Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1871-08-18

say wasa Scotch friend of his, and that he
had spent all his money in getting him.
| self elected he had taken Lindsay to see
all the fascinating sights in New York,
and Lindsay had confided his pecuniary
! circumstances to Mckay and made this
proposition. Mr.. Lippitt again asked Nc
| Kay what he was to make out of it. He
raised his hand and said he would take his
oath he was not to make a cent out of it.
Mr.. Lippitt said, it is an enormous sum,
and l should not suppose Gov. Lindsay
would have the hardihoOd to ask for so
much If it was all tC go to him when he
knows that the corporation is in a finan-
cial dilemma. Mckay answered, "Well
Mr.. Lippitt, am not to have cent, and
| will take my oath that [ am not but my
only object and interest is to have your
| Company pay the Governor enough so he
won't seize your road, for if he does not
have scheme OH foot in Alabama, which
will prove very profitable. This is for the
State to indOrse the bonds of a company l
propose to organize for manufacturing pur-
poses in that State. He stated that the bill
passed the Senate the year before, but had
been defeated in the House. The House
was now rather Democratic, and Lindsay
had great influence with the Democrats,
and at the coming session Lindsay had
promised him he would assist him in get
ting bill the through the House and would
also sign it as Governor. The Endorsement
was to be for several millions of dollars :;
and, if the Governor should seize the road,
he was fearful the Legislature would re-
fuse to indorse any more bonds for any
purpose Mr.. Rice then asked Mckay
what guarantee Gov. Lindsay proposed to
give that he would do as he said he would?
Mckay said we might write letter to
I'll 4 Il. 80
swer for the Governor to sign, and he
Mckay would make the Governor sign
it. Mckay then turned to me and asked,
"Will you write the letters? ?' / answered,
''No, l am too busy; but perhaps Mr.. Lip
pitt will write them.n Before Mckay left,
we agreed upon a price, cOnditiOnally upon
the Governors signing such a letter as we
might write.
Mckay then left, agreeing to meet them
at another time. Stanton soon received
card from him, stating that important bus
iness called Lindsay to Washington next
day, and he desired the money, property,
&C., so that he might accompany him.
Terms were not agreed upon, and Lindsay
gave Stanton to understand, through his
friend Mckay, that the road was in dam
ger of being seized at any time, unless the
money was forthcoming. The letter covers
nearly five closely printed columns in the
Tribune, and if the statements are true
place Gov. Lindsay in an awkward posi-
ton.
The Tribune alludes to the matter edito-
rally as follows:
In long communication, Mr.. d. n.
Stanton, President of the Alabama and
Chattanooga Railroad Company, elsewhere
details the particulars of the negotiations
between himself and q Mr.. Mckay, with
reference to large payment made to the
latter of cash, notes, stock and bonds of
the Company. These transactions have
given color to report referred to some
days ago in our Washington correspond
ence, to the effect that this Mr.. Mckay
was the representative of Gov. Lindsay OF
Alabama, who was to receive this property
as consideration for not seizing the rail-
road, as he was authorized to do by law,
for its failure to make good the interest on
railroad bonds endorsed by the State.
Whether Mr.. Stanton does or does not
make out his case against Gov. Lindsay.
he certainly furnishes an interesting chap
ter of the difficulties of new railroad en-
terprises in the South, and piquant mar
rative of the circumstances which led him
to believe that he was dealing with the
representative of the Governor.