The Placer herald., 1856-03-15
A CARD
To the Taxpayers and Citizens os
Placer County, vi

Since my return from Nicaragua, informator
hos reached me from several authentic sonroot
that some person or persons during my absonos'
have been busly engaged in circulating renor,o
deropatory to my character both as private cf
,,on and pubic functionary of this countv "
the effect that when took my departure for tbo
southern country, left defauter to your coun,r
IN tbp sum of twenty-one thousand dollars. Idoa!
II = duty to myself and my friends throu ghont nn
county. as well as throughout the entire State ip
the first place to pronounce the charge as uttcru
and entirely false and without the least shadow -
a foundation. and the author thereof as liar ana
in the next place to lay before the public corrao
ond unyarnished statement of the entire ma,tor
I do not conceive that am indebted to von.
oountv in the sum of one single mill. True tho.
ia suit now pending in the District Court in onS
for your county. wherein the People of this comu u
tv are plaintiffs and | am the defendant. tocotbo,
With the sureties on my official bond as late Shar
itf of said county. wherein plaintiffs claim tho
sum Of S2324 7S. This proceeding was had .nI
commenced and the service of the papers mada
some time previous to my departure for below
The original amount claimed by your County An
ditor and Board of Supervisors per order on
tered of record by said board was 1892 u, wbch
they say was collected by me in the year "a oa
Tax Collector of this county. The above amouni
however is claimed by your District Attorney in
the complaint on file in said Court Wbv ba
l
amount than that set out in the account of your
Auditor and the order of your Board of Sunervi
sors. | am at a loss to tell. However, this is
matter of small import to the present purpose
If the amount of money set out in the compant
has been collected, and failure has been made to
account for the same to the Treasurer of your
countv as alleged in said complaint it is due from
nv Property Tax Collector, Mr.. Dillngham, and
his securities for the faithful performance Of bis
duties as such. Very true | am, and should he
responsible for his official acts and if by the de-
cison of the Court am compelled to pay tbe
sum claimed or any other sum, shall hold HE
sureties to me responsible for the same. The
amount sued for was claimed by Dillingham; as
the per centage allowed by law and the addition.
al per cenage allowed by the Court of Sessions
to the Collector of Taxes which your Auditor
was not willing to admit, and hence this suit was
brought. Had | conceived this money was due
from me it would long since have been paid as
all other demands of the county were at the time
of my resignation. But the report that | had left
for the purpose Of defrauding your county must
stand or fall upon my actions in the premises for
/ by those actions alone are the whole proceedings
! to be governed.
| When left for Nicaragua | placed in the hands
of Dr. HILL of Gold Hill. one of the sureties upon
my official bond. thirty-two shares of the Bear
River and Gold Hill Ditch Stock, which was worth
at least $4,000; | also left in the hands of B. F.
/ Myres Esq, another OF my suretes, an undivided
one-haf Of two city lots situated in San Francis
co. worth at least $4,000: notes and judgments to
the amount of at least $4,000, and the sum of
SS36S 30 in your county scrip. for the purpose Of
paying any judgment your county ght obtain
against me. and all claims which the same might
hereinafter present. and to save them from any
pecuniary loss whatever. This done freely
and voluntarily. as | thought it was my duty to
save my friends; which always have done and
always will do so long as l have one dollar left
So far as my private Indebtedness is concerned,
] appeal to this community, where | have resided
for the last seven years. to determine.
These facts | now leave with you, and am per-
fectly willing to abide the decision of fair and
impartial public. as to the erroneous charges pre-.
terred. Being at this time simply citizen of the
county, in the humble walks of life. no aspirant
for Office. setting up claims to sufirages of your
county asking no iavors at the hands of this CON.
munity. expecting nor desiring none, | cannot
conjecture Why such reports should have been put
in circulation. Yours respectfully,
S. G. ASTIN
Auburn, March IS. 1856 1t