The Sweetwater enterprise. (Sweetwater, Tenn.) 1869-187?, 1870-07-28
Another NOsing COMMITTEES.

ed a synopsis of his evidence before the
committee appointed to examine into the
charges made by Col, John Baxter against
members of the Joint Select Investigating
Committee appointed by the Legislature
to investigate the condition aud manage.
mont OF certain railroads in the State.
The questions were suggested by Colonel
Baxter, To give an idoa of the indecency
Of the examination and the style of reply
adopted By Colonel Fleming, we publish
the following extracts;
SoCKDoLoGER.
| was first asked what was my "pecuni-
airy condition. when | became a member
of the General Assembly, Baxter writing
all the questions,)
To this | replied that | was then, as
now, a poor man. That my circumstances
might. have been much better, if the pro-
fe~ssional affairs of Baxter and Fleming had
been fully and fairly settled up.
Il Il i h
was asked whether my wife had not
received many presents since | had been
a Representative.
CHRISTMAS GIFT.
Still protesting against the indeconcy
OF such an examination, [ answered that
aside from the presents bestowed upon my
wife by her husband and her brother-I
can remember now no other present than
that of a large plain gold ring, presented
as a Christmas gift to her by Governor
Sentor, which bore the inscription "To
.Ny Cousin Anna,"-The Governor be-
ing a cousin of mine.
BUCKET AND DIPPER.
LNorE.-lt is proper | should here
state that in my answer before the CON-
mittoo [ forgot Il fact Of which I have been
reminded by my wife since my return,
viz: That just before her departure from
Nashville, after u visit to the city, Gov
ernor Sontor presented her with Il cedar
bucket, dippor and cups, manufactured at
the Penitcntiary, which were purchased by
him from the Warden of that Institution.
They are specimens otremarkable mcchan-
ical skill, and Mrs. 7. will take great
pleasure in exhibiting them to any one
who may desire to examine them.
\ n X Il Il
BLACK SILK DRESS.
| was asked whether my wife had not
received a black silk dress while at Nash
Vile.
| answered that, while Mrs. Fleming
was supplied with a decent set of apparel,
it 80 happened that 50 far as | am inform
ed she had no "blaCk silk dress" | could
say, however, that upon the occasion of her
recent visit to Nashville, one of her sisters
who had recently supplied herself with a
new "black silk DRESS" kindly rendered
the loan Of her garment to her sister, with
a view of giving variety to her sisters
"wardrObe." This is the only "black silk
dress" that know to have been in the use
of Mrs. /. within five years past.
Il Il 4 u y
GRATEFUL TRIBUTE.
The next question was whether Mrs.
Fleming had not received the present ola
gold watch.
To this | answered, that on the evening
of the first adjournment Of the Legislature,
I called at the we'll known house of Wig
gins & Co., on Cherry street, and pur-
chased with my own funds a lady's watch,
which brought home as the grateful trib-
ute of a husband to a fond wife. No one
but myself and brother-the door-keepor
of the House, knew anything about the
purchase.
Colonel Fleming winds up his report by
going for the impertinent nosor-in-chief as
follows:
DEFUNCT PUBLIC GUARDIAN.
The foregoing while not in detail, is a
reliable condensed statement of my testi-
mony before the committee, in the pres,
ence of John Baxter. No material fact is
withheld. | have no time or space for
such comments as the subject would war
rant. The character of the examination
is itself sufficient to show the meanness
and s,urrility of the charges which this
cashier of the Mineral Home Railroad and
defunct public guardian has been for
months falsely and studiously, both in
public and private, procloiming to the
noorIo