Excerpt from Argument in Behalf of Hon. Albert D. Briggs, Railroad Commissioner, Before the Committee on Railroads of the Massachusetts Leglslature, March 28, 1876

In the first place, I am happy to say, there has not been shown before you, any actual want of integrity, any official corrup tion, on the part of Mr. Briggs. There is not even a charge or suggestion of the sort. Nor is it said to you, nor intimated by any person, that there has been shown in his official conduct any bias in favor of any railroad corporation over which he has official supervision, or any prejudice against any corporation. No railroad corporation is here complaining, and no person is here complaining that the public interests have suffered at all in either of these respects, - that he has been either too lenient or too severe in the discharge of his duty. In addition, there is nothing here to show that there has been, in the discharge of his official duty, any neglect or incompetence. No broken-down bridges attest, during his term of office, any lack of fidelity on the part of the board of which he is a member. There has been no loss of human life in Massachusetts, during the four years of his term of office, which comes up here to cry out against him. N o, gentlemen, he has dis charged his duty with fidelity and efficiency in that respect. There has been no railroad accident, no broken-down bridge in Massa chusetts, that has been directly or indirectly traceable to any neglect of his. There is nothing of the sort; and I think I may say that whatever is, or can be alleged against Mr. Briggs, will be found to rest ultimately on this that he has put upon the law a wrong construction. Whether he has done so or not, I will discuss hereafter. But for the general integrity, honesty, fidelity, efficiency of his official management. There is not only nothing here inculpat ing him to any extent, on the part of any witness, but you have the positive evidence of his associates and of other witnesses, of Mr. Bill, Mr. Washburn, Mr. Stoddard, Mr. Harris, and others; and there might have been, if we had asked them to come, a cloud of witnesses, to testify, so far as their knowledge extends, so far as their opinions reached, that his course was wholly above reproach.

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