Year: 1863




any act on the part of the Governor.
This made these State officers the Cover
nors of the State, and deprived Govern or
Morton of all power whatever


Second.-A bill for the reorganization
of the boards of control of the benevo-
lent institutions, legislating the present
trustees out of Office, for the purpose OF
making room for Democratic partisans,
and giving them the control and patron
age. The benevolent institutions were
re garded as mere political machines, to
be worked for party purposes, regardless
of the interests of the unfortunate per-
sons for whom they were created. That
they we're well conducted was confessed
by all. No tangible charge had been
made against the management of any
one OF them, and the sole purpose Sc IF 4
few lounging partisans The policy in
tended to have been inaugurated was
entirely revolutionary in character, and
could not have been else than highly in
furious to the best interests of the State.
Men who had been properly elected, and
against whom no charges were preferred
were to be legislated out of Office when
their terms we're bat half expired, the
contract made with them by the State
was to be violated, and they informed
that the tenure of their Offices did not
depend upon the law, but upon the sue
cess of parties; the law under which
they were elected was to be repealed to
suit the interests of q faction, and all
stability and security in the administra-
ton of the benevolent institutions to be
destroyed.


! Suppose the same policy was carried
into other departments of State affairs,
which conld be done with equal proprie-
ty, what wonld become Of the State gov
ernment? Judges, clerks, sheriffs, and
all county officers could be legislated
out, and new elections held, whenever
the party that happened to be- in power
supposed it could carry the new elec-
tions. Such policy would be fatal, and
would clearly result in anarchy.


/ Third-A bill to reorganize the board
of trustees of the State University at
Bloomington A majority of the present
faculty and board are Union men. where
fore Speaker Buskirk brought forward a
bill legislating the pcesent trustees out,
that new ones might be elected of Demo
cratic politics, who would turn out the
present faculty and elect another. No
charge whatever was made against the
faculty or the board, and no pretext was
offered but the necessities of the party.
The interests of education, the highest
tPtSeeresttss Of. Of our CHILDREN d ,aBAG Tor as a
prize, by unscrupulous partisans.
/ FOurth.-A bill to repeal so much of
the charter Of the city Of Indianapolis as
authorizes the establishment of city
ed By the Legislature, who should 7ap-
point and control the police of the city.
The city was to be disfranchised as a
punishment for its politics, and to be
placed under the control of guardians
whom it did not select, and could not dis
miss. This measure was insulting, high
handed and dangerous, proposing, as it
did, to legislate all police officers and
authorities out of Office, and to place in
their stead body of men obnoxious to
very large majority of the people of the
city, and who would not be responsible
to the city for their inefficiency or mis-
conduct in Office Under the operation
of this bill, the city would doubtless have
been placed under the control of the
Knights of the Golden Circle, and a
reign of treason and terror inaugurated.


THE MILITARY BILL


Shortly after the October election, it
was given out by various Democratic
politicians and papers, that the Legion
Law would be repealed, and new law
passed depriving the Governor of all con-
troll over the State arms and militia; and
on the 18th day of February, in pursu-
ance of a conspiracy, formed months be-
fore, a military bill was introduced by
Bayie Hanna Chairman of the Military
COMMITTEE in the House 1t completely
overturned the constitutional authority
of the State, established military pro-
visional government, and placed all ex-
ecutive and military power in the hands
of the four Democratic State officers
From the hour of tho introduction of this
bill, all important and legitimate subjects
Of legislation were put behind it, and


made subject to its final passage.
RELIEF or SOLDIERS FAMILIES.
The Governor, in his message, had
urged an immediate appropriation for
the rehef Of soidlers it sas6n a2d 81 ssfering,
and what vas done was required to be
done quickly. Yet the whole session
: was consumed by the introduction of
reasonable and buncombe resolutions,
and the passage of few unimportaht
bills, and not step was taken toward
: the appropriation of dollar for the re-
lief of the families of the soldiers.
, UNPAID MILITARY CLAIMS.


There were military claims to the
amount of Sl50,000 due from the State,
!, all of which had received the approval
of the Auditing Committee, and which
should have been paid by an immediate
appropriation at the very beginning Of
8 the session; but they were put behind
the Military Bill and no provision made
: for their payment


: SPECIAL SURGEONS.


i A large amount was due to assistant
/ surgeons who had been sent to the field
e by the Governor, at various times, anC
e who had rendered invaluable services t
y Indiana troops MMany of these claim:
g had been due for more than twelve
l. months, and should have been provided
e for, by an immediate appropriation, bu
!. they, too, were jammed behind the Mill
d tary Bill.