Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-03-09

not the State permitted herself 10 a di-,,,
| and unavoidable recognition f the yglfF'
! ity Of her bond?
! And now having reviewed in detail o..
! prominent grounds of defense made las a.
| that they are not SUCH deienses astho r..'
! pie Of Tennessee will be satisfied, und a.
/ they have a right 10 conc 'ude from .
ability of the committee AMI the inlg.-,
they have displayed, those gt ], asi m4k.r.
a msjOrit report that ali has been .a.ar..
can be said on that question, and vLF. H..
! the result2 Not that the State has Ira.
wronged and defrauded by her crodft.-.
as the holders Of her DO Dis, buL by The .r.
| competence and fraud and treHChery sr.
corruption of her own sworn official rolra.
sentatives, running back throug long ~.
! ries of years, and exhibiting n degree
! imbecility and depravity that is stigr
/ upon our civilization and u reproaCh 90 o..
! public institutions.
The report Of the committee luruI.
! shows the fact that the defenses surpp.tu#
! in behalf of the State are almost wholly Of.
| a technical character, such as TO ono die.
/ putting debt would voluntarily or. a. "a
matter ofchoice, avail himselfof; and iI.,
TO say the most for them, they are OF q .uh..
iul efficacy or validity; that whilst lh.
State has, may be, been the victim ufi-mH
and misnsn7 cement in her affairs, her out.
standing obligations are OF entirely with.
out consideration a. u magnificent s.Iu tg.u
in whose ha Is we are now assembled. arH
rs some Of our literary and charitable ia
stltu!lons; and that even "a 10 the railroad.
whose dGiinqueECi, are a leg. Il o. bee UaUg
and grIevOus, if they were, to-day, hlU..rN
suddenly out Of existence it would boz the
lnHIctlon upon cur citizens of "a calamity
that would OveFtoP so far as our social ,g.
INV - Z ga. |
d velopment and progress OF our State are
concerned, all the accumuht I'd lus.D, ard
disasters Ofthe war.
In conclusion of this minority rep %. ]
trust may be allowed g. say that whilst ]
concede TO each and every other member
of The committee pure ana patriotic mo-
tlves in the course they have pursued ana
the opinions they nave expressed in the re-
port, | feel that / may rightiully claim no
lcssfOr myself, | have oudcavorcd 20 lu"h
at tho questions from the standpoint g.. %
Judge acting under the binding ubhgaa"r.
of an oath, and viii 50 my opinions may b..
dssented from and my positions dDcm.a
untenable, they have at least been frankly
and plainly expressed, and know that
have no possible motive for Attending O.
burden the public of Tennessee, with un %.
legal and unjust debt. am mysrlta shar-
er OF their burdens, and rs property
holder have felt and now feel the gtlcyua-
pressure of taxation, and, as stated upon %
former occasion, / have no interest, dur..
or indirect, prompting me to support thu
Cause of the creditors or bOBdhuldurs Of thU
State, not being their counsel cor attorney
and never having at any toe been tho
owner Of bond, Federal, State or muriDI,
pal.
Ny recommendation, then, REGARDING
the question Of the ) ate's indebtedness I'm
all OF IL aspects is that the State, 10 she
means to contest the validity of her bonds
shall at once make provisions ir having
this issue tried and determined by disiutor-
ested or by one Of her own judicial tribu>
nails, whose judgment shall BE- hunl, and lt
i'm our favor will aCquit Us at the bar ul
public opinion throughout the world; or
hat the State shall, without delay, mako
with the creditors for sul-
Element upon such terms AS We may pro.
pose without dishonOr, and, As the CUnlI-
tiCn and present pccuniary resources OF tho
people Of Tennessee Will enable thrm o.
comply with,
Settlement or sWt is, il seems 10 mo. the
only alternative, aud Of these, | prefer tun
former, and am prepared, If IL shall hu
deemed proper, TO accompany this miUurI-
ty report with basis of settlement, which.
under the pledges given by most ol tha
members of the Legislature, would, ig
common with any other proposition touch
ing the matter, have To be submitted t. lHa
people for their acceptance and reflection
and | would at the same time, If couId d.
80 with prOpricty, submit proppsiii1n ea
20 amend our Constitution and laws a. fD
nterpose an oflcctual safeguard in tho fy-
.ure against the exercise Of the dsJt-crsaI-
ing power, the abuse ofwhich has been. and
5, the giant curse of nations, States and
Re poctlully submitted.
J. w. CLhrr.
/ concur in the above report
Il. H. SMITH