The Indianapolis journal., 1897-01-23
Slap Made at the Senate for Leaving
Out the Attorney General af the
Request of that Official.
SAVAGE ATTACK ON HAGGARD
THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR MAKES
A DIGNIFIED REPLY.
Attorney General Declares He Drew
the senate Substitute and Sug-
gested Senator La Toilette.

The sensitiveness OF the House TO news
paper attacks and the disposition of its
members to believe all that they see in
print, placed the House in rather ridicu-
lous position yesterday in regard to the
Vandalia investigation. The News of the
night before had, without any particular
knowledge of the facts, so handled the mat
ter as 10 create the impression that Lieu
tenant Governor Haggard and the Senate
were engaged in conspiracy to prevent a
thorough investigation of the matter. Fol-
lowing this the Sentinel had openly charged
that the lieutenant governor was in a
scheme to suppress the investigation, had
railroaded a harmless substitute through
the Senate and had appointed upon the
committee two interested attorneys. The
truth was that the resolution had been held
in the Senate in order that the attorney
general of the State might draft a substi-
tute, and this substitute, after being
changed so as to strike out clause re-
quiring that the speaker of the House be
the ex officio chairman of the investigating
committee. was introduced i'm the Senate by
Senator McCord and adopted by that body.
The members of the House, however, had
got the impression from these unreli-
able newspaper sources that there was "a
dark scheme on the part of the Senate to
shut the attorney general out of the inves-
tigation, and morning prayers
were over Mir. Henderson offered the fol-
lowing resolutions:
Whereas, Ii is publicly known that a
controversy exists between the Nandalia
Railway Company, of the first part ana
the State OF Indiana, OH the second part,
concerning matters out of which Ii lis al
legged that a large debt accrued against said
railroad Of he tate of
Indiana, which debt is said TO be due and
unpaid; and.
Whereas, Said controversy has in part
been in the form of litigation between said
parties in various courts; and,
w hereas, the attorney general of indi-
ara, as the law officer OF the State of In
diana, should be. and doubtless is. familiar
with the nature of said controversy, its
history, development and present status.
both In courts and elsewhere; now, there
fore. be it
Resolved. That the House of Representa-
tives does hereby request and direct the
attorney general of the State of Indiana
in his official capacity, 10 communicate as
specifically as he can, consistent with real
sonable brevity. to the House such detailed
Information as he and his office, its records
may possess touching such controversy, its
nature, origin. amounts involved and pres
ent status, and all other matters. includ-
Ing litigation. as he may have knowledge
Resolved. That this House hereby re-
quest said officer in his official capacity, to
MAKE any anu dli Sucn llOnS In
the premises he may deem for the best
interest of the State, touching said contro-
versy and claim. and that said communica-
tion be furnished the House at the earliest
convenience of said officer
This resolution was adopted without op
position and without debate.
An hour or so later the speaker handed
down the substitute resolution adopted by
the Senate the day before. Mr.. Hender-
son at once arose and moved that the
House refuse to concur i'm the resolution,
and that it be returned without approval.
This also was adopted unanimously, three
or four members springing TO their feet
to second the motion, and this additional
insult was thus put upon the Senate in
haste, before any of the members of the
House were aware of the facts contained
in the speech of the lieutenant governor
and the statement of the attorney general