Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-06-10
NASHVILLE. TENN, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10. 1874

tss8 80 sst=ft-.,s esf lI-stlrre- l-slf .1t
demnity to be divided among its members
who contributed to pay such loss al the
time, but no member of any such company
shall be Unidentified for any war premium
paid in such company.
Mr.. Tremain intimated that the Judiciary
Committee had not consented to have that
amendment offered, and asked whether the
Chairman Nh. Butler, Of Massachusetts,
had right to admit the same and exclude
other amendments.
Mr.. Poland proposed to offer a substitute
for the bill, but the Speaker announced
that the previous order of business the
committee on the contingent expenses of
the Department of Judiciary, was now be-
fore the House.
Mr.. Senior reported bill to abolish the
Western District Of Arkansas
and annexit to the Eastern District. Passed
without discussion or objection.
Mr. Sener asked leave to offer resolu-
tion directing the Attorney General to in
stitute full and thorough judicial investi-
CATION into the charter of the allowances
paid at the Treasury Department as well
a. AhC NAaAAAAo ctllA ditC ICADCnUlttAACo Az
the Marshals Office of the Western District
of Arkansas since the 1st of July, 1870,
and to report the result thereof to the
House on the 1st of May, next session.
MIR. Hynes objected unless he was per-
mitted 10 offer an amendment that no part
of the claims shall be passed till the de-
partment has been satisfied of their cor
rectneSS.
tfr Sanar ol.iaafa1 10 That at,f nj
that it would permit the department to be
the ultimate judge in the matter. So the
resolution was not reserved.
A sharp Dem oeratic speer.
Mr.. Speer, member OF the Committee
on Contingent Expenses in the Depart
ment of Justice, addressed the House on
the subject of the enormous expenditures
in the Western Judicial District of Arkan-
sas. He spoke of the Judge of that Dis
trict as a person Of the name of Story, who
had remained in that position to mock the
administration Of justice. He recounted
the history of the district which had start
ed, he said, with corrupt judge, a judge
who was in the habit of admitting TO bail
persons tried and convicted of capital
Oflenses and letting them go fee forever
judge who was shown to have
bought the certificates issued for the pay
ment OF Jurors and of witnesses at a dis
count of 40 or so or 60 cents on the dollar,
a judge who was charged of having re-
ceived a bribe of $500 for admitting
nolle prosequi to be entered in certain
case, judge whose records were marred
and interlined and confused, a Judge who |
had approved one of the marshal's vouch- |
ers for
$4,000 I'm Blank,
a judge who had allowed the Govern |
ment to BE- plundered of hundreds of thou |
sands of dollars. Ii was. however, but |
Justice TO that Judge TO say that in response
10 the Committees invitation he had /
appeared before il and made a statement. /
That statement was lame and unsatisfac-
.ory. 1t was not the statement of a man
of his official or personal integ-
-ity not the statement of man who felt
1eenly the injustice done to him by such
,hargeS, but the statement of a
Cringing. Shrinking, CowardIy,
corrupt man. The next step in the frauds
vas an infamous and corrupt Marshal,
named Vim. A. Britton, and the means
adopted were the getting of fictitious lists
VI Deputy Marshals, and making out bills
n such names; also, buying up the vouch-
rs for jururs, witnesses and deputies at 20,
70 and 40 cents on the dOlllr, and in some
Instances cart loads of them could be got at
wO bits on the dollar, which vouchers were
Ifterwards paid in full at the Treasury De
'artment. He stated that suspicion having
zen aroused in Washington, an investiga-
ion by the grand jury was Ordered, and it
vas so arranged by BrittOn and the District
Attorney, also a party TO the frauds, that a
lvorable report should be made, and so |
be bills were passed, and Britton, who had
cen removed, was
Reinstated by the President,
n the absence of the Attorney General.
'ut the Attorney General had afterwards
one before the Senate and had the ap-
ointment of Mr.. BrittOn rejected, but dis
osing Of Mr.. Britton,
A Worse Man
as appointed in the person of Mr.. Logan
[. Roots, who Immediately organized a
-ational Bank at Fort Smith, became :
wner of three-fifthS of the stock, and con- J
nues to peddle out by the cart load the I
srtlticates for the pay of witnesses, jurors
nd deputy marshalS. Mr.. Roots then sent
leSe vouchers for payment to his own 4
ank to the tune of hundreds of thousands 4
dollars, and they were paid at an enor-
ous discount.
Mr.. Speer also referred to the fact that
d one occasion, when vouchers of Brittons
the amount of $4,000 or $4,000 were
ending before one of the audit offices in
lie Department of Justice, Britton picked L
son Of that official and gave him clerk V
Zip in Arkansas with salary of $500 a
ar. After that the vouchers were allowed. q
he figures which Mr.. Speer presented in I i
lie course of his speech showed that the v
,penses of that district for 1871, 1872 and
S73, were S143, OPS, of which sum S14,T9l a
as paid 10 grand jurors, S32,014 to petit o
rors and STA, III to witnesses, leav NC
Js2 ,IOI for NarshaIs, Deputies and
Clerks.
aking the year 1872, when the expenses
that district, with a population of less 4
an 100000, were S321,653. He said that
ey exceeded like expenses for the same
ar Of all the New England States, New G
.rsey, Pennsylvania and Ohio, with a c
'pulation Of 1O,5O0,tO0.
At the close of Mr.. Speers' speech the Oh a
ctiOn to the resolution was withdrawn, e
ID the resolution was adopted. I
Mr.. Sener reported bill to amend the 6
q paragraph of section 3 of the act of the
til of February, 1858, to regulate the fees
Id costs of Clerks, Marshals and Attorneys
the United States Circuit and District n
Ourts. Passed.
The Alabama Award.
The House then took up the Geneva o.
yard bill, to which Mr.. Poland offered a |.
bStitute. ~
Mr.. Butler. of Massachusetts. addressed
e House in explanation and advocacy of
c substitute presented by himself from
e Judiciary Committee, referring to the Ii
OpOsition to pay insurance companies c
e said there was an active lobby at work is
favor of these insurers and underwriters d,
no had received dollar for every dollar el
ey lost. Rather than let any of the money c
to them, he thought it lad better
to make jetties in the mouth of the Mis- d:
'sippi River and levees on its banks, or to