Year: 1866

/ tended. may be mistaken. The Supreme


Court, in reversing the judgment irst


obtained in favor of the city, solemnly


decided that Gen. Blythe, Uol Baker,


aud myself, and the Circuit Court, were


all mistaken, and the United States


Court may think so, too" They talk


about grace, while exhibiting their own


want of it in knowingly m'srepresent-


ing me. These gentlemen know that


before the organization of the new


company, Mr. Ingle had publicly


asserted in substance that it was


Willard Carpenters measure; that it
was not intended to benefit the


city, but Carpenter and others connected


with the unfortunate concern" known


as the Straight Line Railroad, and that
/ was acting as their attorney. They


know, too, that my motive in asking


them to engage in the organization was,
that the Directory should be men whom


all the citizens knew, and who were
generally known not to be under the in


fuence of Willard Carpenter or any one


else connected with the Straight Line
Road. anf tTHHta1


When the election Of Directors took


place William Baker was not present.
told those present that did not want
to be Director, but wished the rest
of them to have entire control and
asked Col. Conrad Baker whether he
thought there would he any improperly
in electing William Baker a Director


He said he thought not, and he and the
rest OF us al voted for him. As to
Judge Iglehart, l have only to say that


his note was handed to me out of my
office, on the street, while it was too
dark to read it, and being engaged in
conversation at the time, placed it in
my pocke: and thought no more Of it
until after the Board of Directors had
been elected and organized, and the
members had left, when it was too late
to comply with his request. As the
election was intended as Q. merely for
NAL compliance with the law, / did not
think the matter of any Importance,
and did nothing with reference to
it. l had no power to do anything but
to request the Board to meet again, and
doubted whether they could, at another
meeting, undo what was done. In reply
to Mr.. Ingle's card Of this date, I will
only Say, that no stranger has ever done
the city and it's citizens as much pecuni- |
airy injury as he has With fullknowl.
edge of the effect of bis course, be delib-
erately prevented the completion of the
Straight Line road, by which the city |
has lost, already, one hundred and |
seventy or eighty thousand dollars, and
rendered the stock worthless in the |
hands of the citizens who lost hun
dreds and thousands of dollars; some
losing their money, and others lots and
lands, to such an extent as to ruin them.
Mr.. Ingle brought about this result |
bat for the benefit OF the E & c.
road, and the Terre Haute & Indiana.
polls road God save us from such
friendsl Strangers could treat US no
worse.


An attempt is made to produce false
impression as to the effect of the vote
of the people. The law 10 this, as the
Mayor, and every other lawyer who has
read the charter aud its amendments
knows @ es&Af4


The Council has no power to take
stock unless the people, BY vote, or peti.
tion request it. Ift the people vote in favor
of 1t, this only confers upon the Council
the necessary power TO subscribe, but
does not compel them to do So They
may subscribe or not IS they please,
Notwithstanding the vote, and if they
subscribe they have the power to annex
every condition that they may think
proper ia order to prevent the waste OF
the money If they annex such con
ditions as will render the subscr ption
useless, the Directors will refuse
it, and there viii be the end OF
the matter. The people, cannot be
injured or their money wasted, if the
Mayor and Councilmen do their duty.
Yet the Mayor seems to be apprehensive
afraid to have the people entrust him
and the Councilmen with the naked pow
er to subscribe or not, as they please,
and to make subscription subject to
just such terms and conditions as they


may think proper. I have more conf


dence in their good sense and integrity


than he has. have no fear that they


will not properly guard the interest of
the city. JAMES G. JONES.