Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1809-04-11
TO THE PEOPLE.
LETTER iii.

An examination of the Testimony re-
lied on by John Clarke, which was
rejected by the last Assembly.
In my last letter 1 alluded to a
statement, made by myself, AMI fur
nished to the chairman of the com
nittee. 1t related To the testimony
Of Williamson and Anterior, John
Clarke's fabricated accounts, and the
money drawn by means Of false vouch-
ers from the treasury.
In the list of charges already pub
lished, this matter was embraced By
the 4+'h and in the following words /:
"Wages due to Millwrights and o.
theirs & for otis work, do not amount
to as much by an immense sum, as h IS
been drawn from tde treasury for the
same purposes"
1t 10 well known that the subject
now under consideration, was first in
troduced to public notice, by a letter
under my signature, addressed to the
people and their representatives.. Soon
afJer it appeared, John Clarke, by a
letter to the executive council, de-
manded an enquiry. That board en-
tered INTO resolution. and authorised
three OF their own members, to wit {:
Alexander McRae, John Heath & w.
Munford, TO make the enqairy. They
took no step III il until the Sd of De-
cemoer; they'then gave notice to me
to attend at the Armory, to adduce
testimony 70 support the charge. / he
notice was received aboutthree O'clock
to meet at the Arinory on the succeed
ing day at eleven O'Clock. / did not
attend, for the reasons communicated
In my letter of that date, which has
been already published.
A very few days before / received
this notice, John Heath and William
Munford, had both told me that A /.
McRae, the Chairman, mad suffered so
mucn time TO elapse, the legislature
being about TO commence it's SESSION,
that they would not act with Mr.. Nc.
Rae, and ii called upon should with.
draw; therefore, when received the
notice was e9ually surprised and un.
prepared. was the more surprised,
because | had Informed them, that ii
a reasonable time was allowed TO adj
duce testimony, the chargG would be
fully proven.
In the report the sickness of John
Clarke wa, alleIgcd as the reason for
delay, and &c. 1t is fat of notoriety,
that he attended at the Henrico court
IN November, at the trial J,dius Foot
against himself. Aud il has been
proven by several witnesses, that he
attended at the armorJ almost every
dav, so tina; the excuse for sickness
will not av H.
The report among other things con-
tains the following extract from the
VirginiaD of October the 18th, 1908.
"That some TIME ago there were en-
ployed at ths A~nory two mechanics
(millwrights by trade) who were Dig
nihsd by the style and title of inacha
ni@ts, that the accounts were rendered
20 the executive in their favor of one
hundred and Fifty dollars per month,
each certified by the superintendent,
and the money was obtained in the
Gu. pmary mode, but that one of the
machanists redIly received no more
than thirty dollars month, wages,
leaving in the hands of the superin-
teudant, or soa.e other person, two
hundred and 6ftren dollars month";
After much prea mole and euiogiam
On the superintendent, the committee
pr, ceeded as follows. Having sns.
cialiv examined ami maturely COAST
d.fed all the evidence which ,hey
l~si we'd TO be materih in relation
20 the grounds Of the accusation afore-
said, they hesitate not to pronounce