The Arkansas banner., 1846-03-11

for whole years responsible and arduous duties, ordinary and extraordinary, imposed on me at time when every species of pro- perty and labor were at the highest rate.
 At the meeting of the special session of the General Assembly, in November, 1887, submitted my report as Treasurer, to that body. It was referred to the joint commit tee on the Auditors and Treasurer's books. who called me before them, and examined my accounts and vouchers, and, on subse- quent day, reported to their respective houses, that they had examined by books and vouch- CTS, and found them to be correct, with the exception of the S2l00 43, which had re- tained as my commission at 10 per cent. on the amount received for redemption of lands, and which they were of opinion that I was not entitled to by law; and with the farther sum of S294 75, which was disallowed, by the committee, of my account for collecting the surplus revenue-expressing the opinion thatlt was an amount "over and above what was necessarily expended in bringing the money from Natchez"-thereby refusing to allow me any thing for the extension of my first trip from Natchez to New Orleans, by which l secured S45,5S3 S3 in specie, and for my second trip to Natchez and Washing ton city, by which secured S100,000 more, without which the payment of those two sums would have been jeopardized, or, at all events, would not have been realized in time to put the State Bank into operation. The committee close by recommending the pas sage of resolutions that they enter on the books of the Treasurer, an order, directing him to pay into the State Bank, to the credit of the State, the said two sums of S2l00 43 and S294 75-making the aggregate amount rejected S2395 IS These resolutions were concurred in by both Houses, and the orders accordingly entered on the Treasurer's books, and so the matter rested until the next semi annual session in Nov. 1888. But, at the same special session of 1837-38, the Gen. eral Assembly passed law, allowing the Treasurer } per cent on the amount to be received for redemption of lands, but did not give 1t retrospective operation, so as to al lowme eren Aat per centage on over S2l ,000 which had received previous to the passage of that act. If the Legislature had done me epen that dct ot justice, it would have re- duced the amount of my reported deialca ton, over Sl050.
 From this 1t was plain to be seen that there was no chance for my obtaining justice from that Legislature. fol, altho' large majority of both Houses were democrats, or claimed to be so, there were some rabid wings in that body, who felt sore under the signal de- feat they had just met with, and determined to make me the scape- goal for the whole de- mocratlc party. 4 large proportion of the de- mocrats, believe, considered me entitled, by law, to the amount had charged, and sever- al of them expressed to me their opinion that the courts of the State would relieve me, and that, under that belief, they had concurred in the report, for the purpose ol avoiding the | clamor which the whigs would have raised if they had rejected the report, and allowed the amounts charged by me after the com mittee had decided against me. This, have ever thought, was the sole cause of the re- lectlon of those two items ln my account.- And this has almost universally been the case with claims presented by democrats to the democratic Legislatures of our State.- So fearful are the democrats of being charged with being partial to the members of their party, that equitable claims are not un!re- quently rejected or greatly curtailed. But, let whig present claim, no matter how rl- dicuious'or extravagant, the democrats show their magnaminity, and 1t IS almost invarla- bly, allowed Not so with the whigs. They seldom fail to go in solid phalanx for their friends, and against their enemies.
 At the regular session in 1858, resolu- ton was passed, requiring the Attorney Gen. eral to institute suit against me and my secu- rites, for the S2395 IS, which had retain e, as stated by the committee on the books of the Auditor and Treasurer The suit was accordingly commenced at the first term of the Pulaski Circuit. Ct, and has been pending, in that or the Supreme Court, ever since,and is not vet determined. conscentiously be- lieve selfjustly and equitably entitled to the amount have retained, and am sustained in that belief by most of the first jursts in the State, both democrats and whigs, including Judges RINGo and LACY, late of our Supreme bench, who fully investigated the case while it was before them on appeal, and, who, With several other gentlemen of the first legal at- tainments at this place, united Tn petition Tn support of my memorial to our last Legisla- ture, expressing their conviction oi the equity of my claim, and recommending that it be granted by that body. While l remain in this belief, conceive it duty which owe to myself and family, to use every exertion in my power to get rid of paying so unjust a claim. The State is in no danger of loosing cent by me. If really owe the amount claimed, it is amply secured in bond origl- nally deemed good for S30o,0 o,0O0-and no one who is acquainted with Judge RoANE, Col. ASHLEY, Mr. JACOB REIDER, and sever- al other gentlemen of undisputed solvency and wealth, whose names are on my bond to the State, will dispute their being good for between S30OO and $4000, (and thatpayable in State Scrip,) even though might not be worth dollar
 In 1S4O, I memoralized the Legislature for relief, but it was not even reported on, except in the Senate, where a printed copy of my memorial was picked up and laid be- fore that body, and referred to a committee, who reported against granting my prayer. without even giving me notice that they had the matter under consideration! This was the work of Gen. R. c. BYRD, the dtsorgan- ising candidate for Governor at our last election. and now, understand, zediouS