The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-02-02

deemed guilty oil mlSuemcaHo[, anu shaii, on
conviction, be punished BY fine of one thousand
dollars and also imprisoned at hard labor in the
penitentiary for three years, during which time
he shall wear suit OF clothes made OF black and
white cloth-"freedom's fag'' represented on
the black, and the provisions of the United States
and South Carolina Civil Rights bills printed on
| the white patches.
THE BLUE RIDGE RING.
1t will be recolected that last week the Senate
| Railroad Committee, to whom was referred the
concurrent resolution OF the House relative to the
appointment of committee Of investigation to
examine the affairs OF the Pc Ridge Railroad,
reported recommending that the Senate do not
concur, on the ground that the presidents annual
report (which he asserted would be submitted at
an early day, would contain sail the information
desired by the House resolution" "And
should his report be unsatisfactory it would then
be within the power of the Senate to appoint
committee to investigate" This report, signed
| by Swalls Hoyt and Leslie, came up for conside-
ration to-day, and was discussed for nearly two
hours.
Nash said he understood that the managers OF
the Blue Ridge Railroad Company courted an
investigation. Whether they did or not be de.
sired that they should have one. They should
have submitted their annual report long ago.
they had had sufficient time since the introduc-
tion of the resolution. The State had right to
know all about this road; it should know all
about the four million dollars guaranteed by the
State; 1t was not known whether these had
been used for the road, invested in lands in phos-
pilates, or what not. Hoyt alluded to the letter
OF President Harrison to tlse Railroad Committee
in which he stated that lie felt sit due and proper
to state that the annual report Of the company
to the Comptroller General has been unaVold-
ably delayed by unforeseen events, but was now
in process Of preparation, and would be SUD-
| mltted at the earliest practicable moment" and
then said that he (Hoyt) had just come from
the section OF the road where they were at work,
1 and he could state that the report was being
prepared One Of the causes for Its not being sub
mitted before was that the route had not been
| determined upon"
GLIMPSE AT THE PAST WANTED.
Hoyts statement about the new route startled
Nash into On unusual degree Of activity. Instead
of rising slowly rs is his custom, he bounced to
his feet and Indignantly asked what did the Sem
ate and the people want to know about new
route. They wanted TO know something OF the
past history of the road; nothing Of its future,
| inst Mt present, ut least. Swails had little to
saw In defence OF the report OF the committee, as
serting that the presidents report would proba.
| bly contain oil the information that was needed;
that IL it did not, then committee could be ap-
pointed to investigate. Nash then stated that 1t
was his opinion that senators thought some rail
road corporations were dangerous things, and
were afraid to touch them, but he was not; he
wanted to know why $4,000 had been paid to
men for forfelting their contract; If we were con-
slderng the little Laurens and Spartanburg Rail-
roads, the senators would jump upon them and
tear them to pieces; but here is the Blue Ridge
Railroad, which they don't care to touch; it's
big elephant that needs roplug, and nm in favor
OF roping it."
THAT LITTLE CLIQUE.
Wright IA member OF the Railroad Committee,
who did not concur In its report) stated
that before the committee reported he had
seen the Governor, who Is er-otfcio member OF
the Executive Committee OF the road, and he had
EXPRESSED a desire to have an investigating COM
mittee. The senator from Kershaw (Jillson) had
| intimated that such a committee would be only
| smelling committee 1t was the opinion OF some,
said Wright, that such committee would nave
to smell in some nasty places. Why the repor
OF the president OF the road had not been submit
ted he iWright) might not be able to tell, but II
was his opinion that as soon rs the sinking fund
bill was adopted, the report would be submitted
The earliest practicable moment" mentioned In
President Harrison's letter to the Railroad Com
mittee would be just after that bill becomes an
act. After stating that lie hoped to have an op'
portuuity OF showing up some measures OF GER
I tain clique who were trying to control the State,
Wright sat down.
SCOTS TACTICS
Maxwell was In favor OF having committee to
investigate the affairs OF the road, and called for
the reading Of that portion OF the Governors
message which referred to the road. 1t was read.
The clause which is appended became sort OF
mark for the senators to hurl jess at; based
mainly upon the Governors getting around a
veXcd question without committing himself:
| One of two plans should be adopted at once:
The first is TO abandon the whole scheme OF a
| direct railroad route to the West, lose the three
millions of money invested hy tile State the Clty
| Of Charleston and private individuals repeal the
act of September. 1865. whereby four million dol
| lars more OF bonds guaranteed hy the State would
| be sunk and made valuceSS, or assist the compa-
| nv in their efforts to complete the work by such
means rs WOulu De NdludDe W LHeli, anu Nv tiie
same time not injnre the credit Of the State.
SQUARE BLOW AT TUE GOVERNOR.
Several senator's wanted to know what had be.
come of the four million OF bonds, to which ques-
tion Swas responded by asking them why, If
they were so anxious about the bonds, they did
not introduce bill to repeal the act authorizing
tile endorsement and guarantee of them. "Thc
| man." said lie, "wlO Is eL-f9lcio member OF the
board, and rs rumor asserts, is deeply interested
in the road, comes ana gives US two reasons why
we should get out OF it." Nash: If we introduc-
cd n bill to repeal the act wouldn't the Governor
veto itP Swails: No. do not think he would
dare do it.
| 'suow CAUSE WHY"
| Hayne stated that he wanted to know why the
contractors, who had forfeited their contract,
were paid $4,000 by the managers, especially
after the Attorney General had given his opinion
that nothing Should be paid for the anuulling Of
the contract. This money did not come out OF
the Iunds OF the road, but out OF the State treas
ury; there was something rotten in the whole
transaction, and he wanted 1t investigated. Nash
said he believed that there was scheme In
all OF this annulling of the contract; le believ-
cd that it had been done in order that the
bonds might be deprcciated and then be
bought up; he was of the opinion that soon these
very men who had thrown up the contract would
own tho q T,uranc CnartouhIrp Grppnville and