Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1870-03-15

rtlack is. i'm onr opinion. dangerous, and should
not be tolerated, for instead OF kilhhg OF tne
prejudice that exists On account OF Color We are
opening up new and more dangerous avenue
Cf distinction; Therefore,
Resolred, That the Board Of Trustees Of Pub
tic Schools professor vxshcn particularly, oe'
and they arc hereby requested by this Board,
IN bs half OF the pure blacks, To MAKE no uis-
tnction on account Of Grace or Color IN tne az
mission Of children to the schools unaer their
jurisdiction.
Mr.. Hatton said shat Congress and the Coun-
ellis, in passing the bill, knew but TWO coiors,
white and black; that the Corporation Attorney,
when the ouestion of q coiored child in the
schools was referred to him, decided that the
child, having received n ticket, shoald be adj
| mtted. If the white schools were the best con-
ducted the colored people should send their chill
dren to them; but if these children were reck-
one d with the colored children they should be
sent to the colOred schools, rs a separate apprO-
priation had been made for their education. He
also argued that Professor Vashon was opening
| a dangerous question, and 1t was wrong to make
| any distinction as to duadrOOns, OctorOons, &c.
The resolutions we're adopted-yeas IL nays
| (Messrs. Pardon and Hall 2.
PROPOSED CHANGE OF NAME.
1 Mr.. HattOn offered resolution That the steam
fire engine Sayles j. Bowen, No. 4, be hereafter
known rs the VIM. A. Cook.
| Mr.. Beall moved to refer; lost yeas I,
nays Is.
| MIR. Simms asked if IL was because she was
| such a squirt that the name should be changed,
and moved to lay on the table; carried.
THE HOLNKs-CoOK INVESTIGATION.
Mr.. Beall, from the special committee ap-
pointed January 3, to inquire INTO certain accu-
| sations against Mr. VIM. A. Cook, Corporation
Attorney, that he had been convicted OF mall
| teasance in Office and sentenced to the peniten-
| tiaIy, submitted report recIting the testimony
! OF Messrs. Jas. H. Holmes, n. Sardo, Geo. W.
Hatton, Justice Walter, A. Il. Browne, Geo.
| Bacon, with letters from L. 7. Fowler, Benz.
| G. Lovejoy, Justices ID. X. Cartier and G. P.
| Fisher, +. Jordan, Secretary of the State of
Pennsylvania; Governor >: w Geary, Judge j.
| Nj. Edmunds, Colonel j. w. FOrney, Judge Jos.
Casey, General Jas. A. Ekin, Hon. David Will
| mot, lin 1861 Hon. John Covode and others.
| The evidence is to the effect that a letter had
been exhibited by w. NJ. Steven, purporting to
| be from +. Jordan, Secretary Of the State of
Pennsylvania, stating that the records of the
office show that w. A. Cook had been convicted
as alleged. The committee, although they had
| evidence that such letter had been shown to
parties, were unable to see it; and Mr.. SlOwen,
| to produce it. A letter from Mr.. Jordan to the
| committee denies that any such letter that
above referred to was ever written by him, and
| states that MIR. Cook never was convicted, and
| gives him a very high character. Other letters
in evidence were to the effect that the allegation
is untrue, ard give Mr.. Cook very high char
| acter.
The report concludes Sc The committee
| have the honor also to inform you that after a
rigid and thorough investigation of the work as
| signed them, they cannot find a particle Of
truth in the above charges; but on the contrary,
| find that Colonel William A. Cook has borne
| from his boyhood to the present day an unblem-
ished and irreproachable character for morality,
| honesty, integrity and every trait pertaining to
| gentleman of the highest standing. From the
| evidence adduced in this case, all of which we
have laid before you, We believe the accusation
| brought against him to bQ q malicious and libel
Gus falsehood gotten up by his enemies to defame
| and injure his good reputation.
Most prominent among them we find VIM. NJ.
| Slower, late member Of the Sixty-fifth Council
who has exhibited document purpOrting to be
| official, from Frank Jordan, Secretary of the
state Of Pennsylvania, which in the above let
70 AIr fxralxr lnxr-A
promised from time to time to meet the com
| mittee, but has failed to do so. He was called
| uron by the committee OF three at different
times at his house, and he refused to give the pa
| pers or any information about them saying that
he did not Intend that this thing should have
gone so far.
tice of the Peace for the county of Washington,
| copied or wrote paper, concerning which he
| positively refused to give any information when
| called upon by the chairman of this committee.
| Moreover, we are sorry to find that we have
members in the Sixty-seventh Council who have
| permitted themselves to become the tools of
| CATION has brought forward, and are panied to
| know that the journal of the Sxty-seventh
| Council is stained with slanderOus resolutions
| against one of our most faithful and respected
city officers; therefore, we feel it to be duty
to offer the following resolutions for your con-
sheraton, and ask their adoption:
| Resolved, That Mr.. James Holmes, a member
elect from the Fourth, but now of the Seventh
Ward is deserving the censure Of this Board for
/
belous resolutions against a good citizen.
| Resotred, That the committee to represent the
| interests OF this Corporation before Congress be,
and they arc hereby, requested to urge upon
that body the necessity OF passing act to pun
| sh design ng persons, iOr maliciOusly SANDER
ing the character, and trying to iniure the rep
utation OF respectable citizens, by imprisonment
| in the county jail"
[Signed.lER. j. Bcall, A. b. Tinney, j. ".
Mcknight.
Mr.. Hatton said he was glad that the commit
l eylOneratPI (sOrDOratiOu Atf0ruaY
| He could not see in referring to the resolution
| offered by Mr.. Holmes in the Journal Of De-
| ceDber 10Th that there were any charges made;
the resolution was merely one of inquiry. He
| cOuld not see that the committee had any evil
| dence to justify resolution to cenSure the gem
| tleman nom the Fourth Ward (AIr. Holmes.
| before the committee, which was composed of
Mr.: Beall, Mr.. William A. Cook, .
MIR. Beall called Mr.. Hatton to order and said
that Mr.. Cook was not member Of the com
| mittee.
Mr.. Hatton.-well, will take that back, and
Will say that MI. Cook, Corporation Attorney
| was not q member, but he was there for the
purpose of putting words in witnesses mouths
Mr.. Beail said that Mr.. Cook was present, as
| he had a right TO be, to defend himself
Mr.. Tinney asked if Mr.. Cook attempted to
| put words in his (Hattons) mouth
MIR. HattOn.-He tried TO.
| The Chairmans hammer here fell, the five
| minutes rule being enforced.
| Mr.. Hatt0n asked leave TO continue his re-
marks but several members objected.
Mr.. Beall.-I will not object if the gentleman
| will stick to the truth
MIR. HattOn.-J am tired of receiving the lie
from members Of this Board, and will not re-
| ceive 1t i'm future.
MIR. Boyd suggested that the subject on which
| inquiry was based had been common talk, and
| that the gentleman may have offered his resOlu-
| ton in good faith, and, therefore, there should
| he no resolution of censure. He moved to strike
| out the resolution Of censure.
| Mr.. Browne offered as q substitute a resoltl-
ton declaring that the practice OF introducing
| resolutions and inquiries dcfamatOry to the
characters of persons holding official positions
| founded upon rumOr, Is unfair and prejudicial
TO proper legislation, and that hereafter no such
| resolution will be entertained unless signed by
resonsible parties and accompanied by AMI
| dayit.
The Chair decided the resolution out Of order
| on the ground that it was general and prOspec
| tive; and the Chair vas sustained.
| MIR. Boyd renewed his motion to strike out the
resolution Of censure; rejected. Yeas-Messrs
| Boyd, Browne, DERRICK, Gaines. HattOn, Nut
| ter and Simms-7. Nays-Messrs. Beali, Bur-
| CESS, Fardon, johnson, Mcknight Piper Tin
ney, Venabe and the President-9.
| MIR. Browne moved to strike ont the last reso.
luton, AZ 1t would be laughed out Of the com
law on the statute books now.
Mr.. Burgess was i'm favor of the resolutions
| and had the parties who had made the charges
been responsible, they would have been sued in
| the courts for damages--the only redress in suc,
cases; and as the laws were at present. irrespOn-
sible men could SANDER who they pleased, and