The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1876-03-25
Hon. Green Clay's Speech u the
legislature on the Esnded Debt
Bill Of Bolivar.

Mr.. Speaker: it may not be
amiss to lock at the circumstances
rof this the first veto of the Cover
nor of a bill, local in its nature,
and of little general Importance.
On the eve ofleaviug Jackson
called away by urgent private bus
iness-in ali interview with the
Governor in regard to this bill, /
was informed that he contempla
ted vetoing It Notwithstanding the
threat me understood expressed
that he did not dare veto an act of
this Legislature.
The Governor was determined
to show that he was not afraid
As on the theatre of great actions.
there are hidden avenues hy which
the historian arrives at the motives
and secret springs to grand and
noble daring, SO here while | stood
before His Exccllency the repre-
sentative Of taxpayers and citizens
of my county, there was opposed
to me an invisible person. who had
not appeared before our commit
tees. or been represented ON this
floor, but who had emerged from
the dark purlieus ofthe Governors
Office, and whispered a tale he bore
down from this House of the in
discreet expression of some menu
Der. The instinct and calibre of
the Governor, 1t seems, were we'll
known, and this act Of sublime
Courage was decided ont And it
was courageous in a small way.
For it challenges attention to the
administration Of His Exccllcncy
as far as it has directly affected
Bolivar county.
With the indulgence ofthe House
l will very briefly recount some
facts in regard to it, which may,
too help us IN the por'raiturc Of Il
man we are about to consign to u
place in the history of Mississippi.
The President OF the United States
by a rule peculiar unto himself.
and when an exalted position is to-
be filed, selects from his army re-
miniscpnces some mediocre Young
man generally with no experience
or skill in the civil administration.
sometimes Of not very robust in
tegrity. This plastic material
soon forms to the mould of his poll
cy, and becomes the direct out
growth ofwhat is known as Grant
ism. For his Southern policy
one Adclbcrt Amcs fell to the lot
Of Mississippi as Military Cover
nor. No sooner installed in office,
than Military Governor Amcs di-
reefs his attention to the Levce
Board of the river cOuntics--rich
arvests-corporations, not politi-
cal but handling large amounts of
trust funds, and upon which are
dependent all the industries of that
section. At the time, our Board
was composed Of the very best
men of the counties, fit representa-
tives of the Taxpayers, of whose
trusts they were the flduciarios.
These worthy citizens were re-
moved, our Lcvec office taken pos
session of by the bayonct, and
some men, alien TO the people,
placed in charge of these impor-
| tant funds and interests.
Under this regime, too, a Cana
dian Superintendent of Education
was sent to our county, who took
bis departure without making a
settlement of the school moneys.
And q Chancery Clerk, who, at
the hour of night t was to avoid
an injunction--hanled off the
archives of the countyio new
county seat for his own pecuniary
advantage in the purchase of q
plantation residence for q court
house, as the deed books of his
office will show, although, haying
u good courthouse and Jail, the
citizens were and are still heavily
taxed for the new county seat, and
the name of Prcntiss, which should
cause the bosom Of every Mississ-
ippian to swell with pride is now
replaced in the designation of our
capital by the synonym Of shame
and disgrace to the country.
Next comes Bowles, like Packer
Senator from the 2Sth, and well
ought he to be designated by a
number-appointed commissioner
for the sale Of levce lands by one Of
the famous Chancellors. | need only
name him that he may bear his
iaurels--Chancellor Stafford. Our
Chancellor, awaits confirmation
by the Senate, Bowles, little re-
calcitrant, being Senator, was nat
urally appointed. Upon realizing
4 large sum Of money from these
sales, he absconds and becomes Q
(lefhulter forseveral thonsa nd dol.