The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1856-02-16
MIR. Rolette's Report.

Having published Mr.. Rosser's commune
cation to the Council in regard to his public
financial affairs, we deem it merely an act of
impartiality that the other side should be
heard. We therefore give below Mr.. Ro-
fette's report, made in the Council on Tues
day morning last:
The Committee which was appointed to
wait upon the Secretary Of the Territory and
make inquiry in regard to funds appropriated
to defray the expenses of the present session
of the Legislative Assembly, RESPECTFULLY re-
port
That before the Committee waited upon
The Secretary of the Territory, that officer
addressed to the Council, through the pre-
siding officer, a communication which pro
Jesses to answer the enquiries your Committee
were directed to make.
. Your Committee therefore has had moth
ing further to do under the authority con-
ferred, but to take this opportunity to state
that the haste with which the Secretary
acted can, in the opinion of your Committee,
only be looked upon as evincing desire to
offer an insult ;, the Council, through your
Committee.
The enquiry which your Committee was
instructed to make was by no means i'm
proper, and was such as the Secretary could
and aught to have answered in direct terms
and without equivocation- was simply
the cause of delay in the receipt of the
funds appropriated to defray the expenses of
this session of the Legislative Assembly,"
Instead of answering this question COM
cisely, the Secretary sets out with very
Strong intimation that the Council arc without
authority to inquire into his "official bus
iness," but deemed to occupy the position of
+" those whose curiosity may prompt interro-
cations in matters Of any kind" And after
referring at length to matters, foreign to the
subject, and insulting the official CAPACITY
conferred upon your Committee by vote Of
this Council through the resolution author
izing the inquiry, the Secretary states that
the reason why the funds appropriated to
defray the expenses of this session of the
was owing to the miscarriage of his requisi-
And adds, Gas soon as learned from the
proper officer, that the same had not been
received forwarded another, the answer to
which has not yet been received, but is daily
expected with the funds"
The Secretary further says in his commu-
nication in answer to the preamble to the
resolution authorizing the appointment Of
your Committee that Gas your honorable
body have seen cause to pronounce judg
ment upon me in your Resolution, before
you have heard me, and without the least
particle of evidence. trust they will give
me the evidence upon which such unwarrant
able judgment is predicted"
Your Committee are led to the belief thai
this charge made against the Council is en-
tirely without foundation. The only Ian
guage in the resolution referred to, which
can in any manner be construed as rejecting
upon the official conduct of the Secretary
reads as follows:
Whereas, it is believed that through /.
violation of duty on the part of the Secre
tary alone, could we be without funds to pay
portion of the expenses of the Legislative
Assembly," =
Congress in March last appropriated $40,
600 Is defray the expenses of this presen
session of the Legislature. Congress has mad,
the Secretary Of the Territory disbursing
officer Of the Government, for the disburse
ment of appropriations of this character
The Secretary knew that the Legislature