Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-06-10
THE RAILROAD INVESTI-
CATION.

Report OF the Joint ScIect Conami it
tee Appointed 90 Investsgat.
Charges Made by Col. John Esax,
ter. @ 20 .ta2u
Tde following report was submitted {,
the Senate yesterday
The joint select committee appointed
under Senate Joint resolution No. 10,
l passed May 25, 1870, IN regard to charge
made by Hon. John Baxter against mem
bers of the Railroad COMMITTEES, Organized
| Immediately after the appointment Of its
members, and through its chairman ad-
dressed a letter to Hon. John Baxter,
enclosing to him copy of the resolution
under which the committee proposed to
act, informing him that the COMMITTEES was
ready to receive any evidence which he
might in person or by letter introduce sus-
tanning the charges made in the publication
referred to, and inqu:ring at what time he
would be prepared TO furnish such evidence
to the committee-through its chairman,
have received the following reply:
KNOXVILLE, Tenn, May 2S, lS7O.-To
Hon. E Cooper, Chairman, etc.-Dear
Sir: Your favor Of the 9th, inclosing
copy Of the resolution adopted by the
General Assembly on the 25th inst, is just
received. This resolution is in its terms
unusual and peculiar. Its phraseology
seems to have been stretched and SO fran.
ed as to restrict the action Of the commit
tee within very narrow limits. After re-
citing In the preamble that have charged
that aportion of them meaning portion
Of the Railroad Investigating Committed
have been bought up by the corruption
lists, the resolution directs ''that COM
mittee Of one on the part of the Senate
and tN o on the part of the House
be raised, whose duty it shall be to
inquire and demand of the author Cf
said imputation, the names of the
corruptionists and the members of
the committee who were bribed, and re-
port the same to this General Assembly"
Why this demand is made or what use the
Honorable General Assembly is going to
make of the information to be thus elected
from me, the resolution does not disclose.
So far as l can Judge from the language
used, the honorable representatives of the
people wish to know what information
may possess touching the matters referred
to In their resolution, bnt the resolution
does not give tho slightest intimation that
upon the receipt OF my statement they will
proceed to order committee to ascertain,
by actual investigation, the truth or falsity
of my allegations. One would Suppose
from the recent developments made
by the several investigating COM
mittees, acting under the authority
of your honorable body, that the
author of the resolution under which your
was organized, who has been a
of the General Assembly since
nj IN al fha
legislation through which millions have
been fraudulently squandered upon pre-
tended railroad projects, that MIR. Nelson
himself might have been able to indicate
to your committee the names Of some Of
the corruptionists. But if he and the
other members of the several committees
who have been so assiduously engaged for
eight months past are SO innocent and un-
as not to have devel-
oped any trace of the corruption
lists, it will afford me great pleasure, upon
the conditions hereinafter prescribed,
to aid them in this important inquiry.
Your letter is broader than the resolution
under which you are acting. Your OBJ
ject-so says your letter" i- to notify me
of the appointment of the committee, and
to request that will inform the commit
tee, in person or by letter, whether have
any evidence to introduce to sustain the
charge made in the publication alluded to,
and at what time will be prepared to fur
nish it to the committee. Now for this
part Of your letter there is no authority to
be found in the resolution. The resolu-
ton does not call for proof, or authorize
your committee to receive II; it simply |
clothes you with authority to Enquire
Of me-and demand the names of the cor
and the members of the COM
nittee who have been bribed; and as l |
am not called on for proof, or your COM
mittee authorized to demand or receive ii, |
do not propose, at tbs time, |
and under the existing resolution, to make |
further disclosures or offer any evidence |
10 the committee to sustain the truth of /
NY allegation. But 1 here reiterate the |
charge contained in my published card |
md declare, as l believe, that am able to |
sustain it by proof II, therefore, you |
will get the honorable Legislature to pass
l resolution raising a committee to investi-
gate and report upon it, with power to
iend for persons and papers, and to exam
ne parties and witnesses on oath, and the |
committee will enforce the attendance OF |
such witnesses as l may name, and per-
nit me to appear and conduct the |
exercising all the rights /
Usually awarded by courts to counsel in the |
cross ss-examination of unwilling witnesses, /
will assume the responsibilities of prose-
,utor, and by proof make good anything |
hat have alleged.
Respectfully, etc, JOHN BAXTER.
z. S.-Should your committee decline |
my proposition and 50 report to their re-
;pective Houses, beg you to make known /
% the two Houses the contents Of this com
nunieation. j. B.
1t will be at once discovered by the 1
of the General Assembly that the |
Hon. John Baxter declines ''at this time |
md under the existing resolution to make
further disclosures or to offer any evidence |
10 the committee to sustain the truth OF |
the allegations" But he reiterates the |
charge contained in his Published card,
and declares his belief that he is able TO
sustain it by proof The committee feel
that they have discharged their duty, and
now wish to be discharged from the per-
formance of further duty under the resolu-
ton appointing them. 1t is with the Gen
eral Assembly whether it will pass such
resolution as required by the Hon. John
Baxter, before he is willing to enter upon
the proof of the charge preferred by him
All of which is respectfully submitted
COOPER, of Bedford,
For the Senate.
KELLY,
CoLDwELL,