Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-03-06


several thousand dollars, aud, n so,
for what purpose
A Well, that 1 dOn't know.
| TSigued1 II. T.. WILSON.
Gen. Wilson subsequently, appear.
ed before the committee on the 18Th
! of February, 1879, aud testified:
! wish TO state as "a Tact, that the
railroad conn anies did not, and do
not now, regard or consider that the
| legislation OF lS69-70 gave To them
any new privilege or right except
| that of substituting the bonds OF the
! respective companies for those OF the
State paid in with transfer TO the
| holders OF the substituted bonds Of
the lien of the State. We then thought
and still think, that under the general
| improvement act Of February ii, 1852
and amendments prior to 1860, We had
perfect legal right to pay our debt to
the Slate in any six per cent. bonds OF
| the State, no matter what series, nor
| for What issue. l also wish To state
| further, that OF my own personal
knowledge do not know that Chas
NJ. McGhee or Thomas Galloway or
myself or Others, ever paid or gave ANY
sum of money To Gov. BrOwnlow or
any member OF his family. Butif you
money derived from "A speculation ia
Tennessee State bonds, made by ThuS.
Galloway, Jno. X. Branner, Charlrs
NJ. McGhee, jos. A. Mabry and myself
/ have to answer that we had realized
profit In this speculation on Tennes.
see bonds, aud il Was agreed un sug-
gestiOn OF Gen. j. A. Mabry that n part
Of it, about s., 900 should be given by
him to a member Of BrownlOw's fami-
ly. This was done without any knowl-
edge or information Of Brownlow or
any member OF bis family. The pur-
pose, as / now remember, aud as L un-
deTstoOd from MabTy at the time, was
to keep BrownlOw, rs Governor, who
had the appointment OF Directors OF
the Knoxville IL Kentucky read, OF
which Msbry was President, from get.
ting angry at Mabry and Others for
procuring IA bill to be filed in New
York in the name Of past due bond
holder el jpiIiug the financial agent Of
Tennessee Ia New York from paying
due coupons until the past due bonds
were paid, IA the law then requiring
past due bonds To he paid before inter.
est coupons should be paid. This
money thus set apart out Of the profits,
resulting from this speculation, was
whether ever given TO Brownlow or
any member OF his family, | do not
know, and, so far as | remember, new
er heard until the day after the taking
OF my deposition, wh,n Mahry told
me on the street, In Knoxville, he
gave it to BrOwnlow's wife,
COL. NJ. d. BEARDEN,
Deposition Of Col. NJ. ID. Beardsn,
taken in the Senate chamber, Nash
Vile, February O, 1879. The witt
pess, after explaining his connection
with the Knoxville & Charleston
Railroad, deponed as follows:
Question. Did your road, while you
were Treasurer or Director In 1t, try To
get legislation extending further aid
to ito
A. There was an effort made in 1868,
to obtain additional appropriations.
Q. Who represented the road in that
effOrt2 Were they in Nashville on that
business
A. represented the road, and was in
Nashville q short time.
Q. Who owns and controls said road
A. Ny information is that Tboms,
O'Conner and DR.. VIM, Morrow arc the
@. When did they become the owners
and how2
A. They became the owners by purcbass
from the State, but do not recollect the
date of the purchase.
q. Was any other road seeking addition
al aid at the same time yours was lfso,
what road, and who were representing II IN
the effort2
A. There were large number OF roads
seeking aid at the same time, but / don't
know that / can now call them all 10 mind.
The Knoxville and kentucky was one
the road running from McMinnville o.
Sparta called, think, the Southwestern,
by MIR. Samuel Tasher, who
was then in the Safe Senate, and other
roads that do not now remember.
q Was there any concert Of action IN
The effort on the part Of NIL these roads or
any number Of them2
A. The repres rntative uf each road WAS
using all his influence with his immediate
to secure the passage Of tho
@ What, or how was this bill deslg-
lated
A. My recollection was that il was dos
grated as the Omnibus bill"
q. How much in Ill did It propose TO
appropriated
a. ! can not say definitely, pretty largo
um, however, perhaps S2,Oy0,C0O or more.
*. 1t did not
Q Did it, or similar bill aftcrward
Ass
A. Ny recollection Il that no appropria-
ion bill passed after that, nj least, not for
n East Tennessee road.
O. Were you in Nashville, or did your
DAD have representatives in Nashville
uring the session of the Legislature Of
S66-672
A. Ny inform alton was that IL did have
representatives. here in 1866 G7. My inn
ressiOn is that Col. g. M. McGheo repre-
ented it here ia 1866, and that Col. Mabry
nd others associated with him were here
D 1867
Q. Who represented the Knoxville and
Road
A. My recollection is that Col McGhce
epresented in 1867. whom the appropria-
on was made.
Q. Please state If you know Of any
loney having been spent TO secure appro-
riations TO these or any other roadg, oE
ave you at any time, RECEIVED information
nat money was spent To secure such aid as
} secure other legislation desired by the
ailrOads2
A. There was "A credit allowed Gen.
[abry, under "A resolution Of the Board Of
rsctnrs, directing him 10 proceed 10
ashville and try to secure appropriation
r his road, Knoxville and kentucky
here was a credit allowed mo for ex
.nses at Nashville in 1863, as Treasurer of
o knoxville and Charleston Road, and
80 tor the expenses afterwards of 4 dele
t!on from Georgia and South Caroline.
lIcn came TO Nashville for tho purpJse
enecllAg cons lid4tion Of the Kno1.
lie and Charleston with the Blue Ridge
Dad.