Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1869-05-14
SIX HUNDRED THOUSAND DOL
LARS

Tbe Morgan Raid job has got safely
through the Senate as well as b House
and those who are to benefit by this pre-
ciouss scheme for depicting the State
treasury, already, in Imagination, fin
GER the cash. The entire transaction
has scarcely a redeeming trait. No dis
interested person at all c0nYersant with
HE history of the Morgan raid believes
for a moment, that the damages amount
TO $500, 900, or that, If they did, the State
is Justly liable to pay such damages.
T6e temptations to make the bills large
enough to cover probable deductions
were great; the means of disproYing
items after the lapse ofmonths and years
small: and the Inducements for push
ing the claims to payment powerful.
The claims were not above suspicion,
and the manner in which they have
been crowded through the Legislature
has not tended to dissipate the suspic-
ions at first formed. The bill for their
navmeut was rushed through the House
and sent to the Senate, where it receiv-
ed a vote of nineteen to ten, and was
declared passed Objection was made
that the bill, proposing the payment of
money. reqnired a two-thirds vote, and
motion was made to correct the journal
so as to read the bill failing of a eonsu-
tutional majority was not passed.
This, after considerable delay, was vot-
ed down by nineteen to fourteen, mi
the Senate journal therefore records the
bill passed.
But the friends of the scheme consid-
cred the position of The measure too
to 20 10 the State Treasurer
with the claims allowed under it. The
question of its passage was so dubious
that any taxpayer could put an embar-
RAISING check to the game by suing out
an Injunction in the courts. To pre-
vent such unpleasantneSs the entire ac-
ton on the bill was ignored, and the
amount claimed, increased nearly
~NventV-four thousanddollars to pay for
the additional delay and trouble, was
stuck into the Genera Appropriation
Bill, In this form it went through the
House, with another nice little JOB Of a
few odd thousands to a man who had
already receipted in full ofall demands.
Tbe history of this small affair has al
ready been given in a letter from Col
umbus published On Monday.
On reaching the Senate an attempt
was made to strike out the Morgan
Rsid item. and the vote stood fifteen to
ffteen. At this point Lieutenant
C,overnor Lee exei cised his constttu-
ffonaT~ privilege and voted against he
claims The engineers OF the scheme
were aghast at this unexpected coatre-
temps. A hasty consultat1on was mao,
the vote reconsidered, and the item re-
tanned by a vote of nineteen 10 fourteen
1.-The exact vote that virtually declared
the Morgan Raid Bill passed. The six
hundred thousand dollar prize in the
Legislative lottery was drawn.
Ii Is interestingly know who were the
nineteen so anxious to reimburse sne
sufferers along Morgan's track Win
their heirs and assigns. The first APP
pearance Of the gallant twenty, save
one" was on the vote TO pass the Nor
uan Raid Bill. They stood then as fol-
lows. Democrats being given in italics :
BfQOs, Campbell, DaDgler, Die6ey,
Do5Udneg, Emmett, Exams, GODFREY, Gotd-
- H9fchesou. JdnisOn, RenNey, King,
E-g,0yeace. Linn, May. ORdeTdOnk, Sim
mons. Torrence-19,
The whole number Of Senators is
fbirtv-geyeD, on the final vote four
senators were absent or not voting
OeUeJdnd Herald.