The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1869-02-03

ed that the gentleman had done very wrong
in making charges he was not able to sus-
tain, and be did not take back that asser-
ton, but would fling it to the whole world.
After months of waiting. the Senator, IN
stead of sustaining his grave charges, had
made report of over fifty pages, and had
ended with one small charge OF twenty dol
lars saddled ON poor Robbins. u
Mr.. Welker moved to lay the whole SUBJ
ject on the table. He also wished to say
few words in regard to attacks upon him in
a sheet he would not name. He had been
attacked in most shameful manner He
did not believe the editor of the paper wrote
it. for it bore the ear-marks OF some one
! else. He had been charged with malicious
" and vindictiyely attacking Mr.. Robbins.
This was false. He had known of the trans
action at the time it occurred, and had kept
the knowledge to himself, which showed
that he had no bad feelings towards MIR.
Robbins. That he had not considered
this transaction an improper one, was shown
by the fact that he had never mentioned It.
| If he had thought it wrongful, he should
have declared it at the time 1t was DONE
Had the transaction been known only to
himself it would never have been disclosed.
He had called for the balance of the testimo-
i nv because he had known that it would
benefit Mr.. Robbins, whereas if the Senate
had thought any of the evidence had been
suppressed, it would have injured him. AS
for Mr.. Robbins, he was going to charge no
one with bad intention. when the facts
1 shown did not prove it. He did not believe
/ that any wrong had been done to the State
! If the people of Rowan and Davie were sat-
! isfied with Mr. Robbins conduct, he was.
He hoped the matter would be laid upon the
table. and if hereafter any case should need
/ investigation, it could be brought up.
Mr. Jones hoped the Senator would with
draw his melton, as he was DESTROYS of max
| ing few brief remarks.
| Mr.. Welker withdrew his motion.
| Mr.. Jones did not propose to say anything
/ at this time in reply to the remarks of the
/ Senator from Craven, but be considered that
7 he had attacked the whole present system
/ OF Internal improvements, and offered
against 1t only theory of his own If his
theory was not adopted, he. predicted re-
/ pudiation He would say to the Senator
/ from Craven. who talked SO much about ex-
/ pense, that he (Mr. Sweet had, by making
these yet unsustained charges, cost the State
| millions of dollars
| Mr.. Osborne made some extended remarks
! to prove Mr.. Robbins not guilty of anything
/ that needed rcprlmand. He held that no
| crime had been committed.
Mr.. Wynne said: Mr.. President, I wish it
| distinctly understood that if the Senator from
| Rowan has no worse enemy than l. every
man in North Carolina is his friend. But this
! is a question which must not be considered
! in connection with that gentleman but in a
! legal point of view. What are the facts in
/ the casel In the month of August last, a
man by the name of Stephens made his APP
! pearance as claimant fO, a seat in this Sen
ate. But there was another claimant, and the
whole matter was referred to the people of
| Caswell. There was resolution introduced to
! give him his per diem. What does he do
| He offers Senator twenty dollars to secure
him his per diem. The Senator, with no
thought of what he is doing, enters into
transaction that might prove his ruin, and
commits breach Of duty as a Senator. /
ask no retribution. There is no man more
willing than myself to throw the broad mar
tie of charity around this offence, but he has
defied us and proclaimed that he wants no
mercy. Mr.. Stephens says he offered MIR.
Robbins twenty dollars to use his influence
for the passage of his resolutions, and Mr..
Robbins took the mon ey and made the speech
If that was not egal contract, do not
| know what a contract is.
The quid pro quo passed and has never
been returned, and this transaction was
made perfect in law. If this act be excused,
where will be the end of the conduct for
which such a precedent is set q If he could
6 inadvertently" place in his pocket twenty
dollars, I, or any other member could, with
equal propriety, ain, .dvertently" put into
our pockets twenty Thousand dollars. IF
the Senate, Mr.. Pres dent, will excuse all
such cases, will not object, but unless that
is done. l object to excusing this case.
There is also another person who should be
punished-the man who offered the money
The particeps crinsin is is as guilty as he who
commits the act al I'd do not intend that
he shall escape. If one is punished, both
should be punished
Mr.. Graham argr led that Mr.. Robbins was
not guilty of any crime, but had commit
ted an indiscretior which any member of the
Senate would vote to censure, but consider
ed the publicity which had already been
given to it was punishment enough. He
was opposed to tt re amendment of Mr.. Davis.
Mr.. Rich move ID the previous question.
On motion of dr. Barrow the Senate adj
journed until to- morrow at 10 A. NJ
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.