Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1842-08-31

those who are best acquainted with the facts i'm the
case, will hardly believe the language stronger than
is justiiabIc.
From the MLtcaukcc C0ayicr
"ENECUTIVE DEPARTMENT.
Nldison, w. r., april 25M 1912.
SIR: In reply to your letter Of the 10th
Of March, | have the honor to state that il
is impossible to give, from the records
which | lave received from my predeces-
sor, any specific information of the amount
Of the public debt Of this Territory(D. Ii
only appears that he issued, on tine 18th of
March, l94I, certificates or bonds amour
ting TO one hundred thousand dollars, which
he delivered to an agent for negotiation.
The agent reports that he has disposed of
500, 900, and has now returned TO me the
residue which remained unsold. The
Legislature, at It's late session, rcpudatcd
all bat one Of these bonds sold by the
agent, amounting TO one thousand dollars.
Gone K. l.. Roam, acting as Tcrrtor-
III Treasurer, ISSUED, on or about the rs, of
March, 1871, bonds bearing 10 per cent
interest, amounting to seven thousand two
hundred doIIars(2). They do moi appear
50 have been issued by any proper author
ny, bat | believe they haze been sold
The Territory having derived very little
benefit from the sale.
The Legislature has, for several years
held It's sessions before The appropriations
have been made by Congress to pay their
c%penCcs. The consequence has been,
that, when the day Of adjournment arrived,
finding themselves without money. they
have either borrowed at large interest the
amount required to meet their cxtravagant
expenditures, or directed the Secretary to
issue bonds or. certificates, pledging the
Faith and credit of the Territory. and what
ever appropriation may be made by Con
grcse(3). The Secretary of the Terrific
ry Informs me, verbally, that he ms re-
ccVed from his predecessors no record of
these issues; and it is therefore impossible
10 ascertain whether those persons have
taken up these bonds with the money that
has been annually appropriated by Con-
gross. These accounts may have been
settled at the Treasury, upoA Tie roucher5
they received from lie persons to whom the
b1H85 arers issued, but the bonds may vet
be outstanding, in the hands of innocent
holders. If this was not the case, the diff
ference between the amount of the acts Of
appropriation by the Assembly, adding
thereto the pay and mileage of the mem
brrs, and the sums appropriated by Con-
grcss for the pay and expenses Of the AS
scmbiy, would correctly show the amount
Of this branch Of the debt.
:" You will therefore perceive that the
failure Of the Secretaries TO preserve in
the Office an account of their payments to
;rr'r'.r au@ rrh"rs and to dcpostc in the
n.I 'e o.. c.',llra,ca or bones when can
ceIcd, doPrWcs inc Of the power to make
an accurate statement Of this legislative
debt. 1t was estimated by the Secretary,
and so stated in my message to the AS
sembIy on the 10th Of December last at
"about thirty-njnc thousand dollars "
To this may be added the excess Of
the pay and expenses Of the Legislature
and It's officers at the session ending the
18Th Of February last, cyond the estimates
Prcsantedby your Department 10 Congress
III December last, supposed to be about
sixteen thousand doIars(I.
"Thc debt created during the admins
ttation Of this Government by Gov. Dodge,
10y the officers of the Territory and coun-
ties, for legislative, canal, and county pur-
poses, IS estimated TO have amounted to
about hrce hUnircd thousand do7ihrS(5J
II Congress continues to pay the arrcara-
gcs OF the Legislature, it is hoped that
very small sum will remain for payment
at the county and Territorial treasures.
But feel confident that it is the DISPOSE
non Of ;ho people Of the Territory that ev-
cry debt created in the name of thc Ter
ritory, or Oh lis faith, shall be paid, al
tho1gh those debts have been created and
the avals squaudercG by the political pau
pcrs who have infested her limits from the
first year Of her separate cXistence(6).
&" have the honor to be, with great res
pcct, your most obcdicnt servant.
J. ID. DOTG.
Ion. WALTER FORWARD,
Secretary Of the Treasury
d" +. 81 have not stated the several
items ci the debt in tabular form, for the
reason that they arc only estimated, both
as to their character and amount"
J. y. DOTY.
o. This is an uncquvocoI ialschood,
and Doty knew it to b. such when he ut
tered it. He did receive "spcciGc in.or-
nation Of the amount of all the public debts
Of the Territory" for all the debt that had
been created was the one made by Inc IS
SUNG Of tie Canal bonds, and at the time
poty received the papers OF the Office it
was not. we believe, positively known that
amy OF them had been sold, and soon after
ne entered upon the duties Of the office, he
recalled The agency Of Mr.. kllbourn. OF
the S5d,00O Of bonds which he represents
as having sold, the Governor knew very
well that $500 was merely on doposto
in Cincinnati, and SO 600 deposited in the
Bank of Vernon, and that all the money
thnt had hnnn or womb be roceivnd COR.