Oroville daily Butte record., 1857-08-31
Otauille DaiIq Batte Retprh.

suborncd tools, in the employ of the plum
lering. schemng and corrupt Judge Jos. E.
n. Lewis, since he has stocked the district
with his purchased press and announced
himself candidate for District Judge, have
hasiei themselves with circulating re
ports concerning the action of the Grand
Jury of June 1858, and lately the venal
press in his employ have issued the report OF
that jury concerning county officers, in sup
Elemental form for secret circulation. direct
ing its points applied to all Of the county
officers, against Mr. Sexton, who was at that
time County Clerk. with Thomas Wells Esq.
as Deputy. We propose to mention few
we'll authenticated facts in connection with
the report, and then turn our attention to
subsequent proceedings had under recon-
nsndations contained in that report.
The presiding Judge Of the Court of Ses-
sions at that period was the ex-Hon G. W
Shultz, under whose immediate direction
the matter Of examining into the financial
affairs of the county was urged upon the
Jury, and subsequent facts have shown that
ne was ut enmity with most of the County
officers, and the fact that, Immediately
thereafter, he ordered his own salary to be
paid in cash, and left the State without re-
signing his official position, is very good ev-
idence of his own corruption.
1t is n fact stated in the report that the
Jury made but a cursory examination Of the
books Of the various county officers, even
declining to admit to admit the Deputy Co
Clerk to their presence, for the purpose of
affording such facilities as might be necessa-
ry in the examination, had they entered
upon one, and recommended the appoint
lnent of committee for that purpose, and
report to n subsequent grand jury. Thos
Wells, Esq was the Deputy County Clerk
who was refused admittanec. We believe
that every member of that jury endeavored.
honestly and consenciosly, to discharge his
iuty as explained by the court, but that
they intended that report to condemn those
officers with the slight examination they had
given the subject, as Lewis and his mnions
would now have the public believe, is shown
TO be false by the report itself, which rec
ommends the appointment of an examining
committee. Has Judge Lewis sought the
evidence of the examining committee, or a
single member OF that committee, or the
action of subsequent grand Jury, to whom
report was to be made, to accompany his
secret circulars and villanous libels No
thing Of the kind He simply desires that
inrv to try, condemn and execute those off,
GERS, n course which no honorable man would
pursue, and course which even the unscru-
pulous Lewis has seen proper pursue Sc
cretly If telling but half Of fact, is tell
ing n lie, then is Judge Lewis convicted of
ialsehood in putting forth his secret sup
plement for no man knew better than
Lewis, that member of the examining COM
mittec, appeared before a subsequent jury
and testified that he had examined the books
and vouchers in Mr.. Sections office and
found them correct, and that he had dis
charged his duties in faithful and compe-
tent manner. He knew, too, that the re-
ports of Mr. Sexton, as County Auditor,
were correct, aud have formed the basis of
subsequent reports. SO we'll convinced was
Lewis of this, that he employed men to pur-
chase scrip for him, after he was elected
County Judge, contrary to the spirit and
intent of the law,' prohibiting county Off
GERS from speculating in county funds.
We submit the following statement of }.
B. Barker, Esq one of the committee ap-
pointed under the recommendation of the
Jury, to examine the books and vouchers Of
the county officers:
TO the citizens of the 18th Judicial District:
Having been solicited by many citizens to
communicate such information as | am in
possession of, in regard to presentation OF
the Grand Jury of Butte County, at the
June term Of 1858. and accommodation
that a committee be appointed to make
report to the Conrt at a future term, in re-
gard to the condition of the various county
osices. am induced to publish such facts
as came under my own observation in regard
to the matter. Seneca Ever, J. NJ. Coving-
ton and myself, constituted the committee
above referred to, and they were notified to
meet at the Clerks Office Mt n snac;fa al 3oy