Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1850-02-21
MIR. Bali and the Canal Board.

MIR. Bali and the Canal Board.
| The following is the reply of the State Treas
uer to the resolution Of the Senate, calling upon
him for information in relation TO certain charges
made by the Canal Commissioners OF refusal on
his part to pay certain claims upon the Treasury.
The answer is full and explicit, and the conduct
of the Canal Commissioners in this and other mat
ters is held up in It's proper light. and reflects no
credit upon them men or as public otflcers-
The Commonwealth is fortunate in having so
wa,chfuI guardian Of the public Treasury as MIR.
Ball.
We hope the committee in the House Of Repre-
seniatives on this subject, will 60 on with their
investigation of it, Let the public have the facts,
and let the censure fall where it belongs Ii the
investigation proceeds, some curious facts with
regard to the conduct Of the Canal Board and
some Of their officers will be developed.
Treasury DEPARTMENT,
Harrisburg. February TO- 1850.
SENATORS The resolution of your honorable
body OF the 26th ult. is before me. My absence
in Philadelphia on public duty has prevented an
earlier reply.
As regards the allegation Of Canal Commission
ers and the complaint Of Messrs Norris, Brothers,
enquired fby your resolution, have to reply as
follows
Messrs, Norris, Brothers never personally pre-
sented al the Treasury for payment nor did any
person for them, order from the Canal Com
missioners for the amount they claim, nor have
yet official notice that the State owes them In
default of such rotice, duty required that should
refrain from paying away the public money.
/ Had those gentlemen presented such order
would have been justified in Withholding pay
ment, the evidence being that Norris, Brothers
charged seven hundred dollars more for each loco
motive furnished the State than they charged the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company or in other
words, they furnished that Company with more
expensive article for seven hundred dollars less
and received one thousand FIVE hundred dollars of
the consideration in trade. So large profit would
seem to justify liberal credit.
The engines referred to were purchased, it
seems, under the authority given in the sixteenth
section of the last bill This being true, it scarce
ly jushes the sale by the Canal Commissioners of
five locomotives, worth at least $25,OOO for the
patry sum of S., 800, thereby sacrificing upwards
Of $2l 900; which evinces gross ignorance of the
value of property, or a criminal neglect of duty.
Perhaps these facts would not have justified me in
hesitating to pay Norris, Brothers, had | been
drawn on for the money.
| never refused to settle the accounts Of the Su-
perntendent of Motive power on the Columbia
road. The rule of the office is to take up in its
order every item of business and with this regu-
laton require strict compliance.
am not aware of having purposely refused at
any u'oHCy w TIC
and repairs of any of the other lines of the public
works"
Since have been responsi ible for the manage
ment of the State finances | have not received
from the Canal Commissioners at any time, mo-
meut's notice Of their intention to draw on the
Treasury other than was furnished by the actual
of their drafts. While it is both my
duty and my pleasure to provide the ways and
means, TO answer every call, nevertheless, the in
terests and credit of the State as every business
man will understand. cannot be sustained if other
branches of the Government refuse to haTmonize
with this Department. To such degree have |
the Canal Board carried on their antagonism, that |
upon the appointment of officers, whose duties |
have not furnished notice of the change In the |
payment of money care is required for that pur-
pose, the names of officers must be known, their !
persons and their signatures identified, as also
that they have given the required bond, |
0efole money can be advanced them. The first |
notice received of the change of office was the
presentation by the new incumbents, Of drafts for |
arge sums of money.
Senators aware that the treasury has a vast
lumber of payments 10 provide for besides the ca
ial appropriations. 1t proper, therefore, in
business view, that the Treasurer, whosoever he
nay be, should have the CO o-operaton of coordin-
tie branches of the government, rather than to
lave so powerful an arm as the Canal Board ey-
'rcisng their authority to draw money without
eference 10 the general interests or credit of the
Slate. GIDEON J. BALL. State Treasurer.