National Republican., 1876-03-08
HON. % WILLIAM N. R0sBIEs BR1BED
WITH TWENTY DOLLARS.


some of the Investigators themselves have
not always had clean hands. 1t so hap
pens that one of the Democratic members
of the Committee on Expenditures in the
War Department was himself once investi-
gated and narrowly escaped expulsion frsm
the Senate of North Carolina for taking
bribe of twenty dollars. We refer to
Hon. @ WIN. NJ. Robbins. who was active
as a member of the committee which re-
ported the charges against eX-Secretary
Belknap. He was member of the North
Carolina Senate of 1S6S-'69, and the resolu-
ton for his expulsion was defeated by the
vote of fifteen for snd nineteen against.
Resolutions of censure passed the Senate
by vote of twenty. eight to three. The
resolutions are as follows:
Whereas it appears by the report of the
Committee on Bribery and Corruption that W.
NJ. Robbins, Senator from the Thirty-second
Senatorial district, did, on the 22d day of
August last, receive from John W. Stephens
the sum of twenty dollars for his services in
securing the passage of a resolution through
the Senate in favor ofsaid Stephens;and whereas
a Senator cannot rightfully receive any fee or
reward for his services as a Senator beyond the
per diem allowed by law; and whereas the re-
ceiving of any fee or reward is high breach
of the privileges of the Senate and tends to
the destruction of legislative integrity; there
fore
" "ReSolrcd, That the Senator from the Thir-
ty-second Senatorial district be. and he is
hereby, censured by the Senate OF North Car
olina."
John w. Stephens had been elected, as
he claimed, to the same Senate, and his
seat had been denied to him. He claimed
per diem, and, pending the resolution grant
ing his per diem, he employed Robbins,
member of the Senate, as his attorney to
prosecute the claim, paying him twenty
dollars for the service. Stephens was after
wards elected, and is the same person who
was murdered in lower room of the court
house in Yanceyville, North Carolina, in
May, 1870, while a Democratic political
meeting was being held in the courtroom
above. 1t was political murder, Mr..
Stephens being a strong Republican.
When the resolutions to expel Mr.. Rob
bins were pending, he spoke in his own
behalf in the Senate, making strong appeals
to the pity and humanity of Senators, pictur-
ing in graphic and powerful manner the
ruin to himself and family that would ensue
should his expulsion be accomplished. He
worked upon the sympathies of-the mem
bers of that body enough to prevent the
expulsion. That Senate had large Re-
publicanmaj jority. Although he succeeded
in defeating the resolutions to expel. as we
have shown above, he was censured by an
overwhelming vote.
But he deemed himself sggrieYed and
entered protest, which was spread upon
the Senate journal. This document is
carefully drawn, and, as it gives the gen
tleman's own version Of the facts, we pre-
sent it TO our readers entire:
"PROTEsT OF SENATOR Robbins. OF THE
THIRTY-sECoND DISTRICT, WITH HIS STATE
MEST OF THE FACTS OF HIS CASE.
GAS the Senate Journals contain a record of
the grave charge of bribery against me, and
certain action of the Senate thereon, | hereby
enter my solemn protest against all that NAV
appear tending to create the impression that
! was ever really guilty of bribery or cOrrup-
ton. This ! do to yindicate my name and
character in the eyes OF my countrymen and
of impartial posterity.
was contestant for seat in this body at the
summer session Of 1SGS, but failed to estab-
lish his right to It. A resolution was then in
troduced by some Senator to allow Mr..
Stephens mileage and per diem while here as
a contestant. This claim l was in favor OF
allowing, and had expressed my purpose to
vote for it to several Senators at various times
a day or two before the occurrence hereinafter
narrated. Mr.. Lindsay was one of those to
whom had thus expressed myself, as he has
sworn. Mr.. Melchor, Mr.. Cook, Mr.. Barnes
and Mr.. Harrington all state the same thing,
though they have not been sworn.
''On Saturday morning, August %, this
resolution came up for consideration. That
was the last working day of the session. /
was extremely busy, and my mind much en-
gagged and absorbed in many matters requiring
attention. A short time before that resolu-
tion came up Mr.. Stephens met me in the
lobby, and asked me what thought Of his
claim 10 mileage and per diem. l at once
said l was in favor of it and was going to vote
for it. This accords with my recollection and
his testimony. As / remember it, he then
added: 'As you are in favor of it, l want to
employ you as my larger, to advocate my
claim, and as compensation for your trouble
will pay you fee of tIreHty dollars think
said: That's just as you please, but will do
as you have suggested This was the sub
stance of what passed: and the words about
used. The whole conversation did not occupy
three minutes, in my opinion. 1t was the
only conversation ever had with him on the
subject. Indeed. ! was barely acquainted
with him personally, and do not believe had
ever spoken to him twice before in my life. In
an hour or two afterward, as was hurrying
out of the Capitol, he came to me and handed
me the fee without word.
"Now, can only say that, from absence of
mind, from the habits of thought of the court
ROOM from the smallness of the sum and the
hurry was in that day, this little transaction
made so slight an impression on me, and
awakened SO little real attention, that the
question of propriety or improperly did not
present itself. Not only was there no inten-
tioL to do wrong, there was no thought of
wrong. No reasonable man will think that l
would have riSked my reputation in the hands
of almost 4 stranger, and a political adVer-
sary, too, for twenty dollars. This is what l
must have done, if ] was then doing an act
consciously wrong or corrupt. And he swears,
too, that said no word about concealment or
secrecy.
81 very soon forgot the incident entirely.
During all the discussions on the resolutions,
which myself introduced, to inquire into the
rumors of bribery and corruption, l never
once recollected it. Subsequently it flashed
on my memory as if by accident. While
thinking how pleasant it was to feel blameless
and safe from all danger as the investigation
was progressing, suddenly the thought that
this little fee had been paid me came to my
memory; and as my attention was then alive
on such questions, it did not take me an in
slant to pronounce my own mental verdict on
its impropriety, and to resolve to undo it and
restore that fee to the giver. --l
'By some means the rumor of this incident
reached the ears of men. saw at once in
what an embarrassing position Twas placed.
was to be charged with bribery. My name
was to be in all mems mouths, coupled with
disgraceful imputaticn about matter readily
,HiscoRStgned, and not easy 10 eIpldii satisfde-
fOrily. saw that If / denied it, my word and
my character might poss bly, oyerbear the sin
gle man who alone could contradict me, and
could perhaps trample down the entire charge
as Islander. At first | staggered and hest
tated. But to do this was wrong, and God
helped me TO do right.
sfI went voluntarily before any steps were
taken to investigate 1t, and stated the facts as
l have stated them here. II required more
than human strength to enable me to do so,