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1646 JOURNAL OF PROCEEDINGS [Apl. 3,
having placed a substitute in the army, wanted the State to
pay him for his substitute. Thit was the basis of the pecu-
niary relief afforded Noah Webster by the State, the justice
and propriety of which it is not for your Committee to deter-
mine.
The pecuniary relief to Noah Webster was embraced in
one Act of Assembly, and did not extend over that Session of
the Legislature. It was a definite amount appropriated to
pay Noah Webster for a substitute he placed in the army,
whereas your Committee will show that the relief to the
party in whom Col. Woolford is alleged to have been inter-
ested was in the shape of a "yearly allowance" and was "a
pension " Your Committee, after careful consideration of
the facts of the case, must believe that Noah Webster and
the alleged pensioner of Col. Woolford are two separate and
distinct persons.
Your Committee has thus t raced this petition for a pension
to a man in Somerset county in its wandering progression
through the Senate, until it finds the petition converted into
a Wil, and the bill, by special reference, sent to the Commit-
tee on Finance for consideration.
Col. James T. Earle, who was Chairman of the Committee
on Finance in 1872, was summoned and examined by your
Committee. The evidence he presented was clear, emphatic
and marked by a positive knowledge of the facts he presented,
and although the majority of the Committee addressed him
with a multitude of written and carefully-prepared interroga-
tories, and in addition to this examination subjected him to
a rigid and searching cross examination, repeatedly recalling
him to teitify as new facts were brought out by other wit-
nesses. Yet, notwithstanding this severe examination, Col.
Earl e's testimony was unshaken and nmmpaired. He swears
that Col. Woolford came to him in the Senate Chamber dur-
ing a recess, (detailing with great accuracy the part of the
Chamber). The subject of this interview was opened by Col.
Woolford asking him if there was not a bill, at the same
time designating the bill, before the Committee on Finance.
Col. Earle replied that there was, and asked Col Woolford
if he knew any thing: about it. Col. Woolford immediately
replied, "I know all about it, because it is to give a pension
to a man in my county for serving in the war of 1812. Can
I come before your Committee and explain?" Certainly, Col.
"Woolford, we will be glad to have you, as we always want
light." The testimony of Col. Earle upon this interview,
and the conversation was very positive and decided. And
litre it may be said, that when Col. Woolford was before the
Committee, it failed to make an attempt to break this state-
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