Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-06-15
TENNESSEE LRGIyLAFURE.
SENATE.
TUESDAY, June 14.-The Senate met at
10 o'clock, Speaker Thomas presiding.

, SENATE.
: TUESDAY, June 14-The Senate met a
, 10 o'clock, Speaker Thomas presiding.
BANK NOTES DESTROYED.
} Mr.. Hall presented the report of The
Joint Select Committee appointed to eouni
J and burn the notes of the Bank of Ten.
nessee, received on account of taxes duo
: the State. The report shows that notes
amounting to $SlS, 776 were counted and
J destroyed, and the receipt of the Bank
taken for that amount On motion, thc
report was received and the committee
discharged.
THE RAILROAD BOND QUESTION.
The discussion of Senate bill to annul
bonds issued to the Mineral Home Rail-
road company being resumed, Mr.. Nelson
spoke in opposition to the measure.
Before he would vote for reputation as
contemplated in this bill, he would be will
ling to surrender to the bondholders all the
interest held by the State in the railroads.
Mr. Nelson distinctly avowed himself as
opposed TO any measure looking towards
reputation.
| Speaker Thomas (hIr. Eason in the
chair) addressed the Senate in support of
the bill, but disavowed that he was in
favor of reputation, or that the measure
under consideration contemplated repudi-
alton. He desired to see every debt hon
estly due fully liquidated, and therefore
supported the bin, believing it one of the
best means to enable the State to pay her
| just and honest obligations. He believed
it duty solemnly incumbent upon the
representatives of the people to protect
the interest of those who pay the taxes
and sustain the State. Mr.. Thomas hoped
the Senate would not reconsider
the proposition, and that Senators
| would not be frightened from
the line of duty by the charge of repudia-
tion. To avoid reputation was the OBJ
| ject in view-to separate just obligations
from bogus bonds was the object of those
supporting the bill. Mr.. Thomas ayowed
| as TO make discrimination of the good
from the bad an easy task, as the best
means of preventing final and complete
reputation.
Mr.. Peyton again addressed the Senate
| in favor of the motion to reconsider,
stating that if by any vote of his he
should sustain the doctrine of reputation
| it would be by accident and not by design.
A fair and legitimate discrimination be-
tween just and unjust bonds was not and
would not be reputation.
Mr.. Clementson also again spoke in OPP
| position to the bill, claiming that Its adop.
ton would be unjust and an unwarranted
assumption of power by the legislative
| branch of the government, and renew at
Washington the howl in favor of recon
| struction in Tennessee.
Mr.. Etheridge replied to the remarks of
Mr.. Clementson, taking the position that
| if the bill failed its defeat would look like
| making the Legislature a party 10 the
| fraud. The first thing done by the
| present General Assembly was to insti-
tute inquiry into the frauds perpetrated
| by railroad swindlers upon the interests of
the State, and would it be right to stop
with this simple inquiry, especially as the
| investigation had shown the most astound-
ing and iniquitous frauds ever perpetrated
against an impoverished and oppressed
people.
When Mr.: Etheridge concluded his re
marks, Mr.. Cooper, of Bedford, stated
that if no other Senator desired to speak
on the subject, he would move to vote
upon the question to reconsider.
At the suggestion of Mr.. Speaker
Thomas, the Senate adjourned until 81
O'Clock this afternoon.
Afternoon Session.
BLr. McFalI addressed the Senate in
favor of the bill He said that justice
and expedency alike forbid that the people
of Tennessee should in all cases be bound
by the fraudulent acts of those
| claiming to have been the agents of the
State, aided as they were in this case by
men engaged in an effort to swindle the
taxpayers. He had pledged his constitu-
ency that he would not vote to
legalize these fraudulent bonds
and = intended TO keep his
pled& inyiolate. He could not discover
that Frepudiation, even if the passage of
| this bill would be reputation, was much
worse than to give force and effect to a
miserable fraud. He was for sustaining
the credit of the State by all fair and
honorable means, but could not believe
that the representatives of the people
were called upon to countenance and en-
dorse the acts of unfaithful and dishonest
agents.
When BLr. McFan had concluded his
| speech, the question was called for, and
| the motion to reconsider was sustained.
The bill to annul the bonds issued to the
Mineral Home Railroad Company, was
then put upon its third reading. Mr..
| Cooper of Bedford, offered to amend by
inserting a clause giving holders of the
bonds the right to test the validity of the
same in the courts. The amendment was
| adopted, and the bill passed by the fol-
lowing vote:
Ayes-Messrs. Bryant, Cooper of Bed
| ford, Cubbins, Eason, Etheridge, Faulkner,
Hall, Hart, Hawes, Martin, McFall, Pal
mer, Peyton, Self, Slaughter, and Speaker
| Thomas-16.
Noes-Messrs. Clementson, Cooper of
Davidson, Green, Luttrell, Nelson, and
| Pearson--6. '-r.f.. ...r
HOUSE BILLS on THIRD BEADING.
For the benefit of married persons; re-
| iected. To authorize the sending of de-
positions by express; passed. To repeal
| the act declaring portion of Wolf river
| navigable: passed. To amend the exemp-
ton laws for the benefit of minors; re-
| jected. To destroy notes of the Bank of
Tennessee, issued prior to May, 1851, and
paid to the State for taxes; passed.
HOUSE BILLS on SECOND READING.
To supply lost grants to land, reject
ed. For the relief of Thomas ]. Little
ton, rejected. To fix the number of rep
resentatiyes in the General Assembly.
Passed.
HOUSE BILLS on FIRST READING.
To change the line between the coun-
ties of Weakley and Obion. Passed. To
establish the Judicial Circuits of Tennes-
see. Passed. For the benefit of the
Tennessee Blind School, and making pro-
vision for the purchase of a site for that
institution. Passed. For the protection
of deer in Benton and Humphreys coun-
ties Passed. a..
TENNESSEE AND PACIFIC RAILROAD.
Senate bill forbidding the Treasurer and
Comptroller of the Treasury, paying the
bonds issued in 1869, to the Tennessee
and Pacific Railroad Company came up
on its third reading.
Mr.. Cooper of Bedford, proposed an
amendment, giving the holder of the
bonds the right to bring suit The amend