The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1873-02-27
Parts Ina GIae ia Ene Play.
Which | wish 90 femar
And my Language "a plalils
That for wafe tilat are aafk
And tricks tIiat aresS ain,
The Hqathen Chin.e q pecullaE


" noteworthy by the light of subse-
quent developments and by its being en-
tirely the reverse of the position after
wards assumed by its author. This let
ter, which served the purpose of its au-
thor-of the Railroad Ring-and Of the
advocates of the Subsidy policy at the
come to light again when the
Committee of Investigation shall have
made their report. 1t Is 50 remarkably
in contrast with other publications of
its author, and his present attitude, that
We will again state its purport, in con-
nection with the extraordinary circum-
stances under which it was produced.
This letter we will call
Pending the discussion Of the Subsidy
act at the last session, the opposers of the
measure offered amendments in both
Houses, prohibiting the Auditor from
issuing warrants under said act unless
the money to pay them was in the Treas
ury. If this provision had been insert
ed, it would have avoided the pretext
which the Attorney General has since
urged for dishonoring the warrants, that
they pledged the credit of the State in
violation of Art. II, Sec. 5 of the Con
stitution; and then was the time for the
Attorney General to have made his
point, if it is ever proper for the law Off
Ger of the Administration to PREJUDICE
measures before they are passed into
laws. 1t was at this time that the Hon.
o. G. French, the champion Of Subsidy
in the House of Representatives, pro-
duced the said letter from the Attorney
General, and it was in substance as fol-
lows: True he (the Attorney General
had not examined the subject "uery
thoroughly" but he was clear in opinion
that THE RAILROAD COMPANIES WHICH
HAD GONE TO WORK UNDER THE PRO
VISIONS OF THE LAW HAD ACQUIRED
RIGHTS OF WHICH THEY COULD NOT
BE DEPRIVED.
Aided by this opinion of the legal Off
Ger of the administration, the friends of
the Subsidy scheme and the Railroad
Ring defeated the amendment requiring
the Auditor not to issue warrants on the
Treasury unless there was money on
hand to pay them. 1t is further report
ed that this same letter of the Attorney
General was used in financial circles by
a railroad company to enable it to obtain
money; and the circumstances have fur
nished ground for the suspicion-damn-
ing as it is-that the Attorney General
was at that time an attorney, or agent OF
some sort, of the said company! Of this
more anon. For the present, suffice il
to say that he played into the hands OF
the ting beautifully, and made himself
as useful as they possibly could have
desired. There are grounds for believ-
ing that the opinion which was employed
to influence legislation, brought its author
large fee but it is not charged that the
member (Mr. French, who used the let
ter, knew that it was thus tainted
NO. 2.
A change came DER the spirit of his
dream! The Ripley Railroad Company,
encouraged by the opinion of the law
officer that they had acquired rights of
which they could not be Invested, prose-
cuted their work with will, and finished
it within the time prescribed by law.
Their worthy President came down to
Jackson in high spirits, to clutch the
prize which Through the influence, as
we have seen, of the Attorney General)
had been held enticingly before their
eyes. Besides the letter above described,
there may have been other causes Undue
ing the belief on the part Of Col. Faux
ner, that whatever else might happen,
the Attorney General would not stand
between him and his vested rights. ,,
But he was doomed to disappointment.
The duties of the Attorney General re-
quire him to interpret the law for other
departments achen they require It: but
without awaiting the formality of a re-
quest, he posted into the Auditors office,
and peremptorily babe that off cial Tor
his representative not to move peg in
the matter of issuing warrants to the
Ripley Railroad Company until he had
given the word. The thing was thus
brought to a dead lock. PAYMENT was
stopped, and Col. Faulkner could not have
been more astonished by clap of thun-
der in a clear sky. The impression was
evidently created on his mind by
the Attorney General that his case
was desperate, and that it re-
quired desperate treatment 1t has
transpired that pressed by necessities
which knew no law, he bled freely.
Several thousand dollars We're expended
in overcoming the difficulty. Whether
any of the grist in the way of warrants
or greenbacks Went to the Attorney Gen
erals mill, the public will Judge by the
testimony and the circumstances of the
case. And so We have opinion,
No. 3
1t is briefly stated. The Attorney
General supplements his instructions to
the Auditor. The lock is taken off the
wheels; they run as if they had been
doctored with Lubricating Oil of the
most approved patent. The Ripley Rail
road Company gets its warrants. Nuff