The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-05-31
HARPER'S BILL.
Damaging Testimony Given by En-
crossing Clerk Allen.
pringtield Register

| SpfihSHeiu Register
| The special committee appointed to in
vestigate the charge of forgery in chang
| inc and altering certain words in the
| Harper high license bill. met in Clerk
Reeves room, at the capitol last evening.
There were present Chairman Billings,
and Messrs. McFie Willpughby, Crafts,
| Wood of De KaIb Bethea and Morrison.
Mr. Harper was present 10 defend him
self and Messrs. Harrington. Beardsley,
and Cronkrite appeared to sustain the
charges.
The resolution of MI. BiIli-1s, which
was introduced and pas5eu the house last
Friday was read The following witness
rs were sworn by Nomey Hickox, notary
public Clerk Reeve, of the house; Assis-
tant Clerks Dawson. Allison and Hit
Journal Clerks Quinn and Johnson, En-
Tolling and Engrossing Clerk Miss Clara
Patton and Mr. Allen. first assistant
engrossing clerk.
Mr.. Reeve testified that as clerk of The
house he had full supervision over The
journals and recC Is of proceedings. The
journals of May II, II, J. ). Is, %. "a %,
and 26 were produced. The journal of
May II, after il had been approved by the
house, had been corrected by order of
winess TO correspond with the enerossed
bill; the bill was 285, or the high license
bill; by witness orders the word result
ing was scratched ont Of the journal
report Of the Gregg amendment In bill
281, and the word arising substituted.
The alteration was made To conform with
the engrossed bill; did not remember when
he ordered the alteration: may have done
it himself. The journal OF the house
was produced showing that the high Ii
ccnse bill was reported to the house as
having been properly engrossed on the
18th of May, and reported to the house on
May %.
Question by MIR Harrington When
did you correct the journal
Answer After it had been engrossed
Q-Why did you not correct the jour
nal before2 There is quite difference
between the 18th of May and the 23d.
A.-Did not know an error was made;
witness regarded it his duty to correct all
such words, which, in his Judgment. were
errors; did not send the original high
license bill with original amendments to
the enrolling and eugrossing department
with endorsement; it may have been wit
ness duty, but did not attend to it; wit
ness did not certify to the engrossing
department that the bill was all right it
was the custom. but in this instance was
neglected
Question by Mr. Bearlsley Mr Reeve.
who authorized YOU Ia change journal
of the house?
Witness will answer that by asking
you who authorized me To write the
journal?
Mr. Beardsley insisted on his question.
and after futile attempts to evade it, wit
ness acknowledged that the journal was
on his own authority; Mr.. Har
per had come TO him and explained that
there was an error in the bill. lie (IIar-
PERI had conferred with Mr.. Gregg about
it, and the enorossing clerk had corrected |
the blu to conform with the statute. Mr. |
Harper had asked witness 10 correct the |
journal TO conform with the cngrossed |
bill, which was done. This was after |
the said journal had been read to and APP |
proved by the house The witness |
closed his examination by reading the |
of the house lecture on his |
duties and powers, and claimed that he |
had the right TO change words and phrases |
without the consent or knowledge of the |
house.
He was sharply rebuked by Mr. Her
rington, who said witness assumed alto |
gether too much. Witness must not |
presume to dictate, nor lecture the mem |
bers of the house
Question by Mr.. Harper Did ask you |
to change any records
Witness-Mr Harper came to me one |
and said: There is evidently u |
mistake in this bill. Will you, or can |
you [witness] change the Journal to con-
form with the engrossed bill?" | did SO
would not have ordered correction made |
il Harper had not requested IT, the mis- |
takes l correct are errors Of clerks and |
not of the house.
Miss Clara Patton chief enrolling and |
engrossing clerk of the house, was then |
called, and testified that sheet of paper |
with printed slip pasted thereon had |
been sent to her department as bill 2S7 |
and amendments; it had the characters
80. X. w III. III" on the bottom After |
the bill had been engrossed by Mr. Allen
her assistant, Mr.. Harper was called up,
aud the enerossed bill was compared, with |
the printed slips sent up as bill 2S7, dur
ing the comparison witness remembered
hearing Mr.. Allen say resulting" did not
sound right; the statutes were examined,
and it was discovered that the word