Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1850-02-09
j REASURf DEPARTMENT,
Harrisburg, February, ), 1850.

ho State Treasurer:
Treasury DEPARTMENT.
Harrisburg, February, ), 1850.
c,s,roRs The resolution Of your honora-
Of, 5odv of the 9th ultimo is before me. My
Te l..oce in Philadelphia on public duty, has
a,,ayepled an earle: reply.
A. regards the allegation of the Canal Com
.;.,ioners, and the complaint of \ essrs. Nor
n,,- u. Brothers, enquired ot by your resolution,
s,,e @ TO reply as follows:
Va.srs. Norris, Brothers, never personally
,.s.pnted at the Treasury for payment, nor did
~. oarson for them, an order from the Canal
rI.,,missoners ''I for the amount they claim nor
,sra vet official notice that the State owes
.sen Ia default of such notice, duty required
,b,t | should refrain from paying away the
public money.
Had those gentlemen presented such an or
lar / would have been justified IN Withholding
r,rment, the evidence being that Messrs.
y3,ris Brothers, charged seven hundred dol
49,. more for each locomotive furnished the
S,.,e than they charged the Pennsylvania
Railroad CompanY-or, IN other woros' tney
finished that Company with more expensive
o.,e for seven hundred dollars less, and re-
.sred one thousand five hundred dollars IN
',a5e-so large profit would seem to justify
LIBERAL credit.
The engines referred TO were purchased, 1t
seems. under the authority given IN the slX-
zenith section of the last appropriation bill.
This being true, it scarcely justified the sale,
bv the Canal Commissioners, of five Locomn-
ives worth at least TWENTY-FIVE THOU
SAND DOLLARS, for the paltry sum OF
THIRTY-THREE HUNDRED AND NINE
TY DOLLARS, thereby SACRIFICING UP
WARDS OFTWENrY- ONE THOUSAND
DOLLARS, which evinces gross ignorance of
the value of property, or criminal neglect Of
Mtv, Perhaps these facts would not have
justified NE in hesitatng to pay Messrs. Nor
Iris, Brothers, had | been drawn on for the
money
never refused to settle the accounts of the
Superintendent of Motive Power on the Co.
lgmbla road. The rule of the office is to take
uo in It's order every item of business, and
wlth this regulation | require strict compli-
ance.
am not aware Of having purposely refused
al any time "noney appropriated to the man.
ayement and repairs of any Of the other lines
Of the public works.
Since | have been responsible for the man.
sgement of the State finances, | have not re-
ceged from the Canal Commissioners, at any
tine, a moments notice of their intention to
draw on the Treasury, other than was furnished
oy the actual presentation of their drafts
While it is both my duty and my pleasure to
mlTlde the ways and means to answer every
call, nevertheless, the interests and credit of
the State, as every business man will under
sand, cannot be sustained, If other branches OF
he government refuse to harmonize with this
apartment. To such adegree have the Canal
sNrd carried their antagonism, that upon the
l9poiHtmenis of officers, whose duties bring
hem in contact with the Treasury, they have
n furnished notice of the change. In the
aynent of money, care is required. For that
urpose the names of officers must be known :;
:ler persons and their signatures identified
/: also a knowledge that they have given the
required bond before money can be advanced
them. The first notice | have received of the
change of officers, was the presentation, by the
new ncumbents, of drafts for large sums Of
money.
Senators are aware, that the Treasury has u
gssl number OF payments to provide for besides
The canal appropriations. 1t seems proper,
therefore, in a business view, that the Treas
grer, whoever he may be, should have the CO.
operation Of coordinate branches Of the gov
eminent, rather than to have so powerful an
arm as the Canal Board, exercising their au-
ihority to draw money without reference to
lie general interests, or the credit Of the State.
GIDEON }. BALL,
State Treasurer.