Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-04-09
Special dispatch to the Chronicle.


NASHVILLE, April 7.
The bribery and corruption lnVes>
tigating committee made the follows
ing report:
MIR. sPEAKER-The joint commits
tee appointed under house joint reso-
luton No Al, to inve3igat3 the
charges of corruption aud bribery on
the part OF certain members of AID
general assembly in the election of the
high State officials, respectfully suit
NIT the following report:
The charges were of such a grave
character, involving the honor and
integrity of certain members OF the
house of representatives, and Geliber-
ately published in a public Journal,
accusing two members Of the high
and disgraceful crime Of bribery, the
committee felt that the members
charged, as we'll ss their constituents,
and the people of Tennessee generally,
were v.tllly interested in thorough
investigation, and at the risk i justi
fying the criticism of the daily press,
that this Was "a smelling committee y
ali persons by whom it was expected
the charges could be either proved or
disprOved Were summoned before
the committee and examined
fully and exhaustjvely with the dee
sire of setting the mater in its true
light before the country, in order that
q just judgment and verdict might
result. Ia several instances the CONS
~ ttee were imposed on, and wit
nesses were summoned who knew no
fact pertinent 10 the inveatig atiOn.
Tie testimony OF each witneas was
put down by shorthand reporter,
and written out in full by him, all of
which is here With r. uurned, referred
to and made a part of this report.
Basil NJ. TilImaD, chairman; A. J.
Brown, Thomas f Perkins, jr.. J. NJ &.
Hill, r. r. Butler, W. a. Nc rser, J.
w. Vernon, Alex. Reeder.
In addition to the above report
will submit, that while the evidence
does not sust4 ain he ch arges of bribery
as made, yet it does disclose tbs fac
taat at least two IN members of tae house
were guilty of conduct fearfully al
variance vita the good morals and
rules of stric5 pgop.iety. Basil TIL
man, chairman.
The following minority report wa;
submitted by Mr.. SmaIlman
Mr.. Speaker: The Undersigned
members of your committee adopt the
report of the majority OF the c0mmi =
tee as far as it goes aud desire to add
thereto the following as minority
report: The testimony iD this inves
tigation, hO Sever. disclOses the fac
that Representative IT. K. Plum
mer and Henry P. Davis were
guilty Of Conduct grossly i'm
proper for gentlemen occupying the
high ard honorable citations If repre-
sentatiVes of the State Of Tepnea, G .;
that they gave willing audience
the overtures Of lobbyists to yo;e fol
and in consideration Of pecuniaFJ
AtiOUs anu IDeCSaS vi IceSut
ing the proposition 81 ter tanned it and
COntended for batter price that Rep.
resentative Davis frequently during
the election announced that he was for
sale but could not find a purchaser. Such
conduct aa this should not be passed
over IN silence simply because the
SPECIFIC charge Of bribery was not sus.
tanned by the proof, bit the facts
should be fully reported; otherwise
the lobby will be emboldeued and
still fulther invade the State capitol
endangering the dearest interess O
the State. M. Smaliman, J. NJ. Coul.
.teT, ]. A. Manson.