AFTERNOON SESSION.
Mr. CASON introduced joint resolutions 12,13 and 14 passed by the last Legislature and identical with Senate joint resolutions 1 and 2, [see page 44 of these Reports] embracing the following points:
- 1st. Amending the second section of the second article of the Constitution, to enable the Legislature to define the residence of voters.
- 2d. To amend article eight of the Constitution, to enable cities, towns and townships to levy taxes for common school purposes.
- 3d. An additional amendment to the twenty-third section of the fourth article of the Constitution, permitting incorporated cities and towns to pass laws levying special school taxes.
Which were read the first time and passed to the second reading.
Mr. BROWN offered the following which was adopted:
WHEREAS, One Andrew Wallace, now holding the office of President of the Board for the Management of the Benevolent Institutions of Indiana, has held during the same time and now holds the office of Surveyor of "this District of Indiana," an office of trust and profit; and,
WHEREAS, The said Andrew Wallace, in a card published in the Indianapolis Daily American, of August 13, 1362, did admit that he held the office aforesaid, in the following words, to-wit: "Editors Evening American: Please explain, for the benefit of the ignorant, as to passes. I am acting United States Surveyor for this District of Indiana, holding my commission under his Honor, Secretary S. P. Chase,with power to arrest traitors against our Government, and issue special permits;" and that he had been selling such permits for over one year; and,
WHEREAS, The said Wallace admits in said card, so published, that crowds went to his office in Indianapolis, and all that were worthy to receive them, he sold to, and a great many he refused, charging for said passes twenty-five cents each to all persons who desired to leave the city in pursuit of their business avocations, an act derogatory to and in violation of the rights of the free people of Indiana; and,
WHEREAS, The Constitution expressly provides that "emigration from the State shall not be prohibited," and the said Wallace, in the exercise of an assumed arbitrary power, attempted to prohibit the free transmit, or "emigration," of the people of Indiana, unless they procured from him "free papers," the same that are required of the negro slave from, his master; and,
WHEREAS, The Constitution expressly declares that no person shall hold more than one lucrative office at the same time, except as is expressly permitted in that instrument; and,
WHEREAS, The said Andrew Wallace stated, before his election to the office of President of the Board aforesaid, that he wanted the position for its honor, and pledged himself not to use it for the advancement of his private interest; therefore,
Be it resolved, That the Attorney General of this State be instructed to inquire and report to this House whether the said Andrew Wallace has not vacated the office of President of the Board of Benevolent Institutions, by holding at the same time the office of "United States Surveyor for this District of Indiana."
SECRET POLITICAL SOCIETIES.
The House resumed the consideration of Mr. Gregory's resolution.
Mr. ATKISON was not convinced by all page: 70[View Page 70] he had heard during the discussion this morning, that the investigation proposed would amount to anything. He conceived, if such societies existed, the proper place to arraign the members was in the courts. The Grand Juries of the country could inquire concerning all such matters, and when facts were found to warrant it, make presentments. On this floor were members urging the resolution who had been themselves members ot a secret political society--the Know Nothing order. The mover of the resolution himself had been a member of such secret political society, He, if the resolution were adopted, would be chairman of the proposed committee. That being the ease, we could well understand what sort of a committee we would have, and what sort of investigation, so far as Democrats, who had always been opposed to secret political societies were concerned. He was not willing, as the resolution proposed, to impeach the loyalty of so great a number of his fellow-citizens. The resolution was one for buncombe.
Mr. CASON insisted upon the existence of secret political societies. A Grand Jury of Indiana had said so.
Mr. BROWN (interrupting,) asked the gentleman if that Grand Jury had not perjured themselves, first, by divulging acts they were sworn to conceal; second, by presenting 15,000 citizens of Indiana as traitors and than failing to find a bill upon which any one of them was convicted?
Mr. CASON. Every lawyer in the State knows that they did not. They did not, as the gentleman said yesterday with defence to the editor of the Indianapolis Journal, "draw upon their imagination for their facts." I will ask the gentleman how he knew that the matter was as stated in regard to that editor?
Mr. BROWN. I said that the editor of the Journal did, upon his oath, admit before a Grand Jury that he drew upon his imagination for the matter of his editorials.
Mr. CASON. Before what Grand Jury?
Mr. BROWN. Before the Grand Jury of Sullivan county. That editor had stated in his paper that he knew of a plot by citizens of that county to assassinate Governor Morton by placing obstructions on a railroad track. When summoned before the Grand Jury of that county he declared upon oath that he knew nothing of the matter whatever; nothing of such a conspiracy, although he had stated in his paper that be did; and that so far as he had said anything concerning it he had drawn upon his imagination for the facts.
Mr. CASON. How do you know this?
Mr. BROWN. I can prove it by members on this floor.
Mr. CASON. Were they members of the Grand Jury?
Mr. BROWN. I do not say whether they were or not.
Mr. CASON. If they were, according to your own argument, they have perjured themselves, divulging what they should not have divulged. If they were not, they received their information from perjurers. He resisted the idea that the majority of this House should have the chairman and majority of the committee proposed by the resolution. What did they desire this for, if not for the purpose of stifling investigation? He appealed to the majority, as patriots, as statesmen of Indiana, not to resort either to tyrannical, action or subterfuges to defeat this investigation, demanded by every loyal man in the State.
Mr. BUSKIRK explained his position yesterday as to the formation of the committee. If Mr. Gregory's resolution was adopted, by Parliamentary law he would be chairman and would be entitled to have a majority of the committee from his owns party. It was competent for the majority to refer, and dispose of the question, till some one of the majority should move for an investigation, be Chairman and secure control of the Committee. Hence he desired the reference to the Committee on Federal Relations.
JOINT CONVENTION.
Three o'clock having arrived, the Senate preceded by the President, entered the Hall.
The PRESIDENT of the Senate called the Convention to order and announced that the General Assembly were met in Joint Convention, pursuant to a concurrent resolution of both Houses thereof, for the purpose of electing a State Printer, three directors for the State Prison South and three for the State Prison North.
On motion by Representative BROWN, the Convention proceeded to elect
PRISON DIRECTORS, SOUTH.
Representative NIBLACK nominated George E. Greene, of Knox County for the term of four years.
Senator RAY nominated Samuel Donaldson, of Shelby, for the term of four years.
Representative MOORMAN nominated A. S. Crothers and Samuel M. Mitchell.
Messrs. Greene and Donaldson received 81 votes, Messrs. Crothers and Mitchell 54.
The PRESIDENT declared Messrs. Donelson and Greene duly elected.
Representative HOWARD nominated John F. Reed of Clarke for the term of two years.
Senator MARSH nominated Wm. Brotherton, of Delaware.
Mr. Reed received 81 votes, Mr. Brotherton 54.
Mr. Reed was declared elected.
page: 71[View Page 71]PRISON DIRECTORS, NORTH.
By consent, the Convention agreed to vote for the three Directors at one ballot.
Senator HOAGLAND nominated Thos. Tigar, of Allen.
Representative WOLFE nominated Jas. H. Swaar, of Owen.
Representative MILLER nominated R. S. Hastings, of Tippecanoe.
Representative MOORMAN nominated Chancey B. Blair, of Laporte, Hugh Hanna, of Wabash, and Jonas Votaw, of Jay.
Mr. Swaar received 83 votes, Mr. Hastings 81, Mr. Tigar 80, Mr. Blair 56, Mr. Votaw 56, and Mr. Hanna 55.
Messrs, Swaar, Hastings and Tigar were declared duly elected for four years.
STATE PRINTER.
Senator BROWNE, of Wells, nominated Joseph J. Bingham, of Marion.
Senator BEESON nominated Berry R. Sulgrove, of Marion.
Mr. Bingham was declared elected.
The PRESIDENT. The business for which we met 'having been transacted, I pronounce this Convention adjourned sine die.
When Senators had retired--
Mr. CASON resumed. No one who had listened to the discussion here could avoid the conclusion that such secret political organizations do exist: and have not all these gentlemen who proclaim that they were on Grand Juries and called hundreds of witnesses and foiling no evidence of such secret organizations, proven themselves by the logic of their party friends to be perjured rascals? We have other facts. Prominent Democrats have declared their existence. Judge Hughes has done it. We have seen and heard enough ourselves to convince us of their existence, and I shall assume their existence as incontrovertible. If they exist; if their design is to thwart the operations of the government, or other illegal purposes, have we not a right to investigate them? Shall we not investigate whether they are criminal in their aims? But the Democrats say the resolution charges the Democracy with belonging to treasonable societies. The resolution makes no charge that that party as a party composes this secret organization. It strikes against the societies themselves, not against parties. Why are gentlemen so delicate? They who press investigation on other questions? What is it, except that they fear it may "disclose that prominent men of their party, men whom they have nominated for office, may be implicated? Will they attempt to stifle investigation for partizan success? Are these men, who have piously and plaintively read lectures to the minority about constitutional oaths, and duties, ready to stifle investigation for partizan ends? He reviewed the course of the majority, in their attempt to override the minority, and their constant denunciations of the Government, while they were prating about the rights of traitors.
