The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-05-24
CONTEMPT OF COURT
SUPREME COURT RECORDS.
AN OPEN LETTER.

AN OPEN LETTER.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE CINCINNATI GA
zETTE AND THE EDITOR OF THE INDIAN
APoLIs JOURNAL.
In my former letter to you / said that
details of general statements published
therein might be expected. Time has been
necessary for the preparation of a suitable
response to your complaint of four col
umns, which he'd been in process of con-
struction for weeks before its publication.
In the interim another "friend of the
court" fs% osri1 has 1ssn. been treating you to
he OF value to ms in this series.
| desire to first address you, the d of
! the Gazette. The zeal with which You
throw your paper into Indiana politics is
quite marked. 1t rises to the grade of
cool impudence! Perhaps less than one
tenth of your readers are citizens of Indi-
ana. To that extent only are you, as a
| political agent, iustifisble In meddling with
\ che politics and domestic concerns of this
/ state; yet, that you may gain for your
/ party an advantage In our state election,
i you publish to your readers in Ohio, Ken
/ lucky and other statts alengthy communi-
cation sbouuding in tslsehoods, distor-
| tions, suppreesions, insinustions and ma
licious comments, and give it your
editorial sanction. You thus throw the
weight OF your press against and reflect
upon the private character of four of our
citizens In official station, whose character
and professional sttsinments, with a repu-
tation for both, constitute their means and
capital in public or private business.
Your publication was calculated to injure
In special manner the member OF the
court residing in that part of our state
nearest Cincinnati; yet you have failed to
/ publish my first letter in reply, although
requested Immediately to do so. In this
YOU are true to your native instr CT.
Would it OF be well for you to turn your
attention to the Supreme Courts of your
own state? 1 understand tt at you have
two, a regular court and a commission
recently constituted with equal powers to
| bring up the old business. Among those
cases recently disposed of by the latter
tribunal is one involving important inter-
ests OF large family in this state, which
| understand has survived generation OF
litigsnts.
| TO THE JOURNAL AS AN ORGAN.
To you, the editor of the Indianapolis
Journal, as mouthpiece of the Republican
party, shall continue this statement in
reply. You may denominate it an excuse,
or defense, as it may prove itself to be.
L decline to consent to the rules which
you lay down for the government
of the investigation which you
have provoked. Cross-complaint. set off
aud counter-claim are yet good defenses
in our state. An adversary's witnesses
may yet be impeacbed. The Justification
of public records for partisan purposes has
not ceased to be discreditable to the char
acter of a gentleman. / we'll remember
4 how in the fall OF 1870 you bewailed the
loss ofthe Supreme Court "for six years"
and the failure to re-elect the three OF
your old bench who were made candidates.
You now dread the same fate, and have
hQCifQtQ6 of nf fol nd 10
traction TO which your partisan malice can
resort. join issue with you, but hope to
keep within the bounds OF propriety in
nesting you with your own weapons
The old Democratic court retired at the
close of the year 1864. Three of its judges
bad occupied furnished rooms in the state
house. One resided In this city. During
the months of November and December,
1864, they allowed expenses amounting to
S797 80 incurred by their sheriff. With
he first Monday OF January, 1865, began
the term of the Republican court, which
continued until January 1, 1871. Its mis-
cellaneous expenditures during that time
were limited by neither law nor precedent.
Appropriations were exceeded because
they were disregarded, and general stat
utes authorizing expenditures were given
q very liberal and forced construction.
submit the following transcript OF
ALLOWANCES FOR THE TEN MONTHS ENDING
| OCTOBER 81, 1865:
January z, 1865
No. 1895. j. P. Jones, expenses Supreme
Court, s229 90. Stationery, etc., allowed by
the court.
No. 7l35. Samuel Lamb, sheriff, expenses
Supreme Court, $3.50 a. Allowed by the court.
The voucher accompanying this allowance
refers to a bill. which is not filed with it.
April 6, 1885,
No. 1883. Samuel Lamb, expenses Supreme
Court, $3.50. Salary to April l.
| The present court also employs and pays a
sheriff, whose salary is included in the gross
amount charged by you.
April IA, 1866
No. 1851: Laz Noble, expenses of Supreme
4 Court, S2O7 70. Office expenses allowed by the
3 court.
3 May 81, 1855.
a No. Sl09. Samuel Lamb, expenses of Su-
preme Court, sll3 SO. Furnishing rooms, etc
r The voucher shows that this payment GOV.
cred the following bills:
Hume & Adams, bill for furnishing
rooms for the judges in Blackford's
block as per itemiZed bill........ -....S 202 3;
5 To amount of Sponsler & McCrary's
> bill for furnishing judges rooms
per items given 1S3 q
: To Ramsey Hannings bill for gas
fixtures for Is st
To G. A. Woodbridge's bill for furn-
1Sh1ng "a IL
t To rent OF Mason Son for rooms at
Palmer House for two Judges. Is 0t
To cash furnished in filling up rooms Is OF
Trunk for packing books, &c............- 40
Cash paid for sundry items named..~. q u
s5ls o
The bills Of particulars referred to do not &C
company the voucher.
May 30, 1855.
No. Sll5. LsZ. Noble, xpenses supreme Court
S4O5 lp. Allowed by the court-expenkes.
| June 81, 1853.