Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-01-19

r + NOT given any announcement to
l. committee. II has been said that .Jo
le l.. House, when before the house col
mittee in the Hobbs matter, stated tn
several members Of the past iegisIatu
u had received money from him 10 vo
n for Hobbs as comptroller. He is sa
y have expended twelve hundr
e dollars upon members to procure the
: votes. The report went abroad tn
= his statement referred to Noblii
l. chsirman of the investigating con
: mittee; Jim White, of East Tenne
q see, and others. Perhaps no gossip WI
) ever more untrue or malicious than thi
for both Dr. Noblitt aud Mr.. Jim Whj
are men OF high character, and not OIL
r of their many acquaintances for q m(
l mGnt believe this rumOr. 1t is dOub
= less true that Mr.. House did not specIl
r any names, and IL is said that he pos
lively refused to tell who it was ths
= he gave money 10, II Indeed he did, /
, the election. Many Of the best mem
bers of the legislature voted for Hobo
and as the fearfully exaggerated stOT,
, about the sale Of his office hes been re
duced to simple business transaction
in which only one person was engaget
with him, ii seems quite out OF pIac
that the valuable services Of the talent
ed members constituting the new in
vestigating committee Of the thirty
ninth general assembly of the State o
Tennessee, United States Of America
North American continent, should bt
thus expended. So say some, but | diff
fer with them. The Hobbs mystery is
cleared up, and hence it is proper to cor
rect a severe, though an ignorant, in.
justice done Messrs. Frierson aud Others
by the wise maxim of Democrat 8
writer from this city. He says: CAB
senCe is a confession Of guilt so far as
the parties absenting themselves are
| concerned, and no further" 1t will be
! sufficient to state that the statement OF
Mr.. Duncan, who purchased the office
from Mr. Hobbs, completely exOnerates
| Mr.. Frierson. This, then, will, hope,
correct any erroneous impression that
may result from Democrats" re-
! marks.
SOUTHERN PACIFIC RAILROAD.
The subject OF the Southern Pacific
/ railroad is attracting some attention,
/ and an effort will be made to induce the
Tennessee legislature to memorialize
| congress in behalf OF an appropriation
for this great enterprise, in the accom-
plishment OF which Memphis is
especially interested. Tomorrow l
VIII send you special letter upon this
subject, which / understand will be IA
vorably considered by the Legislature,
though there is some individual Opposi-
ton because it is deemed best not to fet-
ter the Democratic party with any rail-
road enterprises, lest such operate to its
damage in the next national canvass.
The Republican party, by its expendi-
lures, subsidies and appropriations, has
long since secured the aid Of the greatest
capitalists and spectators, and inter-
ested the labOring element to which
work is afforded in the building and
construction of great roads,
MEMPHIS AND LITTLE ROCK RAILROAD
BONDS.
In speaking of the bonds of the NJ
Minnville aud Manchester railroad COM
pany, and those known as the Valley of
Virginia insurance company bonds,
Governor Brown, in his recent message,
says: Coupons clipped from the bonds
Ot the city Of Memphis, indOTsed by the
Little Rock railroad company, as first
indOrser and the State as second in
dOrser, have also been presented FOR fund
ing and have bteu refused.n Perhaps a
careful examination into the archives OF
the State and the records of the past
would have given a better understand
ing upon this subject Governor Brown,
in his message thereon, says: "These
bonds were issued and in 1856 and 1857
indorsed by the governor of the State.
After careful examination of the arch
ives of the State, have been unable to
find any mortgage upon the stock of the |
city of Memphis in said road, or upon |
the iron and equipments Of the fir,t d. |
vision OF said road I have caused |
search to be made also in the registers |
office, at Memphis, and in the proper
offices in the State of Arkansas, for
some registration OF such mortgages,
out without avail, and l can
find no evidence that such mortgages
have in fact been made. The execution
Of these mortgages and providing of a
sinking fund were conditions precedent
TO the right and power OF the governor
to iUdorse said bonds, and the liability
Of the State did not attach in the ab-
sence of compliance with SUCH condi-
tons. It becomes a matter Of import
ance to the ~tate, therefore, that the
general assembly, after full investiga-
ion of the facts, should declare whether
Or not the State is liable for the priuci-
pal and interest Of these bonds, and, if
30 liable, such steps should be taken as
will render available the securities in-
Tended to be provided by that act."
WHO ISSUED THE BONDS.
When Governor Harris read the above
extract in Governor Browns message,
ne determined to ascertain who did
ssue said bonds, as Mr.. Johnson was
governor Of Tennessee for part of the
IS OF al ho In |
we're issued, he wrote TO Colonel James
Lamb, a well known attorney from
who is here attending the
supreme court, and requested him to
'all upon the secretary of state and OBJ
ain the information he desired in this