Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1869-12-17
From the Raleigh Sentinel.
opnCEEEDINsS GF THE LEGISLATURES
SENATE.

r,Iiciary reported back the bill to autho-
re the Committee of Investigation to en-
.rce the attendance of witnesses, recon-
ending its passage.
Mr.. Winstead moved a suspension of
me rules in order to put the bill on its
several readings.
Mr.. Davis, Of Montgomery, opposed the
.,,fion and the bill. He said the whole
G;.r was inaugurated simply to please 1t
e.rtain click in the other House, and there
U.s. really nothing in the bill, because the
r,Vrrs asked for were already granted.
:. Vi move of the opposition party,
..,:,- he understood very we'll. It was an
r,,u nointed at an honorable and respec-
I'm, citizen of this State, Gen. Milton s.
I,tH, field. the proprietor of the Standard,
~ leading Republican journal in this
,t.te. Il was all for a sounding cymbal
nd nothing else The truth was there
rrere men in the State and in the capitol
Who we're as deeply interested in this mat
Ter as Gen. Littlefeld, why are not Col.
rowan, A. J. Jones and other Railroad
residents summoned? No, nothing will
10. nothing can be done unless commits
son is sent to Florida to bring Gen. Lit
tletielG back. He was tired of these inyes-
tication Committees. They were mere
bubbles. He had enough of them last ses-
SION, when nothing was gained by them.
A. II. Galloway (col) opposed the mo
ton and the bill also. He did not under
stand why the leading spirit of the oppo-
sition party only assailed one man in refer
,uce to these charges of fraud. Rumors
were rife that General Littlefeld had mis-
appropriated the 81, 900, 600 or q portion
Of the funds issued to the Western n. C.
Z Il. He did not understand how he
LittIefcld) could have done so, when for
d long period of the time after the issues
II the, bonds Geo. w. S@ep5On was the
President of that Road, and the bonds had
hern issued to him. Littlefeld had only
been President a short time. He should
oppose the resolution because he had no
flea that they would accomplish anything.
The proposition originated in the House,
in the brain of Democrat, q carpet-bag
yer from Tennessee, and its object was to
niure the republican party.
Mr. Love sid he should support the
motion and the bill, if for nothing else,
because Of the strange speeches just made,
the one by the Senator from Montgomery
and the other by the Senator from New
Hanover, He thought it very strange that
the friends of General Littlefeld should
lake it up themselves to defend him when
his name was not mentioned III the resolu-
tie road he represents. Why not defend
the officers of other roads? He was graft
lied tosstate that the officers of the road in
which his people were interested informed
him that they were ready to make full
showing of the management of their road.
He hoped that the continued insinuations
in regard to the Western n. G. Railroad
would be stopped.
Mr.. Robbins said there were few who
discussed subjects of this character in the
calm and diSpaSsionate manner which they
deserved. Why not pass this resolution?
What harm is there in it? The Senator
from Montgomery says it grants no addi-
tiOnal power, then what objection can
there be to it? There were two facts he
had learned from a distinguished Republi-
can gentleman several weeks ago, in an
address before the citizens CT this place,
that shonld awaken this General Assembly
to sense Of their duty. General Dockery
told us that the people demanded this in
yestlgation, and unless We gave it to them
and satisfied them beyond a doubt that
their money is not improperly used, repu-
diation would surely follow. What he
said had weight and force in it and should
be felt however wrong the suspicion of the
people may prove to be in reference to
this matter. He thought the action of the
friends Of General LittIefield in this de-
bate was in bad taste. There were no
charges preferred against him in the reso-
utiou, consequently no defense was nee
essary Since he UittIefeld) had been
alluded to, he would say that since there
were rumors darogatory to him, the least
that be could have done was to have
postponed his trip (even if ten thou
sand dollars had been at stake),
and have come before the commit
lee and have said, here am gentlemen,
investigate these charges. Senators charge
That it Is 4 party measure; he thought that
IN considering 80 important matter as is
contained in this resolution, that Senator'S
should cast the partizan aside and be Sena
tors in the true sense of the word. He not
not believe that was the object, at least he
EleW that he had no partizan feeling in
it, but if that was his object, nothing could
please him better than to see Republicans
attempting to cover up and tramel full
investigation Of this subject, and the
nen or party who opposes it Injuries him
self
Mr.. Welker (republican) said he had
very little confidence in such committees,
because he had no idea that they would
accomplish anything though he should
vote for them. If his advice had been
needed last session LQ0T6 HOuIu uaf6 Ueeu
no necessity for them, and these bonds
wUnId be now in the hands of the Treas
urer; but the General Assembly adopted
another policy; the bonds are out and 1t is
not known where they are and If found
out they cannot be of any advantage to
the State. He was not in the ring last
session nor did ne belong to any ring now.
lie opposed the placing of these bonds
INTO the hands OF one man. He was not
responsible for that action.
The question recurring on the motion to
suspend the rules, il prevailed, ayes 81
nays Messrs. Col8rove, Davis, Galloway
and Hayes.
Mr. Stephens, republican, offered the
following as IN additional section: So The
Nommlttee shall also have power to call
"at the militia to suppress the Ku klux of
orange, Chatham and other counties OF
the State.
MT AIR. Forkner, republican, moved that
ment
MI Aobblns said the motion was not
necessary as the amendment was irrella-
want to the subject under consideration; it
was out Of order.
Inc Chair so ruled.