Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-01-07

the gentleman from Upton county. d
2 lleFe fully express the sentiments, nC
: only Of the naturalized citizens Of Tai
! state, but Of a large majority In the Who'll
e United States. The elections have show
D that the naturalized citizens are unite
! against an attempts to crush the libertie
Of the people, and viii, at all times, ssan'
by the Constitution as handed down to u
BY the founders Of this great republic.
On motion Of Mr.. Cummins, the resolu
| ton was ordered to be Immediately trans
mitted 10 the Senate.
THE CONPTROLLERsHIP.
House joint resolution, in reference 4
investigating the alleged sale Of the Comp
trOllership, was taken up.
Mr.. East moved to Indefinitely postpone
the House resolution and take up the Sen
ate resolution in reference to the same sub
jet. Carried.
Mr.. March offered an amendment giving
the committee power 10 compel the attend
sace Of witnesses and directing them to re-
port by the 30th inst, or sooner, If praeti-
cable.
Mr.. Head moved 10 amend by striking
out the 30th inst, and inserting the 18th Of
February, which was adopted.
Mr.. Peters moved to strikeout the words
detrimental tOthe Commonwealth Of Ten
nessee."
Mr.. Mcmillan said that the gentleman's
motion was, to say the least Of 1t, prepos-
ferrous. The idea that the conduct Of one
Of the highest officials of the State did not
affect the interest Of the State seemed to
him TO be really absurd. The State was
composed Of her citizens. The State OH
Gals were the sentinels on guard, and to
them all eyes were turned. To strike out
that portion Of the resolution would be
taking the very heart out Of it.
/ Mr.. Peters said that he REGARDED this
matter as a question Of great consequence.
They had entrusted these officials With
high positions, and If the House felt Il in
eumbent to investigate their conduct, be
took It as being all right and the rejection
was simply upon those officers. If any
body was guilty, It was those gentlemen.
Il having been simply contract between
individuals, it reflected upon them and not
upon the State, and for that reason he had
made the motion.
The motion prevailed.
Mr.. GardenhiTe moved to reconsider the
vote adopting the motion. Carried.
Mr. Peters thereupOn withdrew his mo-
tion.
Mr.. McGlothlin moved to strike out the
caption Of the resolution. Carried.
Mr.. Cummins said that, If the reports
upon which they were proceeding were
true, and there had been guilt upon the
/ part OF officials Of the State, it was within
the power and province of the House TO
prefer articles OF Impeachment against the
| Comptroller, the Senate sitting as Court
Of Impeachment. he then offered, in lieu
Of the Senate resolution, that offered By
| Mr.. NOblitt on Tuesday.
The Speaker asked Mr.. Cummins if
striking out the caption Of resolution
| would have any effect, and Mr.. Cummins
replied that he thought not.
Mr.. Gibson was Of a different opinion.
Striking out the caption would, he said,
decapitate the resolution and leave it life
less.
twas then discovered that the resolu-
tion brought in from the Senate had not
been engrossed.
Mr.. Gibson moved that the resolution
be returned TO the Senate, and that no ac-
ton taken upon il by the House be record
Ell on the journal. Carried.
Mr. NOblitt moved to take up the House
joint resolution introduced By him.
Carried.
Mr.. March moved to strike out all in re-
lstiOn to the Senate and make the resolu-
ton strictly House resolution. Carried.
Mr.. East moved to insert after the word
estate" in the preamble the words "by an
alleged sale and purchase Of the Office Of
Comptroller" Carried.
NJ. CummiRs moved 10 strike out the
words sand other persons" in the preamble.
Mr.. East said that the country wanted 20
know whether ANYBODY had been tamper-
ing with the offices Of the STATE or had IN
dertaken to corrupt the virtue Of the Of
icers. That much they had . right 20
know, whether they could punish the man
or not. He did not want 10 bind the com
mittee down to mere technical rules. He
wanted the whore Country % know tle
truth "a regard to the matter, and also who
participated in the alleged sale or purchase
Of the Office.
Mr.. Cummins held that, under the Con
stitution of Tennessee, they, as q legisla-
tive body, had no power to scanlalize the
character Of a private citizen. He could
never consent to allow himself to be used
in a representative capacity for the pur-
pose Of finding out some black spot in the
character Of private citizens. That vas the
duty Of the grand jury.
Mr.. East said be did not understand the
object of the gentleman in not seeking to
have full investigation of the matter.
Was it scandalizing a mans character to
expose him for going into the State depart
ments and cOrrupting one Of the officials ?
If he were to commit crimes beyond the
State officials, then let it 20 to the grand
jury; but when he entered the State de-
pSrtments, with a view to corrupt one Of
the officers, then they had a right to know
the man, and il was the duty of the Legis-
lature to expose him.
Mr.. Finley said that the question was
not whether they had right to investigate |
the management Of the Comptrollership |
during the present incumbent's term Of |
Office; the question was, had they a right |
20 undertake 10 perform the duties Of CO. !
ordinate branch Of the government. That |
belonged to the judiciary, AID they had |
nothing TO do with il. Article Of the |
Constitution limited their power. They |
did not come here for the purpose Of trial, |
or Of arraigning party before that body. |
They could not investigate the conduct Of i
the predecessor Of the present Comptroller, |
nor could they investigate his acts before /
be entered upon the duties of the office. 1t /
was now proposed to 60 through the State, i
to see who had been guilty Of doing wrong
If they were going TO do anything, they
should follow the landmarks OF the Con-
and plant themselves squarely
upon it. They had enough to do within
the limits Of the Constitution.
Mr.. Gardenhire said he thought they had
a right to investigate this matter. He con-
CURED in the remarks Of the gentleman
from Davidson.
Mr.. Orr said that one would suppose that
this was a court Of Impeachment, and not !
of investigation. Had the public interests
Of Tennessee been tampeTed with? The
vaguest kind Of rumors had been published,
and thereupOn a resolution had been Of
feTed looking to an investigation. If the
Legislature resolved itself into an investi-
eating committee upon every rumor that
might be circulated, what would be the end
Of il? WOuld the public welfare Of the
State be subserved by this resolution? Was
there a charge, or had there ever been a
charge, TO the effect that funds had been
taken out of the Treasury?
Mr.. Gibson-The gentleman is not dis
cussing the question before the House, but
the resolution at large.
Mr.. OT-I ask pardon; l thought the
resolution was before the House.
Mr.. Cummins' resolution to strike out
was rejected