The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1857-07-23
Treasury MismanaEement-GOv'
Chase,s Neglect 81 Duty.

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Treasury MismanaRement-GOV,
Chase's Neglectod Duty.
Within three months after Gov. Chase
became Chief Magistrate of Ohio, the laws
were so amended and strengthened as to
place in his hands the most adequate
means Of ascertaining, at will. the condition
of the State Treasury, and stopping all reck.
less and illegal uses Of public money. No
such power had ever before been given to a
Governor. Under Kelley's great law oi
April 8, 1856. it was made the duty as we'll
as the right Of Governor Chase to have
caused the Treasury to be examined as fre.
quently, after the passage of the law, as he
deemed necessary. Unfortunately this new
and Wholesome legislation, was treated with
entire neglect by the Governor. His un.
pardonHble omission in this regard, may
have had its origin in unintentional over
sight, or it may have arisen rom an unwil.
lingness TO believe that the Treasury, could
be otherwise than safe in the hands Of Re-
publican. II the latter is the. true explana.
ton OF the Governors neglect previous to the
month OF December, 1856, it cannot be of.
Tered in excuse for his guilty omissions sub.
SeqaenL to that date.
In the report made to the Legislature by
the Finance Investigating COMMITTEES, {com.
posed of Messrs. Taylor, Sinnett and Smith,
collection of facts was presented which
utterly forbid the belief in any intelligent
mind, that the Treasury was safe under Glib.
sons man ogement. Without going into
tedious detail, we select the following para.
graph from the report of the Committee,
page II:
"By the 18th section of The act of April 8,
1886, prescribing the duties of the Auditor
and Treasurer, it is provided that no money
belonging, or due to the State, shall be de-
posted, placed, or kept by the Treasurer, or
by his direction, order, or assent, elsewhere
than in the Treasury cffice at Columbus
without security as provided in said section.
The Treasurer has partially, NOT FULLY
in ANY INSTANCE, complied with the
requirements of that section"
Here was a'starIling fact presented bv the
Committee. AS yet, there was no means of
knowing that this reckless disregard of the
statute would certainly result in loss to the
State; but Kelley's law had wisely antici.
pated this mis- use of the public money by
the Treasurer, and had therefore provided
>section seventeeD0 in the most explicit Ian
yuage, that whenever it should become
known TO the Governor that the Treasurer
vas iooning or depositing the public funds
Without sufficient security, or in neglect of
my requirements ofthe act of April's, 1855
should "te the dug ofhe Governor to direct
he Attorney General .torthvith TO institute the
roper proceedings in Tie Court of Common
'leas Of Franklin county, TO restrain the Trca-
urer from all such illegal actS," &c, &c.
Here was plain and imperative duty which
he law required the Governor to discharge.
tere were important fsct5 brought to his
office by an investigation conducted by !,
COMMITTEE of his own legislative friends -
,et in the face of this law and its require-
!ents,-in the face ofthese facts of evil por.
9nt, Gov Chase persistentIy omitted to dis ,
barge a single duty which the Kelley law !
equired at his hands and which the cond.
on of the Treasury most mperatively de- y
landed. The action of the Governor, thus 1
'ferred to demonstrated his entire indffer
nee to the wise provisions Of the law. It =
a circumstance, therefore, that should oc.
aston surprise, that in the elaborate annual
fessage of his Exceilency to the LegisIa.
lie. there is not to be found single word II
syllable indicating that he was aware of 0
le existence of the new Treasury law, u
: at all sensible of the necessity which g.
ad required the passage of that or some 8
her similar enactment
1t is not for q single m ment to be pre-. ri
lmed, that the Governors Information on a
i subjects OF exciting interest, was eqia lly
aity as on matters pertaining to the State ::
reasury of Ohio. Were he interrogated e
! the mnutest subject of Kansas legisIa- IL
on, we doubt not that the facts of the case @
ould be found at his fingers end. Wheth. Il Il
this kind of ofintelligence will satisfactorily =
one for his fatal lack of know ledge and at.
ntion to home affairs, is for the people to =,
eide at the ballot.box in October next u
3,vark Advocate.