The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-01-11


| Assignment Act" introduced into the
| Legislature by "Smith of Stanly."
i .In the early part of last April"
said Mr.. Ellington, sit was discovered
| bv some one in the office of the Secre-
| tary of State that this assignment act
| had been ratified" Then he told the
| circumstances accompanying the
search for the bill and at last the
| discovery of the original bill in ne
old library rooms in the State Capt.
| toll.
Upon the discovery of the fact that
this bill had been fraudulently rati-
| fed Congressman Richmond Pearson
had come to Raleigh and asked him
! if he would not go through the origi-
nal bills with him. Il told him [
| had made a thorough search and
couldn't find it. Together we search
ed through every bill in the enrolling
clerks office, but did not find the
Assignment Act. Mr.. Pearson was
then satisfied that it was not there"
In the meantime Satterfield, Brown
and Walker and probably Hileman,
all of whom had been summoned here
by telegraph by Pearson, searched for
the bill in Satterfield's private office,
to the right of the Speakers desk.
Purnell was present during the search.
They couldn't find the bill in Satter-
fields Office. Pearson then inquired
where the bills that had not passed
were. Satterfield said they were up
in the old library room. We searched
there and found this original bill. 1t
was found in paper box, in batch
of other tabled biIls-bills that failed
4 nr hn hot
tom of the box was written in pen
ell the words TABLED bills" During
all this hunt Satterfield did not pre-
tend to know where the bill was.
Pearson remarked several times dur
ing the search that he would give fifty
dollars to find the bill. Satterfield
said he believed the bill could be found.
Ellington testified that he had found
all the entries in the House Journal
regarding the bill.
WHAT THE JOURNAL SHOWED.
The defense objected to the intro
duction of any testimony relating to
the journal of the House. The objec-
ton was over-ruled. Solicitor Pou
then tried to introduce the printed
| journal as evidence, but the defense
| compelled him to produce the original
from the Secretary Of States office.
Tt was then shown that the journal
contained no entry regarding the bill
on either March 18th or March 18th,
when the bill was tabled.
An entry March 18th shows that a
bill without number, desigated only
by its caption, IAN Act to Regulate
Assignments" was reported for rati-
fication by the committee on enroll
ed bills.
The defense here introduced the re-
ceipt book kept by Satterfield, in which
the enrolling clerk receipted for bills.
There was no entry of the assignment
act. for either March 18th or March
18th. And in the book there is no
such number as 1918.
The defense introduced the calendar
kept by the principal clerk. This
showed that House Bill No. 1913, AN
Act TO Regulate Assignments, passed
its first reading and was referred to the
finance committee Feb. goth, and was
tabled, failed to pass" March 18th.
sATTERFIELD KEPT CALENDAR.
Mr.. Ellington testified that it was
the usual custom TO deposit this clerks
calendar with the custodian of docu-
ments within five days after the Leg
islature adjourns; that Satterfield had
possession of that calendar until the
case TO prevent the assignment act
from becoming a law came up in Wake
county Superior court; that ne had
written to Mr.. Satterfield concerning
it. and that Mr. Satterfield had replied
that he had carried it home with him
for the purpose Of indexing the journ-
al.
SMITH OF sTANLY" TEsTFIEs.
Mr.. r. T.. Smith, member or the
House from Stanly, was put on the
stand.
He testified that he had introduced
the bill known as the assignment
act" by request February goth. 1t
was referred to the finance committee,
Of which Hileman was chairman, and
| by them was reported back TO the
| House with an amendment. 1t was
| placed on the calendar, and later was
made q special order, but was crowded
out by another bill. The bill remain
ed on the special order calendar until
Monday night, March 18th. Il remem-
her that date positively. On that night
/ went to the speaker and asked him
10 place the bill before the House
that / wanted TO have the bill killed.
The amendment was very objectiona-
BILE to me. I went to Lee, of Haywood
and asked him to move to table the
|, bill. 1t was laid on the table in ten
seconds
HE NET SATTERFIELD.
THE next morning, Tuesday" he
said. II met Satterfield with number
of bills in his hands. I've got one of
your bills now he said to me. look
I'd over the pile Ct bills, and found there
| that assignment act. I told him the
bin had been tabled the night before.
ne turned around, and said he would
go back and see about it. ! met him
| just in front of the Speakers desk: lie
said he was going to have the pile of
| bills enrolled"
"What were the exact words Satter-
| field used?" asked Solicitor Pou.
| Mr.. Smith "He said in reference
l I.sEI ST oxn eraSvu IN eriVq If to