The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1875-08-06
LEGISLATIVE connUrFioy.


litigation, the county-s..at was establish
ed at the latter pointr Since that tim,
there had been numerous efforts to Sc
cure another enabling act to take n vot,
Oh moving it back TO Perrysburg. 4
proposition was before the Goth Genera
Assembly-perlIaps twiee-and was de
feated.
January u, 1871, the representative
from that county introduced a bill (H.
B. No. 92), for the pLrpose, which, after
various vicissitudes. was finally defeated,
March 10, 1874, by "A vote Of 80 to 43-53
being required to pass the bill.
There had been a strong lobby Fio,l,
each of the contending localities for "A
number of weeks, and expenses We're
heavy. On April 13, Senate bill for the
same object, No. 142, came to the House
That went over to the session of 1875,
and early i'll January, 1875, the county
seat lobbyists again made their advent
in force
They had their headquarters at the
hotels, kept open house, and remain
ed till final action on the bill, about the
middle of March. How much money
was spent is unknown, but subsequent
events showed it to have been considera-
BILE in amount. All the votes that could
be mustered for the measure in the pre-
ceding winter were fifty. Three more
must be had, or it would fail In the
Senate it had received just enough votes
to pass it.
The three votes We're secured, and the
bill became law, tCitbOd q single cOte
10 spare. No sooner had the Speaker
announced the result, than Mr.. Gordon,
n Democratic member from Hamilton
county, who had voted No, moved a res
olution that a committee of five he APP
pointed to investigate charges of cor
ruption and bribery pertaining 20 the
passage of the measure, with power to
send for persons and papers. The reso-
luton was adopted and the Speaker (Nc-
Coy in the chair, appointed the commit
tee, with Mr.. Gordon as chairman. The
committee was afterward increased to
eight-how, there is not room here to
adding to the committee, and the ell
ploying of an attorney To aid it, Mr..
Gordon openly charged that he had been
offered money on more than one Occa-
sion, and from more than one member-
S1O0-to vote for the bill. One OF the
members of the committee, added and
continued as n member against the chair
mans protest, aOas one of The 2'aTties
clidrged t0ih bribery,
This fact was openly stated in the
committee to the member by the ci,air
man; and still he continued to partici-
pate in the deliberations of the commit
tee, and that, too, with the full knowl-
edge of the House.
The investigation continued some days
during which the chairman himself testi-
fled circumstantia!ly, under oath, that
.krse nlemberS Int earn ogtTob HiH s;iO0
10 cote for He bill. AS tn one of these
offers, he had strongly oorrOhnrative
nroof Other evidence was added that
left little doubt that there was bribery |
praotioed in connection with the passage
of the bill. 1t is apparent that ON
charge of that chara :tcr, there is no |
middle ground. The member charged |
is either guilty or not guilty, and there |
is no Medium punishment. II guilty,
lac should be expelled, and punished be
sides; if not guilty lle should be eXoner-
;,ted. The report was made on the last |
day of the session, as follows;
''The Committee appointed under
House Resolution No. 1f2, toinvestigate
the ohagges Of bribery and eoTruptionin in
the Wood county matter, having devot-
ed considerable time To the investigation |
of the subject, by the examination OF
large number of witnesses, would re-
submit the testimony taken,
and ask that the same be printed and
furnished in pamphlet fern. to the mem
bers.
The GnunnlitteG would alsO express its |
with the nlanner IN which |
Mr.. Gordon, the chairman OF the Com
nlttee, has discharged his duties in seek
ing to make thorough investigation Of
the subject.
The Committee recommend for adop-
ton the following resolutions:
ReSolced. That Goorge L. Converse,
Hiram Murlin. ;.:Ij James ). t.Oc'iCn be I
exoner;ttc,i f=,... -; iiame IN the mat
ter in Creii.G.
I.tsotced, 1lint John Baker, I. J. White !
and f. M. Walker are deserving OF cen
sure by the House for their conduct i'll |
the matter OF the EypQt County bill
ReyolreI. That ii.iz Committee recon-
mend that .gohn NJ. Haag and John NJ. |
Cooley be brought before the bar Cf tie |
House, and be severely Teprmanded by |
tie Speaker foT their conduct in con
nection with she Wood County bill.
During the consideration Of their own
cases. Mesgrs. Gordon and Murlin were |
not present.
The Committee also adopted the lol- |
lowing resolution:
ResoIoed. That the thanks Of the Com
mittee are due to T. c. Campbell, Esq,
for his valuable assistance in the prOs"-
cut;on q tie Investigation.
The Committee further ask that Mr..
John 6. Adel be paid for twenty days
services. after the adjournment of this
body, for preparing and experimenting
tile printingof the testimony taken by
the Committee JAS. ;. GoEDOS,
F. s. HOLLOWAY.
y. IA. GROSvENOR,
L. A. BRUNEER,
WIN T. CONKLIS.
Z. B. PARKER.
Y. J. MCLAIN, JR,
HIRAM MURLIN
The undersigned Of the Committee,
although agreeing in tile main with the
above report. believe that the evidence
in the case would Justify the expulsion
of John NJ. Haag and John N. Cooley
from this HOUSE. JAS 5. GORDON,
T. J. MCLAIN. JR.
Z. r. PARKER,
+. 5. HOLLOWAY
Comment Oh the character OF th.s re-