The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1849-02-17
lhat ons speaakagenth had been appoint

0SSc
ed under the resolution Of 1910, and
PAID Now. did not oil power under
THAI resolution cease with the appoint.
ment Of one agentl Most assuredly
or else as long as stamp. black and paper
would hold together, agents might be
appointed under it and paid. All that
is necessary for a Governor to do, i to
get up a pretext tina: THERE is something
due the State on account of.the three
per cent. fund, appoint an agent, and
pay him out Of his conlingen. fund, il
that resolution is still in force. This
agent Of Governor Barley was paid
thirteen thousand dollars more than Mr.,
Brough received for similar services,
and yet were all the facts known, il
would be ascertained, | have no doubt,
that Mr.. Brough performed more labor
than did Mr.. King. But could | be
convinced that the payment of S13,l49
81 was no more than a fair compensa.
ton Tor the services of Mr.. King, ]
would at once cease all my invesliga.
ton into this matter. But by what |
have already shown, it seems to me
that it should be referred to a commit.
tee, and especially when it is believed,
by those who may be presumed to know
something of the transaction, thot Audi.
tor Brough submitted the principles up.
on which the calculation was 10 be bas-
ed, and by which the amount due the
State could be arrived at, and placed it
upon such ground that nothing remain
ed TO be done except to make a calcu.
lation according to those principles--a
work, | undertake to say, that the
clerks Of the Land Office were the pro-
per persons to do; and who, in truth
and in fact, did perform the labor
The principles of that calculation | have
in my possession, but | consider it un.
necessary for the purpose of this inqui.
ry to refer TO them.
Mr.. Holcomb said he would call the
gentleman 10 order unless the same
latitude would be given for reply. q
Mr.. Pennington hoped the member
from Monroe would be suffered to pro-
coed. He wished ali the light on this
subject that he could get.
MIR. Morris. From this special re
port of the Auditor it appears tina,
nothing was received from the Treas.
of the United States on account
of this fund, after the year 184l, until
the time this $65,749 O9 was found to
be due. In his report for that year,
Q84) the Auditor says that: ssln an.
swer to inquiries from this office, the
commissions Of the general land office,
under date Of November 18th. says
"'The separation Of the sales at Gin.
c%innati, of the lands lying 10 Ohio, from
those in Indiana is still in train of state.
ment; but being, as you were informed
on the Gath of February last, a work of
long time and greatlabor, it progresses
slowly, but as fast as circumstances
will admit"
by this it appears that the work OF
adjusting this affair, was going on "as
fastas circumstances would admit" and
without the intervention of the special
agent Of Gov. Barley. And though
Auditor Brough, in a subsequent report,
expressed doubts of being able to pro.
cure a final adjustment of this fund, yet
he remarked that the claim was, sun
doubtedly just in its character
But MI. Speaker Lwish to call the
attention of this House to some letters
| have in my possession, which may
throw some light on this subject, and
which may explain why it was so diff
cult to get information in relation to it.
The first | shall read is a letter from a
gentleman in Washington city. He
says:
81 understand, in talking with some
individuals here, hal the man R. H.
Williamson, concerned with Samuel
D. King, who, as well as himself, had
been a Clerk in the Land o%fice,) when
in the Land Office as Clerk, became ad.
vised Of the $4,000 being due the
state of Ohio, and after he was remev-
ed from Office, informed those concern
ed about it. 1t also appears that he
was appointed by the Governor Of
Ohio to receive the money from the
Government. The department would
not recognize him as agent, (~al,hough
Senator Corwin urged ii to do so,) and
a warrant in favor of the proper
officer of the state for the amount
When that was done, Williamson start.
ed 10 Ohio, and when he returned he
stated land it was generally believed)
that he received the 90 percent. on the
amount paid the state, although he did
nothing towards the recovery Of said
sum-"
Is not the receipt Of such letters as