence in all the House
amendments to the bill The vote on |
Mr.. Trimbles motion was as follows {
Ayes-Messrs. Aldridge, Bosom, Cate,
'ypert, Case, Frazier of Wilson, Frazier of I
Knox, Keith, Mckinney, McElWee, Mel
on, Senter, Trimble, and Thompson-l4.
Noes-Messrs. Bowen, Powell, Smith, i
nd Speaker Frieraon-4. d
Thus we find that the authority I'M I
er which Treasurer Stanford went 4
o the Comptroller's office and took pos a
ession of the school fund, was con q
erred upon him on the motion of &
,adical and by Radical votes But for =
his action of the Radicals in the Lesis- \
'ture, Of whom it cannot be said they
'ere mot in sympathy with Governor
'rownlow or his measures" the school {
md would have remained in the keeping +
| the Governor and Comntrnllar The c,