F. M. MEREDITH.
Mr. GIFFORD moved to take up the House concurrent resolution removing Director F. M. Meredith, of the Southern Prison, that it may be made the special order for 10 o'clock to-morrow.
The motion was agreed to by yeas 32, nays 0.
Mr. HOOPER moved to amend by making this resolution the special order for Friday, at 10 o'clock A. M.
Mr. SCOTT thought it an unnecessary waste of time to attempt a trial in the nature of impeachment at this late day in the session, and especially since a bill has passed this body removing all these officers.
Mr. KINLEY said it was likely the bill which passed this body was sleeping in the hands of a House committee, and if so it was not probable that it would pass. Then the House passed this resolution by an almost unanimous vote, which fact alone should entitle it to the early consideration of the Senate.
Mr. HANNA said it was due to the coordinate branch of this General Assembly to act upon this resolution-it having passed that body with such unanimity.
Mr. HOOPER insisted there were other questions of more importance than this; and this consideration moved him to offer his amendment.
Mr. RICE had no disposition to screen any Director, but wanted this man to have a fair trial. And as Mr. Meredith desires to be heard by counsel-Messrs. Thompson & Baird-he favored the motion to amend.
Mr. KINLEY was understood to say that this matter has been delayed from day to day in order to give Mr. Meredith and his friends time to prepare a defense.
Mr. GIFFORD was of opinion that the friends of Mr. Meredith were anxious to put this off till too late for action-Friday will be too late.
Mr. STEIN declared that the effect of the adoption of this motion would be to exclude all further legislation-it would take up the entire day to-morrow and longer. He hoped those of his political faith would see the strategy and vote the motion down.
Mr. CHURCH said we should consider well what we are doing. It is well known if we spend to-morrow upon that question page: 216[View Page 216] we do no more legislation this session. That is the end of it. Senators may talk about the 15th amendment as much as they please; Friday is the day we expect to take that up. We have waited all the time our constituents will hear to. We can't let it go any further.
SEVERAL SENATORS-"Nor we won't."
Mr. CHURCH. We have a duty to perform as well as the Democrats. They know how to get away from it, and we expect them to. Are we prepared to say that legislation shall stop here? I say that man ought to have a trial, but shall he have it at the expense of all the business on our desks? Shall we sacrifice all of this to his rights? I do not think we ought to stop and attend to his business, and let the State suffer. Every lawyer knows it will take all day at least, or else the trial will be a mockery. And I want to attend to the business on Friday that is fixed for that day.
Mr. GIFFORD. If you can not do business without a quorum, you can not do that on Friday, for I am going home.
Mr. CHURCH. Goodbye. The Senator is a good looking man, and he can go tonight if he wants to; but let us do our duty and not sacrifice the business that is expected of us to-morrow. The minority has every reason to expect that this Fifteenth Amendment will come up on Friday, and we have to expect that on Thursday night they will take French leave.
The only wrong done in passing over this matter is to Mr. Meredith and his friends. The indications are that it will require a good deal of investigation. I understand that he was arraigned in his absence a kind of a Grand Jury trial, and I do not intend to take the verdict of the House of Representatives if that is the kind of trial he has had. As far as we are concerned, I prefer that he should have ft fair and impartial trial.
And then the Senate adjourned.
