Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-02-11

written, was not this the condition of af.
fairs The committee had collected o.
Rltter some $40 900 OF the money, and
the question before the Legislature was
how this amount should be Invested, and
YOU and ParhAm were working together
10 have it restored to Rutter?
@ am not certain Of the condition,
but favored sustaining the bank. Rut-
ter had said several times that il the
Legislature would give him time. and
restore the fund, he would give $500, ,OoC
| security, and at one time offered to loan
the State $500 900 to meet Its interest.
BE ! EsIRED TO HAVE THE BANK
CLOSED Up.
@ Ia you letter of December 6, 1858
TO Rluer, You say, 81 am doing, and
viii DO, sii 1 can to have the matter
closed up" What matter did you desire
to have closed up?
A. desired to have the bank closed
10, ss Mr.. Rutter informed me that par
lies were willing to buy the charter oi
the bank and its assets, and pay the
State debt. Mr. Rutter acknowledges
that never received one cent, directly
or Indirectly, except in the wsy Of &C
cOmmodatiOn at the bank, which was
perfectly legitimate, At the time l got
the accommodation at the bank, 1 did
not know that the Tennessee National
Bank held the S618, ,250 bonds.
RICHARDS CHARACTER VoUCHED FOR.
Upon character the committee exam
ined Messrs. John Z. Carpenter, of Mem
phis, sc. Mercer, OF Nashville, and the
Hon. d. G. Trewitt, of Chattanooga,
whe testified that they considered him
Mr.. Riehards) man OF good character
aud reputation, worthy OF belief on oath
or without OATH, and would regard his
testimony Ia his own behslf as sound
and reliable; would not take the evil
deIce OF Rntter, under the circumstances,
Sc Gt all relisble.
THE COMMITTEE SUN UP.
Upon which the committee "sum up"
as .oilOws:
Your committee, deeply impressed
with the magnitude Of the task, having,
as it might be termed, the hopes and
hsppihess Of an individual that has oc-
cuD!sd high and responsible positions
since tbs formation OF the State Govern.
ment, and has worked Zealously to sup.
port and peTpetuste the same, be ne
guilty or nor, is undoubtedly task and
q position that Is by no means enviable,
even TO those who cherish and cultivate
the burning fires Of passion, and who de-
sire to lower their fellow-men to the
depths Of abieot poverty and disgrace.
Consequently, 10 this light, the House
may rest assured that our position IN the
premises has been quite delicate; yet
your committee, divesting themselves Of
sll prejudiee and passion, have given the
subject that consideration of thought
whIcn it demands, and have acted, or
Tol
that the result Of our deliberations will
be read by untold hundreds, and if made
without reflection, will east more odium
on the committee than on the accused,
should he be guilty Of the charges.
Apprecisilng fully the magnitude Of
the sutject, aud knowing that it becomes
the Guty OF the representatives OF the
people TO decide upsD the reception of
this report, pro or con, your committee
have calmly deliberated and matured
fully tha whole testimony, and from that
testimony have come to the following
CONCLUSION.
l, That the records of the 34th Gene
raj Assem- bly, fully exonerste Mr.. Rich
ards of aiding by vote or assisting by
any legislsti0n whatever, to place the
school fund in Mr.. R1tter's bank.
o That the statute laws OF Tennessee,
passed hy the S5th General Assent bly,,
entities and gives to Mr. Richards the
right to testify in his own behalf, not
withstandiDg the exceptions made by
Mr.. E sat, the Attorney for the State.
5 That sf.er carefully weighing the
proof, g developed IN the preceding evil
dence, your com mmistee are unable 10 az
rive al any other conclusion than the
innocence OF the accused member OF the
implied against him.
TIE COMMITTEE RECOMMEND.
Your committee do therefore recon-
mend the passage, by your honorable
body, Of the folio Wing resolution, to-
wit:
ResolUed Jy the House Of Representa-.
tivss Of the General Assembly Of the
State of Tennessee, That the Committee
raised under House resolution No. 315, TO
whom was referred the investigation of
certain charges implicitly made against
Hln F. 3. Richards, g member of the
House from the county OF Shelby, having
fully investigated the charges OF COM
o icity in defrsuding the State of large
sum Of money belonging to the School
Fund, and said Committee having sub
mittsd their report to this House, eXone-
a. ng the said F. S. Richards, member
OF tins body, from any completely what
ever ia said transaction, it is therefore
decisred Rs the sense of this House that
said F. S. Richards, member as aforesaid,
and Speaker OF the House of Represent
stiVes, is not, either directly or remote
Iy, guilty of any of the charges or inn
plicat.oBs made sgsinst him Oy the tes-
Iimony of George r. Rutter before the
Special Committee appointed under the
House resolution No. = to investigate
the matter pertaining to the School
Fund; and that said f. s. Richards,
member from the county OF Shelby, and
Speaker of this House, is hereby re-
Qnested to resume the chair as presiding
officer of this body, -...-.
After an exciting debate the further
of the matter was ad-
journed over to Friday Of this week,
when we will know what the House
thinks of Richards.