730 JOURNAL OF PROCEEDINGS [Mar. 31,

Reported it without amendment;

The bill was then read the second time and ordered to be
engrossed for a third reading.

Mr. Mackall, from the Select Committee submitted the fol-
lowing report :

The Select Committee, to which was referred the investi-
gation of certain charges against Lieutenant Governor Cox,
to wit: 1st. That he had entered into a corrupt arrangement
with certain parties, in the event of his accession to the Gub-
ernatorial office, to hand the affairs of the State over to the
direction and control of the Radical party, (so called.) And
2d. That he had also corruptly bargained, in the event of his
becoming Governor, to substitute Mr. Creswell, now of the
United States Senate, in the place of Mr. Swann, should he
(Mr. Swann) be rejected by that body, beg leave to report
that they have investigated this subject as fully as the circum-
stances by which they are surrounded would permit, and
have failed to elicit any tittle of evidence to sustain such a
charge. In an interview which your committee held with
the chief Executive officer of the State, that officer distinctly
disclaimed having based his recent action upon any supposed
credibility of these injurious charges, but asserted on the con-
trary that his course had been dictated by high motives of
State policy. Your committee have endeavored in vain to
find any one who would venture to assume the responsibility
of any of the slanderous insinuations above referred to. The
origin of these slanders may possibly find their solution in
this way: The unexpected decimation by Gov. Swann of a
high and coveted honor, to which his friends had considered
him entitled, and for which they had contended with energy
and determination occasioned a bewildering surprise
throughout the State; conjecture was rife, a thousand reasons
were assigned, and many who did not, and could not possi-
bly know anything whatever about the matter, spoke as know-
ingly as if they were the chosen confidants of His Excellency.

Newspaper correspondents eagerly gathered up these un-
founded,rumors and gave them publicity, and thus a gentle-
man, whose high character and integrity bad never before
been assailed, was arrainged at the bar of public opinion upon
charges of the gravest character.

The only person whose testimony is of any value, exoner-
ates Lieut. Gov. Cox, and declares his disbelief in these in-
jurious rumors; and that his course in declining the United
States Senatorship was decided by considerations wholly un-
connected with the Lieutenant Governor. Your committee,
therefore, beg to be discharged from the further consideration
of the subject.

R. MACKALL,
Chairman Committee.

Which was read and unanimously adopted.