The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1876-03-08
r. DOES in NV case: | had mine put

q index.
y please look at the 18th of September,
1e71 and see who was then acting as private
4 Retween 18th of September and the
Dist of Septemb Der, 1874 all COMMUNICATIONS
are signed by the .Lieutepant-GoveTInMor
himse but on the Hls the hn 9tb ene signed
hv ". r, Devall, acting for Fred. Barrel.
70 Go hack to the Goth of August and see
if Won can tell who was acting then!
A. q. Packer. Private secretary, per
A q. Glover. On September lst, hnd one
signed by Fred. Barrett.
Q. For whom was he acting!
4. That letter does not show.
@. understood YOU to say on the 2lst OF
Nav that Davis said that he was Governor
now that the Governor was out of the State,
and directed you to issue this pardon; at
what time of day was that?
A. Between IL and II O'Clock; about IL
o'clock.
O. You said something about his wanting
A. had been in the habit of going on
about II O'Clock, as Twas merely acting for
another party, did not feel in duty bound
to stay longer in the office.
Q. Did he say his object in ordering you
to be there?
A. He did not; merely saying have these
papers made out.
Q. Have the papers made out-what pa
pers?
A. The pardon.
Q. Do you know of his having left that
evening on the train?
A. Yes, | know of the Governor having
left.
@. That was on the evening before. Do
YOU know of the Lieutenant-Governor
leaving that day?
A. No, / do not.
Q. What did you do with that pardon?
A. sent it to the Secretary of State L
think. No, sir, did not; when L come to
think again, | never sent pardons to the
Secretary of States Office. They are al
ways directed to the Sheriff of the county,
or to the parties legally representing the ac-
cused.
Q. Do you know what you did with that
pardon?
A. l do not know whether | gave it to
Mr.. Davis or not; / cannot say.
O. Was he not absent the next day or two
aftephe told you to make out that pardon
A. do not know, sir
Q. You don't know what you did with it
\. No, sir; | cannot say.
O. Did | understand you to say the Gov
ernor took forcible possession of the office
on the 2lst.
A. No, sir; did not use the expression
''forcible possession | said virtually took
possession of the office.
Manager Barksdale here produced letter
dated August Goth, 1874, from District At
tOrney Whitfield, narrating the features of
the murder, as the facts had come to his
knowledge from reports in the neighbor-
hood.
Counsel Morris emphatically objected to
the Introduction of such d piece of evidence
incom PEI ent; for the reason that the in
formation of the District Attorney was
merely htar>ay. and no matter how barba-
rOus the murder might have been. the Gov
tt, q
pardoning power vested in him, and he
was not responsible tor the exercise of ,uch
power to any man or body on earth.
Manager Barksdale replied, that his
learned friend mistook his motive for de-
string the letter to be read, Even granting
the power of the Governor to exercise such
pardoning power, this letter should have
e.aseu him to make him .clr FAMILIAR with
the horrible details, and even If lie was nor
guilty of bribery, he was guilty of a wrong
full and corrupt use of the power vested in
him and he exercised this power for cor
rupt motives. In order that this may be
undersI God, [ ask for the reading of respond
ent'S answer.
In the matter of the impeachment of Alex
ander X. Davis, Lieutenant Governor of the
State OF Mississippi, by the House of Rep
resentatives, in the Senate of said State sit
ting as High Court of impeachment
lst. This respondent, in his own proper per-
son. comes into the said Court, on this the 25th
day of February A. d. 1876 and for answer
and plea to said articles of impeachment pre-
ferred against him by said House of Repre-
sentatlves, and to all and singular the several
allegations therein contained, that is to saw
In answer to the articles of impeachment
numbered, respectively, numbers one two.
three, four and five, says and protests that he
Is not guilty of the said several high crimes
mlsdemeanors and offenses in said articles
i ia TO ms charge, nor of any or either of
them, or any part thereof, and of this he prays
n fair inquiry and trial, under the COnstitu-
ton and laws of the State Of Mississippi.
I'd For further answer and plea in this
behalf, said respondent, admitting that as
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT and while acting as
governor, OF said State, he did, on the said
Ia l4th day OF June, A. D. 1875, grant to one
ThomasH, Barrentine, a citizen of Lowndes
county, In said State, an executive pardon
for the alleged crime of murder as mentioned
IN said several articles of impeachment. he
ayers tnat he did so in the exercise of his best
discretion, under the powers and preropatiyes
conferred upon him by the Cons titution of said
State; but he protests that it is wholly and
absolutely false, that he, the said respondent
or any other person for him, in his behalf
ever, at any time, directly or Indirectly az,
cepted or received, or agreed or exnected
to accept or receive, asked demanded
or desired, any bride, fee, reward or com
pensalon, or any promise thereof, or obli-
gatlon therefor, In money, or any other thing
- GU VI .hls ne prayS talr inquiry
and trial, under the Constitution and laws Of
said State u
!, %; ana Tor further answer and plea in
TINS behalf, the said respondent SAYS and pro-
tests that the executive pardon in said articles
81 impeachment mentioned, was not in any
manner procured. induced, influenced or pro-
noted, by any money, other thing what |
ever, paid or delivered, or to be paid or deliy-
ered to this respondent or to any other person:
out on the contrary thereof. he says and bro,
estS' was granted and issued by this respond |
mt, In the lawful, honest and indet endent
'xerclse OF the power and. discretion conferred |
POI, MIN as the acting Governor of the State /
7 MISSISSIPPI, by the Constitution of said |
state and of this he prays a fair inquiry and |
state. u S'iu
, 4th.* And for further answer and plea in
ms behalf respondent says and protests that
ne SAID House Of Representatives ought not
ur1ner 10 prosecute said articles of impeacb-