The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-02-17
SATURDAY EVENING, FEB. IL, 1872.
THE QUESTION OF JURISDICTION.

aSainSt INC rlSntS anu privileges vi tile last
General Assembly, and only affecting that
body and that the present Legislature can
take no jurisdiction of the matter, nor ex-
ercise any judicial authority over his per-
son in connection with it, as the power to
inquire into and punish olfenses, if any,
against that body, ceased with its legisla-
tive existence on the day of final adjourn
ment. There were one or two other points
made in the defense, but they were imma-
terial, and in no way pertinent to the
main inquiry as to jurisdiction.
Mr.. Jenkins was adroit in putting his
defense in the precise language he did. If
the investigation now instituted, and the in-
quiry now made, had had reference only to
an offense committed against the rights and
privileges of the last General Assembly,
no committee would have been raised or
clothed with power to send for persons and
papers in this case. 1t was precisely for
the reason that it was not an offense COM
mitted exclusively against the rights and
privileges of the last General Assembly
that the case was one that reached further,
and affected the rights, privileges, and
honor Of the State; that the alleged bribery
and corruption, then and there practiced,
virtually put the usurer's chain on
the neck of Virginia; that the legal
rights of the State, as well as
its honor, were corruptly hawlled and
bartered away for price lit was precise
ly for this reason, we repeat, that the
House appointed this committee of inves-
tigation, giving it the power to attach the
person of this witness, and bring him to
the bar Of the tribunal where he now
stands. Bear in mind that we charge
nothing individually against the witness in
the way of bribery and corruption-that
we make no allegation of criminality against
him or any one connected with him. We
take the simple facts as disclosed thus far
in the investigation, and say what every
fearless journalist should say, that they are
Of such grave and serious import that no
legisla tive body should pass them by
without going to the very bottom of inqui-
ry in the premises.
If it be true that the funding bill, which
exacts, by its compound-interest feature
alone, over twenty millions Of dollars from
tho State in excess Of the actual Indebtedness
outstanding against her, was engineered and
carried through the General Assembly last
year, by the use of bondholders' ''cor-
ruption fund.- raised and expended for that
purpose, the Legislature is bound, by every
consideration that can weigh upon adeliber-
alive body in the discharge of high com
missioned duties and trusts, to push its in
quiry to the very edge of investigation.
Nothing short of this can be thought of for
moment in this case. The proof is that
somebody was scattering money with
most lavish profusion in connection
with the passage of the funding bill that
greenbacks and certificates of deposit were
flying about the State capitol, and finding
their way even to " Raleigh" in sums
more than doubly to satisfy the parties
recipient; and the further proof should be
extorted to show ,ohere this shower Of
greenbacks and these sixteen hundred dol
lar certificates came from; by ,ehom
this corrupting horn of plenty was opened
over the heads Of our State officials; ,oho
scrambled after the tempting contents, and
scho helped to make them effective in the
passage of the funding iniquity. To dodge
this inquiry, or vote down this invcstga-
ton, would be almost as fragrant an offanse
as to have shared in the plumber itself.
Most dangerous
Is that temptation that doth goad us on
To sin in loving bribery"
But let not this infirmity of our nature
shake the purpose of exposure in this case.
When the honor of the State is threatened
by compromise with such sin as this, it
is no time to mince matters, or be mealy-
mouthed, or afectedly timid in the use of
language. Better that every mouth should
speak poniards and every word stab in the
utterance. Push investigation, then, to the
very EXTREMIST inch of possibility. Lay
bear the frauds of the funding bill. Hedge
no one in with defenses Of his own making
with shrubbery that won't stand legisla-
tive pruning.
The Legislature is the highest judicial
tribunal in the State whenever it rightfully
assumes and exercises judicial functions.
Its jurisdiction in investigations of this ma
ture is only limited by the Constitution of
the State. 1t determines its own rights
and privileges makes its own rules and
regulations for the trial of cases before it !;
appoints its own committees; clothes them
with power to summon and examine wit
nesses demands their presence at the bar
of the House, and when recusant, deals
with them accordingly. A plea to the
jurisdiction of such a court is simply abb
surd. Such plea can only be interuosed
IN superior court, by showing that there
is some other court in which effectual JUS
tiee may be mot may hare bean admins
tered. The oiienss of Mr.. jenkins in this
case is, not that he received money as a
lobbyist, (for that may have been perfectly