Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-03-20

HHH
,a,. 20 ,et.'ice' though it is quite possibl,
Etata So ''iis a. u pleasant feeling may do tn,
-. NT mage Of a somewhat serious
tbll -er IN the few remaining DAYS o
- .essl0n. In the house this mornipp
Gibson made a frank and manly
apology to Mr.. Jsmison and the mem.
1eTs generally for having, in the heat OF
debate yesterday, addressed some re.
marks 10 Mr. Jamison OF q rather un.
diguliied character, which apology was
AS frankly accepted by the latter, all Of
which indicates a clearing OF the atmos-
phere in the house AMI a restoration OF
good fellowship.
THOSE REPORTS,
The fact Of there being two REPORTS
presented to-day by the JOINT COMMITTEES
appointed TO investigate the outgoinpg
AM lucomings Of certain members on
the legislature OF two years ago. has
excited considerable surprise. Both
reports were received without any COM
nent whatever. The first, signed by
Logan and Gates, The former chairman
OF tae senate ard the latter chairman of
the mouse conmittee, was to the effect
that borough investigation had
peen maze, and that latter a most
careful sUd thorough examination of
such witnesses as the committee were
ADVISED could give information on the
subjects under investigation, they are
Of opinion that the testimony is wholly
insufficient to implicate any member OF
the thirty-eighth general assembly in
any Improper conduct affecting his vote
Df action while member Of that BODY:
and that no member OF that body, so far
az the testimony shows, was influenced
Dy money or any improper considers
ton In his vote upon the funding act ~
The second report, which was signed
by Peters, Taylor, East and Cole, stated
that the testimony, in our opinion,
discioses many facts and circumstances
involving several persoEs in grave and
serious suspicious, and this testimony.
by other evidence, is positively denied,
and we DO not assume to reconcile the
conflicting statements of the various
Witnesses
MT. Msrye, Of the senate committee.
did not sign either report, bat it is un-
derstOOd that he indOrses that signed nv
the respective chairmen. The fact is,
the investigation was not thorough. For
more than a month th<. com mitfee held
no meetings, and turing that time a
man by the name of Mofit, a member
of the last hose, came here from his
home and VIZ Ia the city q week, vainly
enoeaVoHAg 20 induce the chairman of
the corsmiitee to call meeting so that
ne might testify. He finally pre-
cared a written statement in which
ne Tecites this fact, and says that he
had thus been deprived of an
opportunity OF setting himself right be-
lore the public, after having been drag
ged into The scandal by the Hobbs in
vesigatiug committee. It is q fact now
generally known that the attendance OF
HOuse-whOse absence both committees
Tegret-cOuld have been secured had
proper efforts been made when the in
vestigatiOn was instituted. A member
of the committee told me that teIe-
grams had been received by the chair
man Cf the committee saying where
House could be found; in one case the
party so telegraphing Offering to arrest
House II he was directed so to do. The
committee met TO take testimony not to
exceed dozen times, out OF which
Marye was PRESENT not more than twice,
and LogsI., East and Cole not TO
exceed fJuT times. The most i'm
poTtaat testimony taken was that
ehciteJ by Messrs. Peters and Taylor
tbs month, aud, if followed up, might
dave resulted IN something definite; but
Ehese gentlemen were the youngest
members Of the committee, and very
naturally hesitsted about prosecuting an
Investigation from which the majority
% the committee had virtually with
drawn. II is a noticeable fact that their
names are both appended to the white
washing report. EsTly in the investiga-
tiOn one witness testified that bank
officer in this city told him, speaking OF
the passage OF the funding bill, that sit
cost US nearly one million dollars to get
that bill through, bat we could well sf-
ford TO pay more" aud yet no effort was
made hy the committee TO secure the at
tendance Of that bank official who talked
SD glibly Of buying the peoples repre-
seDtatives.
This same witness also related this in
teresting snecdOte: "Elder came into
the Battle house the day the bill passed.
DR.. NoblItt and were boarding at the
Battle house. Elder came in pretty
near so drunk that he didn't know what
he was saying or doing. He had on q
fine hat anu a new suit OF clothes out
and cut. NCblitt remarked to him that
DE he'd made him new suit OF clothes
that day. He sort O. staggered around
and ssid. Yes, and that amt all, by
Cd, ] nave 60. my pocket full Of
money and with That he struck his
hand on his pocket" This man Elder
was q member Of the house two years
ag0.
THE MEMPHIS CUsTOMHoUsE.
The following was introduced in the |
house by NT. Roush this morning:
ga bill % be entitled an act authorizing the /
city OF Memphis 10 grant 70 the United !
states "a site 10. CustOuhOuse and other ]
public huEIHiugs and ceding the jurtEdic- 4
ton o. the l-liCd states Of the grounds go l
granted:
"SECTOG ]. Bet enuc.ed 6y the Gener- [
a. Assembly Ofthe STATE oJ Tennessee, That |
the city Of Memphis be snd is hereby 1
authorized 70 grant &C the United States /
q portion Of the public promenade, on |
the west side Of Front street, and ad- |
igcput 20 Madison street, where extend |
ed 10 the Mississippi river, not exceed
ing three. hundred feet square, for the
puTna-e Cf having erected thereon a
United States customhouse or other
rubiic buildings Of the United States.
. ,'Sec. =. Be II FURTHER enacted, That
The jurisdiction ~ the said premi-es so
10 be granted TO the United States for
the said purpose be and the same is