Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-12-08
TENNESSEE LEGISLATURE.
SENATE.


$3.50 A. NJ, Senator Tharpe in the chair.
PETITION.
From the citizens of Mitchellsville pray
ing for the enactment of law to proven
the sale of intoxicating liquors in such part
of such an act.
BANK OF TENNESSEE-THE MISSING
PLATES.
Mr.. Merritt presented a communication
from Mr.. S. Watson, Trustee of the Banl
of Tennessee, in which he informs thu
Senate that the plates from which the note
of the Bank of Tennessee were printed
were for some time since the war in tn,
hands of the American Bank Note Compa
ny of Philadelphia. On the I'd of Decem
Der, 1871, they were forwarded to the Trus
tee of the Bank of Tennessee, who ha!
presented petition to the Chancery Cour
at Nashville asking for a decree that the
plates may be destroyed under the direction
and supervision of the Court. Referred Il
the Committee on Banks.
NEW RESOLUTIONS.
By Mr.. Warner: Directing the Comp
troller to issue his warrant for $500 in favol
of Jones, Purvis & Co., and charge the samt
to the account Of j. E. Rust, the former
treasurer. Lies over.
By Mr.. Jones Directing the COmptrol
Ter TO issue his warrant on the Treasury fOl
the sum of 1880, to be paid Robert II
Rose as compensation for services rendered
by him as Judge of the 18th judicial cir
cult. Lies over.
RESOLUTIONS TAKEN UP.
Senate resolution to print the report o
the Inspectors of the Penitentiary. Adopted
Senate resolution directing the ComptrOl
Ter to issue his warrant to j. A. MeAlistel
for $224.13 in Tennessee money. Adopted
Senate resolution authorizing the Secre-
tary of State to furnish Shankland's com;
pilation of the statutes to magistrates
throughout the State.
Mr.. Gibson moved an amendment, that
the price of the work shall not exceed $3.50
per volume, and that il shall include the
acts of the present General Assembly, and
be bound like the volume now in print.
After some discussion the resolution and
amendment were referred to the special
committee appointed to examine Thompson
& Steger's compilation. Mr.. COulton was
added to the committee.
SUPERINTENDENT OF THE CAPITOL
Senate bill to alter and amend the act
authorizing the Governor to employ Su-
perintendent of the Capitol grounds so as
to make the Secretary of State Superintend-
ent er oficio was taken up on its third read
ing.
After a long debate, the bill failed, for
want of a constitutional majority--ayes IL,
noes Q. Mr.. Tolley entered motion to re-
consider.
DISTRICT ATTORNEY FOR KNOX.
Senate bin to modify the act TO establish
the Criminal Court of Knox county, and
also to create the office OF District Attorney
for the district of Knox, was taken up on
its third reading.
Mr.. Staley offered an amendment
to the second section, declaring the present
incumbent of the office Of attorney in the
third judicial circuit attorney for said Grim
inal district until the next biennial election
for civil officers, when an attorney for the
State shall be elected by the qualified voters
of the district; the office of Attorney Cen
eral for the third judicial circuit shall be
filed by executive appointment until the
next biennial election, when he shall be
elected.
Mr.. DuBose spoke in opposition to the
amendment, on the ground that it proposed
to strike off eight counties from the Attor-
ney Generals district, combining him alone
to the county of Knox. The following let
ter, he said, would speak for itself:
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, NASH
WILLIE, Dec. Z, 1871.-Hon. j. j. DuBose-
NV Dear Sir: | regret that was not pres
ept in the Senate Chamber yesterday when
YOU did the favor tohyself and my cOnstit-
Ients of calling up House bill No. 29S,
(which passed the House without dissent
inp yoice) to create the Office of District
Attorney at Knox.
In view of the published reports of your
proceedings, / desire to thank you for your
courtesy, and to assure you that the state
ments of Senator Gibson to the effect that
the bill originated in a spirit OF political
persecution, are wholly untrue, as yourself
anc the Senator from Rutherford very pro-
perlv denied. Senator Gibson has been
sufficiently well informed by myself and
others to know that the bill now pending is
demanded by the interests OF the people OF
nv county without regard to party, and the
prominent men of his own party, having
no selfish end to crafty, are urging the
massage of the bill. The statements also
made. both privately and publicly, that the
bill legislates the present Attorney General
ont of Office are alike untrue. | hope your
body will pass the bill without amendment,
as il was drawn up with great care and
meets the case. Yours, truly,
G.. NJ. MCGHEE,
Representative of Knox county.
A letter was also read from Mr.. Thorn
burph, the present Attorney General.
Mr.. Staley said It was not his purpose to
oppose the bill. The amendment he pro-
posed would not effect its object; neverthe-
less, although he would not oppose the bill,
he regarded it as unnecessary legislation.
Mr.. Gibson said he did not propose to
rise to a question Of personal privilege, but
be would just say that ne made
no such statement as had been
charged against him by Mr.. McGhee,
and there was no such phrase as political
in the report of his remarks in
the papers. If there had been, il would
have been incorrect. His (Mr. Gibson's)
statement was this: That the Senator
from Knox and Roane represented this
particular locality, that it had heretofore
been a custom of the Senate to acknowl-
edge the right of each Senator on this floor
to represent his own locality, that the COM
mittee had this bill, and that upon yester-
day an attempt was made to take 1t out OF
the hands of the committee before they had
reported on It, and Immediately to put it