Year: 1868

senate.


Thursday. Feb. q, 1858. S.-Prayer by the
Rev. Mr.. Huntington.


The Committee on the Penitentiary sub
nitted the report in reference TO The burn
ing Of the penitentiary, with all the evil
dence taken by them on the subject.


HOUSE BILLS or THIRD READING.
An act to provide for the election Of
Clerks Of the Law Court Of Memphis. The
law as i now aands makes the Clerk Of
the Criminal Court the Clerk also Of the
Law Court.


The bill also provides that the Clerk Of
the County Court of Shelby county shall
no longer be the Recorder to the Board of
County Commissioners.


The bill further provides that the Clerk
of the County Court of Shelby county shall
no longer be Collector Of Taxes on Privil-
eges, as he now is, the bill to take effect in
reference to the Clerk of the County Court
in 1870. 4Hi 1865 slt


The motion of Senator Mccall, to make
it, in its application TO the County Court
Clerk, take effect in 1870 was then dis
cussed by Senators Smith and Nelson.


Mr.. Smith was in favor of dividing those
Offices He did not believe that the law
as it now stands contemplated making the
Clerk Of the County Court the collector of
taxes on privileges. 1t was not designed
that any one person should hold two lucrs-
tive offices. He believed that if the offices
of Clerk of the County Court, and that of
collector OF taxes on privileges were
divided, that 100000 more revenue would
be collected annually. He said the present
incumbent, who was present in the floor of
the Senate, was a man of irreproachable
character for honesty and integrity and has
made a faithful and efficient officer, and
was his personal friend from whom he had
received many kindnesses, but the Repub-
lican party demanded division of these
offices, and that his devotion to his party
was superior to any personal considerations
of friendship for the present incumbent or
any one else.


Mr.. Nelson WAS opposed to the bill be-
cause it was an innovation on the estab-
lished law of the land. The law requires
every man to apply TO the Clerk of the
County Court for license, and the county
holds the Clerk of the Court responsible
fer the taxes paid on such privileges. To
divide the responsibility of the Office on
two persons, would be an evil instead of a
good and that he did not believe in dis
charging a trusted and we'll tried officer,
one who has nobly done his duty, as is
attested, even by those who wish him
shorn of his profits, at the behests of party
or friends.


The Senator from Shelby boasts that he
represents the important and wealthy city
of Memphis, with a population Of 60000
and that he demands that these offices
should be divided out. We see no evil
dence that the people, who are the tax
payers, desire auy such thing. There is no
evidence TO prove this, and he was opposed
to infringing in a special case general
law of the land. Suppose we look. for a
moment at the special pleading and the
sophistTy of the gentleman from Shelby.
He says the present incumbent, Mr..
League, is a gentleman of truth and the
highest character, and that he has per-
formed the duties of his Office with credit
to himself aud satisfaction to the people
But that is not all he says that if the
Office was divided, and another man ap-
pointed a. Collector, at least 500, 600 more
would be collected annually. Then, &C.
cording TO the sophistical argument of The
Senator from Shelby, Mr. Logue has failed
10 collect 100000 annually, yet he in
dorses him as a gentleman and fine Off
Ger. A good and faithful officer, and vet
he fail to collect 100000! Such sophis-
try IA this l once learned in studying logic.


The amendment was adopted, and the
bill was passed by vote of IL to 6.


Adjourned.