The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-03-28
ACCUSED SENATE OFFICERS.
The Defence Made by the Friend. OF Nessrs
Burch and Bright.

WASHINGTON. March 27.-The charges
against Mcssrs. Burch and Bright. who have
been elected Secretary and Sergeant-at-Arms Of
the Senate, have been given wide publicity in
the past few DAYS. So far as they relate 10
Burch. the allegations are about as follows:
One Hobbs was Comptroller Of the State He
was incompetent and unsatisfactory to every
body. and especially 10 certain bankers The
latter raised some $4,000 and paid il
70 Hobbs on the condition that he re-
sign He did resign. and Burch was ap-
pointed Comptroller. This was all invcsti-
gated by the Tennessee Legislature in 1886
and the report cXoncrates the Governor and
Burch Of all knowledge Of tho purchase of
Hohhs's resignation. 1t is admitted by every
body that Burch made a capital on 'cr and that
the Office WIS better conducted and moro hon
estly administered than it had been for long
series otyears still it is asserted by some per-
sons that while nothing was proved against
Burch, the men who paid Hobbs 10000 10 re-
sign did not pay that sum Of money simply 10
get a good and honest Comptroller But this is
mere ins lnuafion. II is also charged TINT Burrh
WAS paid money % Se'ur" the veto hv the Gov
ernor II Local Optlon BIN pn~s-d hv the Log
isature In rep'yfnfhis Bur.h'. frionls sav
MAT Bur, i- prq"isine attorney that ho was
rriN h'd 10y ilr Saloon Keepers tp make nu ar
GnmHnt upon m. ronsiiiur nallty o' thr Lo'Al
.
ployel lawyers also and that both sides wrre
heard hy the Governor. who vetoed the hin
On the sround TINT il WIS ,unccnsttuuonul.
practising attorney all his life and Of
course th"re wls nothing wrong i'm his taking
q 'r" from suloOn keepers. and arguin. the con-
suluuonol question hrforr theGoveruor. There
Is s,li another allegation affecting Burch 10 the
e1 'c, that us agent of the As-oriat"d Press in
Nashville, and editor of the Union ami american
h' accepted money for ni~ services IN resisting
trru1us of rrput intioui-is to destroy the credit
OF the state. rms chArg" was made Low RmUn who
was largely Interested in railroad bonds which
II II alleged, were fraudu.eutly issued. II is
sald that this matter was also INVESTIGATED Inst
have been unable 20 ohtWn to-dny Burchs
friends, however. assert positively that by none
ol ih"s" allegations has his character lD"n
smr he'd IN the lnast and ii is unquostionahiy
Hrn'r 81 every man from his State with whom
haye talked.
., Tho charges against Sergeant alarms
BrlEht are succinctly expressed in the N1r
loR IufS to-day. and II is m undeniahlo fact
that mat publication produced n very decided
sensation among Democrats nj both ends of
the tuploL Briefly stated. these charges aro
that in lS1l B"lght WAS elected 10y the Loris-
lniure ot Indiana state Printer and that ho. IN
Ihis rhpu'lN presented and received pa" 4.
MAJ 'rlal furnished aud work dome :r'aty iu
work really performed; thut i'm fact. he oh-
tanned traudulonuy som" s2Ouu0 from the
state treasury and that. moreover he sWor" to
the truth of his charges Nnl thereby was guilty
of perjury; that civil and criminal SUITS wore
instituted against him. and on the FIRST trial Of
the criminal sut the jury disagre'd alur being
out forty eight hours. Then the clYl suit WIS
compromised and upon second criminal trial
Of Bright he WAS acquitted.
Tint lreHt scandal WIS cnused In Indiana
by the charges against Bright cannot hc qucs
against him in the Times to-day. has caused
much discussion among Democrats.