Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-11-16
Special to the Appeal
HOUSE

two thousand dollars OF the people
money to Ewing, Cooper and Reese e
attorneys, or five Thousand dollars to eacl
of the commissioners ss fses for service
rendered the State. The report goes ol
to ssy:
The disparity between the amount allowe,
by law and the amount paid or about to b
paid to attorneys referred to, and which MAJ
be paid to a portion Of ne commissioners, 4
absolutely shocking, and, however pure anI
ingenious their motives may have been, you
committee cannot hesitate TO condemn TIT
transaction one not warranted
by law and wholly unpaTale led by any KnowI
instance OF professional overchRrglng. Th'
distinguished position these gentlemen occu
py In Jne profession they 50 long adorned doe
not mitigate, but rather aggravates, the un
happy effect which this transaction Will have
upon the public mind, and as lawyers, legis
islatoTs and citizens Of Tennessee, your com
mittee deplUres the consequences which
this example may superinduce.
Your committee is Of opinion, from intorma-
ton before them, that Ewing, Cooper anC
Reese have received, or are about to receive
as com pensatiOn for their services the sum o.
about sixty thousand dollars in the bonds o
the state in excess Of the amount they are en-
titled 10 under the1aw, and II the bonds repre-
OF under their control, they are wrongfully so
and should be refunded 10 the state
The report was accompanied By the fol
lowing resolution, in lieu Of the resolu-
ton referred to by the committee:
RsFolped That the attOrney-general and re
porter tor the Stete be, ana they are, hereby
Instructed to sue said parties, without delay
for the recovery Of said bonds, or a par value
thereof, for the use and beHent Of the state, ol
take such other steps as may be necessary fol
the protection Of the States interest.
A report snd resolution was taken uI
under suspension OF the rules,
Mr.. Gordon denounced the exorbitsnt
charges in strong terms.
Mr. McCampben offered an amendment
directing the treasurer 10 dishonor the
bonds refer ed to.
Mr.. Freeman took different visw, bs-
Iieving that q satisfactory conclusion
could be arrived at without resorting tC
such an sclion.
Mr.. Chester offered an amendment di
recting the attorney general to file al
injunction against each Of counsel men.
toned, requiring them to return the
bonds
Mr.. Spssrs thought the resolution
should be 30 amended that If the attorney.
general found out that the facts were IS
represented In the resolution, he should
proceed as directed; but, until Iuch facts
were officially sscertsined, hssty action
would be out of place.
Mr.. McGhee said his information waI
that the counsel had not received the feeE
referred to. he understood the bonds
we're now In the vaults of the bank. he
wanted an investigation before further
sotion.
Mr.. snipes thought it best to appoint an
investigating committee. He could hard
Iy believe that such distinguished gentle
men as the counsel named could be guilty
Of charging the State such exorbitsnt fees.
Messrs. Chambers, Cliff and Walker,
were in favor OF en- investigation before
proceeding any further.
After the discussion, Mr.. Enloe intro
duced resolution to appoint joint COM
mittee to investigate all the facts in this
case, and report to the legislature by
O'Clock tomorrow. Adopted.
Mr.. McGhee offered resolution direc-
ton the sttorney-general to fls bills of
exceptions to the report Of the clerk and
master Of the chancery court in regard to
the fees Of counsel, and to use every effort
TO prevent its confirmation by the court.
Adopted.
The consideration Of the tax bill as re-
ported by msiority Of the committee of
ways and means, and the report submit
ted by = minority OF that committee, being
the special order, were taken up In COM
mlttee ofthe whole, with Mr.. Enloe in
the chair. It was decided to take up the
bill section by section. 1.-The text of the
bill was given In the APPEAL OF yester-
dsy.l
Mr.. Crews was In favor Of fixing an sd-
yslorem tax first, as 1t really was the
on which other taxes were
levied. he though the effort to pass over
the very frst section was q dodge of the
faction.
Others spoke In the same direction.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
The consideration OF the tax bill wss
resumed, bat ths motion to pass over the
first section failed.
Mr.. Crews moved to strike out the word
hfty in the first section.
Mr. Freeman was In favor Of low taxa
lion, and saidI
The question Of finance is, and has ever
been, the most intricate that can engage the
or Interest the mind Of the law
occasion TO enter into the details OF its dis
cusSion. A glance At a few Of Its general priA-
cipleS, which, TO my mind, seem proper 10 be
observed In our legislation on this subject, is
sii that 1 design. The different theories on
this snbject are distinguished as the "lOw-tax"
and the "high-tax" policies. True, no parties
10 many words as being in favor Of high taxes
yet, a. high and low are but terms Of compart-
son, and as fifty cents on the one hundred DOL
lars worth Of property Is g very high tax,
amount, Ue do not hesitate TO affirm that
those who advocate the former amount, as re-
ported BY the finance committee, are high-tax
men, II is scarcely necessary for me 70 say that
i caunot support The report Of the committee.
/ have asserted and reiterated on this floor
and elsewhere so often my determination TO
labor for reduction Of taxation, thai my posi-
ton Is too well known 70 need any further sn-
/ am not only In favor OF q
low rate OF taxation, but shall advocate and
vofs for the very lowest possible rate allowa-
BE by the absolute necessities Of the State.
Having thus unequivooeyly stated my posi-
tion need only 20 submit a few reasons that
material interests, IL not the dire necessities,
OF the people whom represent demand re-
duetion ofthe present rate o. texa1oni and
Intend 10 obey their behests in this regard
not 50 much because II Is the demand ~ the
people as that the demand is right and proper
In lis requirements, 1 am pot one Of those
who believe that the voice Of the people is the
highest consideration that can possibly infu-
ence q representative. In other words, 90
not subscribe 10 the maxim that por pfptfh eat
r,oz Del Nor do believe that the jugments OF
the people are always wise, nor their coDnlus
sious always correct. do believe, however,
that an unequivocal expression OF public sem
ument should at al times receive AZ me
hands OF the peoples representatives, the
most serious consideration,
And II there Is any one proposition better
settled than any other, II Is that the people of
Tennessee demand q reduction Of taxation, ]
know very well that the iOW-tsx men arg
charged with a design TO repuciaie the STATE
DEBT. This Is not true. Nc honest man IN
Tennessee desires 70 repudiate any honest un-
dertaking on the part of the state, and you
only strengthen the cause o. those who V0uld
repudiate this debt when you dssssg q Tar Dhfch
CANNOT b pad II Is idls 70 talk Of Reputation.
Nobody desires or expects II, and do not be-
leVe that the people can ever be brought 70
tolerate such an Idea, except By an assessment
OF such an ODerous rate Of taxation as will rem
der relief Of some kind abs0raatsy necessaYY. II,
pUdiate the debt, they must be looked for
among the hiFh-tax men. Whenever Won
lay such 6 heavy burden upon the people,
you yoTce them 70 repudtate either the obli-
CATION which y you haye sSsa attempted e
thsv owe 10 their families. tbsu
churches. their children and their God.
between these two obligations, do not pre-
thsy win dischHrgs. EsW can our shiaFsA b