The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-03-07

money TO Martin. There IL no testimony 10
show that this claim IL just one. IL has
been said here that the reason that this
should be paid was tina! warrant had
once been drawn for It, This war.
rant was issued under Governor Williams
John Martins first claim was not for 49,
600 but 200. He first presented his claim
for $4,000 which was refused; he then Sc
cured warrant by mandate. A compro-
mise was finally made between Governor
Porter and Mr.. Martin, and the suit vas dis
missed. This claim has been befjre the
General Assembly several times, and has
never yet been reported upon fay0rably.
His first claim was sic 600. but since the
death of Architect May he pats i at much
higher figure. a peculiar thing Ia the
history OF the claim Is that two
years ego, Governor Porter delivering his
message IN this House recommended this
claim. apparently rtaiiug from bis manu-
script, but when this message printed
that part was omitted from print, aud IL was
never printed. though once ordered. After
that claim was defeated. aud when the
specific Appropriation bill was on its pass
age a attempt wa4 made 10 insert this
claim in IL, but this was defeated. The
same thing was tried IN tho Senate. My
Judgment is that II this claim for extra work
Is correct il would have so been decided
long ago. Ii is shown that Martin had
many contracts on hand, and was )mpelled
20 borrow money. Had HE claim been Just
he would have scored the money due MIN
az once. and not sent uuderit.
Mr.. BgOWNLEE; l hope the time will
sOOn come when there will be other means
OF man securing claims against the State
tban here. IL a man has claim he must
give II attention, aud thus he brings down
on his head the criticism of a l9boyist. ]
was a member Of the sub committee TO ex-
anime witnesses relative to this claim, and
after a impartial and thorough investi ga.
tion / must say that l believe that the
claim is Just. Long before Governor
Porter became member OF this Insane Hos
pital Board the mem bers oft then favored it.
IL is a strange thing TO me that a single voice
in this Legislature should be raised against
the payment OF an honest debt. IL Is the
truth that Martins first claim was S76 00O
bat il has been cut down TO $40 600. John
Martin had a contract in writing signed by
Hon. Thomas A. Hendricks ana other mem
bers of TIE Insane Hospital Board. Ii is no
imaginary bill, but is for work actually
| done.
Mr. GORDON: l occupy an opposite posi-
ton on this from what | did two years ago
| The gentleman from Knox (Mr. Williams)
has referred TO me. IJ was said to me this
morning that If | would Withdraw my
amendments to the May aim that the gen
/ heman from Knox would not speak as ainst
/ this claim.
Mr.. WILLIAMS: And it was said to me
/ this morning that if ! would withdraw my
| opposition TO the Martin claim the gentle.
man from Putnam Mr.. Gordon would not
/ oppose the Nay claim.
/ The SPEAK Err: This is not the question
under discussion Honors are even. The
/ gentleman from Putnam will proceed.
Mr.. GORDON: The reason why j opposed
1 his claim two years ago was because ! IN
/ derstand the contract was changed. The
committee iOuod that there had been sn
/ authorized measurement Of that contract.
! Enc committee believes that the claim is
F Just. The contract was squarely made, and
/ The bill should be paid.
+ Mr. PATTEN: / have been entertained
bY the learned gentleman from Pdtna N Mr..
SordoD) We have been travelling along 10.
/ gether for some tine, bat we have come to
q parting place in the road. ] DO not believe
that this claim is just-I believe like the
/ gentleman from Putnam did two years ago.
I This investigation did not 90 far enough
back into the records as | h9psd that it
would. They have not examined it upon
| the merits of the case. This contra, i is not,
| as claimed, a sufficient guaranty OF the
claim. You see this is written in bold
! hand, and afteTward interlined with fine
! hard. ! do no. believe that the Provincial
! Board when this contract was signed knew
any thing of these changes. They say these
changes were made by Edwin May-but they
| never made that claim until he was dead
and gone. DE was always opposed to this.
Mr.. BROWNING: IL / thought that the
State owed John Martin one cent / would
vote cheerfully for this claim. But do not
believe that the State owes him cent The
| friends OF the claim say that Governor Porter
and others think the claim is ust, Suppose
they do. Does that make it so? II it is such
an upright and honest claim, Why did not
Governor Porter, when he was IN office, take
steps to have II paid2
Mr.. MOODY: ] have no apology to offer
for voting for this claim. Two
years ago ! made q thorough examination
! of this aud found IL TO be what / believe
Just claim. Because the claim Is old is no
proof against IT, IL was sQuarely agreed by
the State that il the suits against the State
were dismissed the claims would be paid
| Where did the authority come from that
Governor Williams said the State did not
owe this?
Mr.. BROWNING John w Graham told
me that he heard Governor Williams say ii.
Mr.. MOODY: So il is all hearsay testi
mony? Are you going to rely on that? Are
you going home To your constituents with
that sort of evidence Even the gentlemen
opposed to this claim say that Jonn Martin
il an honest man. Ii he is an honest man,
then be would not file claim tina. il not
correct Ii has been said that the claim
grows larger with time. ! defy any one to
show where il has grown beyond the original
$4,000 We agreed to pay this II the sIit
vas dismissed. Are We to turn our ba ks
upon that? The claim is due aud the service
has been rendered.
Mr. ROBINSON believed the claim uni ust
and that it should not be allowed. be de.
manded the previous question.
The House seconded the demand, and
under its operations the bill tailed to pass -
yeas l.; nays 50
Mr.. SAYRE, explaining his vote, said:
Two years ago two committees gave this a
thorough examination, and l was familiar
With the testimony; because two able attor-
neys were employed to assist the Attorney
General regarding these claims, and they.
upon investigation, recommended with
drawing the suit on the ground that the
calm wac just, l vote "aye."
Mr BARNES: l, being Chairman OF the
Committee on Claims, examined many
witnesses upon this case. and among them