Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-02-12
Legislative Proceedings = Salary
for the Lieutenant-GOTeFnOr
Railroad Freights.
The Penitentiary to be Made Self
Sustaining-CiYil Rights Bill
General Funding
Bill.
Foster in "COntempt"-The Rings
and Ring InyestigatiOns-Mc-
Gehee, the NegrO's
Champion,


Special 10 the Appeal
LITTLE Rock, February lin tbs
House to-day Mr.. J. NJ Murphy intro.
duced bill to regulate freight mileage
taxes, etc., of all railroads in this State
Mr.. Kent introduced bill to provide
a salary for the Lieutenant-Go
After considerable discussion the bill
was referred to the Committee on WAYS
and Means.
A bill to render the penitentiary self.
supporting was read and referred TO the
Penitentiary Committee. If this bill
becomes a law, as it or some other one
is likely to do, big leak will be stop.
ped, and steslings proportionately re-
duced.
Mr.. ThrOwer called up his motion OF
yesterday to reconsider the vote layiuc
the civil rights bill on the table, and
making it the special order for to-day.
for the purpose of introducing an
amendment which provides for the re-
mOval of all political disabilities i'm
posed by the constitution Of the State.
Mr.. Thrower's motion, after dis
cussion, was laid on the table.
The bill was then taken up, and after
a strenuous advocacy from the negro
meTk5bers, the motion for the previous
question was not sustained, and the bill
went over, and the House adjourned.
IN the Senate funding bill, allowing
counties, cities and towns to fund their
Indebtedness contracted prior TO 1873,
was referred to the Finance Committee.
Pending the consideration of the Chan
cery Court bill the Senate adjourned.
Work on the Little Rock and Fort
Smith railroad is being pushed forward
rapidly. COlOnels Beaumont and Curry
are using every effort, laying one mile
oi track per day. The road is now
within four miles Of Perry.
Pullman Palace cans are now running
over the Cairo and Fulton road hence to
st. Louis.
SANDY Faulkner, the original of the
Arkansas Traveller" who fell and
broke bis arm yesterday, is resting qui-
city tonight.
[BE NAIL
Special Correspondence Of the Appeal
LITTLE Rock, February lO.-On Tues
day Mr.. Chaplaine, Chairman of the
House committee of five to investigate
the official acts of all State officers,
reported to the House a refusal on the
part Of one John Foster to answer ques-
tons prOpOunded by the committee, and
accompanied their report with a resOlu-
ton that the committee be delegated
authority to punish or imprison a con.
tumaciOus witness. Speaker Tankersly
cd "a ~ hot Z
rule nor State constitutional provision
governing the House of Representatives
in eases of contempt, that could dele
gate any such authority to a committee;
whereupon an exciting debate ensued.
and the ruling Of the Speaker inferen-
TALLY impugned by prominent Republi-
can members. Mr.. Sarber took the
Chair, and Tankersly vindicated his
position with an elOquenee and astute-
ness seldom rivalled in any public body.
Leading members of the Senate quit
their seats TO repair to the HOuse-the
galleries for the first time during the
session We're crowded. and the general
applause was a marked tribute to Mr.
Tankersly's genius and elOquence. He
Offered a substitute TO The resolution,
that the Sergeant-At-Armsb be ordered to
arrest, upon instructions from the COM
mittee, and bring Captain John Foster
before. the ba= Of the House the next day,
During the prOtracted debate, the pages
INDUCED in luxurious idieness, and l
was not little amused at George VIII
son a youth of fourteen, and knighted
20 his position, most probably, in view
Of his ebon hue, lazily reclining in a
members chair, the body horizontal,
shins elevated upon a members desk,
with legs lifted at an angle of forty-five
degrees, feet upward.
On Saturday, Foster was brought be-
fore the bar of the House. A debate en-
sued as to the proper mode Of disposing
Of the matter, and personalities and
examinations We're used. Millen charged
that certain persons desired 10 coVor up
the frauds, etc. Warwick said that
Millen had as much 10 "coveT up' as be.
Millen replied that if Warwick accused
him Of fraud, he lied. Warwick ex-
planned that he proposed to make no
such charge. Furbush (cOlOTed Repub-
lican) arose and said: " You will ali get
in the quagmire before you finish Many
of you have stolen; now you want TO
bluff. The tTickery of a certain Republi-
can clique Is not worth a d-n." Ques-
tiOns were then proposed, through the
ul Monday to answer them. He was
ordered to appear before the committee
this morning. / interviewed Captain
Foster last night, who informed me
that this was maneuver to blackmail
him; that few hours before a member
of the Legislature, vehement for reform
and investigation, had offered him two
thousand dollars 10 leave the State forth |
with. He says he Will remain 10 avenge
his persecution.
THE SOCIAL RIGHTS BILL.
On Friday the Senate passed DawsOn's !
civil rights bill, guaranteeing, with
heavy penalties, the negro all the i'm
mGnities Of the white man. After a
disposition Of the Foster case on SAtur- |
day, this bill was called up in the House. !
Hon. ii. Nj. McNeigh THE Democratic |
Demosthenes Of the House, opposed the |
bill with his usual earnestness and en-
thusissm, and for an hour delighted the
members and crowded galleries. His
sympsthies and prejudices all favored
the black man, and in kindly allusions
to his bOyhOOd plsymates (his fathers
slaves, evoked tears from every one,
even the colored members. He did not
want to shake hands across the ehasm- |
there was a chasm between him and the |
honest African. He quoted a converse
tion with Grey, the Arkansas cOlored |
orator, the story Of whose life was told |
most effectively in the APPEAL, in sup
port OF his position. Mr.. Grey thought /
this bill unnecessary, as we already had /
Summers and our State civil rights |
law. The people will have to /
be educated up TO true stand |
point OF liberty, aud the negro |
TO the responsibilities thrust upon him,
PrOvidentiai and otherwise, 10 correctly /
enforce what has already been enacted. /
Mr.. McNeigh and the Democrats will /
support this bill, properly modified, OF
any other within the scope of ordinary
c0mmon-sense. Mr.. McGehee a we'll
Scared Confederate soldier, but never
theless a Republican,, the white cham
piOn of the cOlOred man in the House,
replied in the interest of Dawson's bill
81 was born in the old Empire State,
and came TO Arkansas when l was a
child. L was reared among negroes,
wolves and panthers. / owned large |
number Of slaves, but now 1 want them /
TO enjoy every privilege accorded to
me" rather suspect the bill will be-
come law.
THE RINGS.
Investigations, railroad combinations |
and an Arkansas Credit Mobilier, are
conversational subjects for loungers and |
lobbyists around the capitol.
Yesterday / casually saw letter, writ |
ten by a gentleman in Chicago, who |
was schOoimate Of Mr.. Tankersly at 1
Port Royal, Virginia, eighteen Years
ago. The correspondent had observed /
the APPEALS notice of Tankersly,
copied into a Chicago daily, and |
writing 70 friend here, paid