Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1878-04-10
CLEARFIELD, PA, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 1878

Tune lnht brloeb were Dclng useu 10
secure the passage Of the bill, the pro-
gressot which was opposed very strong
Iy by the Demoratic members. James
N. Bowley, colored man, then chair
man of the Ways and Means Commit
tee Of the House of Representatives, re-
ceived from Merrill an order on the
fund amounting 10 $500 for q favora-
bic report on the bill from bis commit
tee. Other members, both OF the Sen:
ate and House, received small sums for
their votes in favor OF the hill After
the bill had passed approved II and
II became o law. Mr.. d. II. Chamber
lain then came TO me as the counsel Of
Major Merrill and stated TO me that he
was authorized by Major Merrill to
make the proposition TO me that If l
would award the whole amount appro-
priated 1886, ,00o) to Major Merrill, be
Major MerriID would pay mo out Of the
fund $1,000 for my own use and bcne.
fit. | answered Mr.. Chamberlain that
] could not accept bis proposition. |
told him that the General Assembly,
although they had really passed the
bill for the especial emolument Of Mer.
rill, had nevertheless SO worded IL as to
allow other parties TO present their
claims before me Tor examination, and
that 1t would not be just to them to
award the whole sum to Merrill with.
out even an examination Of their
claims. therefore declined his pro
posal. Mr., Chamberlain then sugges.
ted that should appoint commission
Of lawyers whose duty it should be TO
examine all the claims presented, to
decide on their merits and to certify
the result 10 me. He said that If /
would appoint such commission, and
would appoint him (Chamberlain) as a
member Of it, with two or three Others
whom he named, he (Chambcrlain)
would see to IL that report would be
made by them awarding the whole
amount to Merrill, and that | could
then adopt their report and pay him
all the money and myself escape all
blame or responsibility in the premises.
He also said that the s5, 900 offered me
by Merrill would be paid If would
taks the course he suggested. / at
length consented to bis proposition and
appointed on the commission Messrs.
Q. d. Melton and J. d. Pope, very re.
spectacle Democratic lawyers Of Col
umbia, and, at ChambeIain's sugges.
tion, | aluo appointed himself, James
A. Dunbar, a former law partner Of his
(Mr. Chamberlains) and Hon. n. B.
Elliott. referred TO his commission
all the claims which had been forward
ed TO me, included among which were
claims from Major Merrill, sufficient to
more than double the sum that had
been appropriated. After the commits
sion had deliberated for some time, and
had refused to entertain the view ad-
vocated by Mr. Chamberlain q. c. to
award the whole sum TO Mr. Merrill, }
Mr.. Chamberlain came TO me and ask.
ed me to use whatever influence pos
sessed over Major D. Z. Melton, one Of
the Democratic commissioners. pos
itively refused even to attempt such a
thing, as kpew, and 80 told Mr. Cham
bcrlain, that not for moment would
Major Melton listen to me If | propos.
cd 10 bin. anything that WAS wrong.
In this interview Chamberlain told me
that Dunbar and Elliott wero TO re-
ceive each 1000 from Merrill for cast
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