Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1871-11-22
THOSE RAILROAD FEES,

|
TO lessen expenses and reduce the State
debt by the sale of delinquent railroads, as
in the case of the Edgefield and Ken
lucky Railroad Company and Others" the
amount saved from that road has been alb
sorbed by the attorneys on behalf. of the
State in fees. The amount involved,
So, 900 in bonds, seems to be excessive re-
Enumeration for the services rendered, and
| IL the people of the State have to lose this
amount, it would have been better that the
railroad kept it than for it to go in the
pockets of Messrs. Ewing, Cooper and
Reese, the attorneys in question.
1t appears that the Chancellor has not yet
actually ordered the money to be paid. but
has ordered the Clerk and Master to take
proof and ascertain what would be Just
compensation for the legal services of these
gentlemen. ..........
James E. Bailey, Esq, solicitor for the
Memphis, Clarksville and Louisville Rail-
road, made the following statement, which
we find in the Union and american
am of opinion that fee of fifteen thousand
dollars to each of the solicitors employed by the
State of Tennessee, would be a reasonable fee to
be paid to them for their services in that case.
Is is only necessary to refer to the pleadings to
show the magnitude of the sum involved, and
the difficulties and niceties of the questions pre-
sented but the record does not ShoiD that the
cause icdS managed, at least in those parts with
which was familiar, NTH great ability, tact
and judgment. j. 4. BAILEY.
w. A. Quarles, Esq, was of the opinion
that SIC, 600 would be nearer right. Abram
i. Demass, Ed. Baxter, F. E. Williams
and T. II. Malone, thought $4,000 to be
divided between them, would be sufficient.
Z. B. McClanahan, J. c. Gaut, J. l.. Rice,
J. &. Thompson, M. B. Howell and p. G.
Thurston stated that the pittance of SIS, 900
would be reasonable, and Mr.. McClanahan
specified that the amount should be paid in
United States Treasury notes. The other
gentlemen did not, but as in the case of the
Public Printers, sowing to the deprecia-
tionn of the States promises to pay, the
amount in bonds would be inadequate, and
therefore, these gentlemen must get $24 600
each instead of S15, 600, although only one
gentleman specified National currency.
If the six Commissioners are paid their
S., 900 each in the same ratio, the $780,
they claim will swell the amout to nearly
$50, 900 in bonds, so that by the time all the
claims are settled arising out of the sale of
the roads, but very little will find its way
into the public treasury.
In speaking of the compensation to
which the counsel and Commissioners are
entitled 6y lar, the Union, and american
says:
BY chapter 102 of the acts of 1901, passed
Feb. l, 1871, approved Feb. 3, il is enacted that
the compensation allowed to each retained
counsel in these delinquent railroad causes
"shall be fixed by the Chancellor holding the
court and shall not ereeed t,oo thousand dol
lars for each counsel" Nothing is allowed to
the Governor, Secretary of State and Comptrol-
Ter, en- o6lcio Commissioners. To the other
three Commissioners the court is directed to
make an allowance from time TO time not to eX-
coed in the aggregate for each three thousand
dollars.
We are informed that the attorneys for the
State insist that this is not the law, although 1t
appears regularly among the acts of the Legis-
lature as passed" and approved by the
Governor. they insist that there was some in
formality in its reputed passage, and that it
ought not to have been reported as passed and
that it was improperly approved by the Gov
ernor. t..
But notwithstanding all this, instead of
taking a portion of the money and apply
ing it to the State officials for their extra
trouble, who certainly earned something,
if the counsel did, the latter gentlemen
wish to gobble the whole amount and not
leave enough to go around.
There is an ancient aphorism abouthonor
among gentlemen afflicted with kleptoma-
mia, hut it would be irrelevant to apply it
in this instance. AS the assegai of the
African hunter rebounds from the colossal
behemoth, we fear that the cutting irony
Ct Mr.. Gordon to give Messrs. Ewing,
| Cooper and Reese more bonds will fail in
| it's in intended effect. ~ rE4 ~ EE2 ~
The Union and American says that it
"may possibly be incorrect in some of its
statements" We certainly hope so, but
| fear it is an 'o'er true tale.o The howl
| raised over the payment to Mr.. Wisener of
! 81 800 for legal services was great, though
| il is now entirely overshadowed by this
magnificent donation, and we await
| the march of events to see IL a SINH
| lar cry will be made over the payment of
six times that amount, divided three
| times.
Mr.. ]. f. Bailey, in his statement, says
that the questions involved were intricate
and the labor bestowed was worth the
amount asked, though the case was not
characterized by any great ability on the
part of the counsel for the State, at least
he didn't perceive 1t. SD
The time employed in these cases by the
! counsel for the State was about six months,
we believe, and if justice to themselves re-
auired Messrs. Ewing, Cooper and Reese
to charge for their services at the rate of
fortv-eioht thousand dollars per d1anunl,
why, it Is more lucrative to be a Tennessee
lawyer than President of the United States.
How did these gentlemen acquire lien on
the bonds in question? Was ii by attach
ment, or other legal process Why the
necessity for obtaining lien at all? II
the claim was just and so decided, ii would