The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-01-17
THR CROOKEpNEss OF C0RRIN.
Trio Inwardness OF ms Grea. Phosphate
5. i,s 5a, ~ Steal. NJ
GpeoiaI Dt,pateA 10 Ne Nsrs and Obtrser. )
b COLUMpIA, TuesdaY. Jan. 8.

" ee COLUMBIA, Tuesday, Jan. 8. z
The Corbin COMMITTEES 10 engaged aey
efal hours daily In prosecuting the in
vestigation entrusted TO it by tho Senate
lts sessions are conducted in private, and
che bond Of secrecy Is imposed npor
| membefs, clerka and witnesses alike, tc
remain in force until the report has beer
, subnitted to the Senate. II is, therefore
difficult 20 ascertain what has been done
in the committee.room, but from various
outside sources the following facts have
been obtained, which will be found Ia
time to correspond pretty much with the
results arrived at by the committee:
Mr. Corbin was member of the Gen.
erai Assembly OF the time the phosphate
monopoly act was passed, and largely
assisted, both within and without the
General Assembly, in securing its pass.
aga. He was the largest stookholder in
the company organized under the act
and managed its interests in the triple
capacity of president, counsel and iegis,
lator; and 1t was in its interest, and his
own, that he applied to the Attorney
General to bring suit against rival COM
paDy, and to let him (Corbin) conduct
the auit in the courts. j.
In his Gard" recently published he
states that "novel and important aues.
tions" were involved in this suit. These,
however, may be summed up in tho one
question: Whether North Wimbee Greek
was or was not g navigable stream, q
question which, under Corbin's manipu,
lation, may indeed have "run through
about three years," but which might
nave been readily determined by one less
Interested in protracting the suit within
as many weeks.
Having, in course of time, obtained q
decree for 81, 800, (not for $4,000 as he
alleges Corbin next applied to the court
to appoint rrssree to ascertain what fee
should be paid to him for the dis.
tingiished and disinterested services
which he had rendered the State in con-
d1C.ing Che suit. The referee was &C.
cordingly appointed, and coon reported
that Mr, Corbin was entitled to G2a per
cent. on the $1,000 for which decree
had been obtained, and the court con-
..sisi5a tsis referees referees report Il ahould be
remarked just here that at the time the
referee made his report there was NO
other amount before the court besides
the 80, 800 above referred to, anG the
enormous per cent. by him recommended
to be paid was awarded solely upon the
ground, that although the So, 900 was the
whole amount for which the decree had
been obtained, and on which he could
be allowed fec, yet the State would
eventually receive many times that sum
in royalty obtained by virtue of the find.
Ing of the court. 1t chanced, however
that the phosphate company, the defen.
| dant in this case, had been compelled, Ia
give bond to the State, pending the
suit, conditioned for the payment of q
| royalty to the State on a., the phosphatas
| they should take from Wimbee Greek
after the commencement Of the suit--i
| 10 nhould finally be decided against them
| After it had besn so decided o referee
wac appointed to find the amount o.
their liabilities en- their bonds; and after
the Court mad allowed Corbin 62S Del
cent. on the So, SOC as his fec in the case
the referee reported that the. company
should pay $4,000 ON their bond to thu
State.
This amount, in regular course, woult
| he:o 55Ssn paid directly to .hs Stat,
Treasurer. Coybin certainly bad III
claim to the custody of it or to any pc
cent. upon IL, but he coolly asked leav,
| of the Court to allow hin. to receipt {,
the company for the $22, 600 on behalf o
the State. The Court granted the re
quest, and Corbin got possession of thl
$22. 900 and claimed 624 per cent. on 1t
I This was too much Tor even Corbin'
official friends to stand. The claim wa
80 preposterous that tho Attorney Ger
eral. who was both his personal and po
liti6Al friend, and who had employees
him to conduct the case, advised III
Comptroller General not to allow il
The Comptroller General, who y;as als
his political and personal friend, at one
made formal demand on him for th
| whole of the $4,000, as well as for Tn
37a per cent. remaining of the 81, ,90(
and filed in the Comptroller General
Office copies of his ;ificial letters to Coz
BIZ, setting forth with painful perspicu
ty .he swipdling character of that greed
individuals proceedings.
4 The Comptroller's pointed darl
glanced from the brazen surface Of Coz
bins cheek without inflicting visibl
scratch, and Corbin kept the $27, 800
By his own showing. which is merely at
Icepted here for purposes of argumen
Corbin should have turned over to til
! State at least 3T3 per cent. of the $27
500 ! but hs turned over nothing. n
complacently claimed to have rendere
the .Comptrolles General certain 9th,
, services, not specified, in another cas-
and kept tho 37a per cent. on the who
> amount as his aelf-aWarded fee, we
knowing that, if he had rendered ar
2 such service, the Comptroller Gener
! had no powe. &c fix h!s fee, which eoo;;i
oaly be paid through an appropriate
by the General Assembly. y SIX
D What no did with his plumber ia /,
!. well known to need re-telling. One
Y two points only may be indicated hor
: Corbfn, in his card, says that Judge ca
!. penter had granted an injunction again
. the banks from paying out State none
: the wheels of government Were therel
O stopped, and that he (Corbin) lent ca
q dozo, State Treasurer, $40, 900 TO car
9 on the State Government. The reply
q these statements is very simple al
. brief one: So
'tl Carpenters Injunction did not 81
q the wheels of government, for the reas
Q that the moneys then in the banks we
'r not moneys that could be used ito lie
2 the wheels Of government in motion
u nor yet the wheels of the misgovernme
: vim Wiiiya C1I bin " 90 IiivI5 iioi,Iiy q
1t cerned. Every dollar in the banks |
e longed to specific funds already app
2 priated, except the amount cs abs
+ e9.73, the unexpended balance app
=, pYiated for Legislative expenses" for I
"a previous fiscal year. Not knowing
i exact amount in bank, it 10 possible q
y Corbin- may have been misled by I
10 tempting ''iten" under which t
<, amount was returned.
81 Coossh:::: did :.Ss &C. lead lend 500 10n 70 g
y dozo, STATE Treasurer. He lent Dothi
OF to the State Treasurer for any pu5TIrrS