San Andreas independent., 1857-02-14
Legislative Summary.

Tilford, resigning his Office as Senator,
from San Francisco County.
Final Aaiournment-Mr. Norman Of
fered the following resolution:
RESOLVED, By the Senate, the Assembly
concuring, that the Legislature adjourn on
Tuesday, the tenth day of March next.
After some debate it was made the spe-
cial order of the day for the Oath inst.
A Bill establishing new county to be
called Del Norte, (instead of Buchanan)
was passed. 1t locates the seat of Justice
ct Crescent City.
MONDAY, Feb. 9th 1857.
AssEMBLY-The Senate Committee, to
whom was referred the investigation of the
facts connected with the alleged remittance
to New York of the sum of one hundred
and twenty-four thousand dollars, toprovide
for the payment of the semi-annual interest
due upon the funded civil debt of the
State, falling due on the first day of July
next, with instructions to inquire into the
subject of the failure on the part of the
State, to pay the interest which was due
upon the same debt upon the first day of
July last, made an able report. We re-
gret our inability to publish it entire, but
will give few extracts, in which the
Treasurer of State is charged with high
misdemcanors in ofice-defalcation:
On the 3lst day of December last, the State
Treasurer applied to the house of Wells, Fargo
& Co., through Mr. Mcneil, their cashier at Sac
ramento, to make arrangements to meet the
July interest. Mr.. McLane, the chief agent of
that firm, and the Treasurer, went to San Fran
cisco on the same day for the purpose, as was
understood By the former, to make such ar
rangements On the following day, Mr. E. A.
Rowe, late clerk in the Treasurer's Office, but
then President of the Pacific Express Co., ac-
companied by the Treasurer. had interview
with Mr. McLane. The Treasurer, however,
took no part in the conversation, but remained
within view but out of hearing of the parties.
Mr.. Rowe desired Mr.. McLane to give bond and
surety to pay the interest without receiving the
money. This proposition declined. Mr..
Rowe urged its acceptance, promising to furnish
collateral securities upon which the money
could be realized in thirty days. But Mr.. Nc
Lane declined the offer peremptorily, but signi-
fled his readiness to furnish a sufficient bond at
any time upon receiving the money Upon this
he was informed that the Pacific Express Co.,
would give bond. Mr.. McLane then claimed
that he should insist upon compliance with the
Treasurer's contract with him, to which Mr.
Rowe replied by assuring him g that it would
be all right, and that when the time arrived
for forwarding the money it should be for
warded by the house of Wells, Fargo h Co., and
the business transacted in pursuance of the
contracts.
Two days afterwards the Treasure made the
contract with Mr.. Rowe, as President of the
Pacific Express, as will appear by reference to
copy thereof herto annexed.
twas publicly announced a about the middle of
January that the money had been actually for
warded to New York by the Pacific Express
Co., by the steamer of the fifth, and Mr.. Rowe
informed various persons, among them the
Governor and the Attorney General, that such
was the fact. Many reasons were given to the
public for this remarkable activity, some of
which were not very complimentary to the
character OF the Legislature, but were quite
commendatory of the financial abilities and
political sagacity of the Treasurer. He was
applauded as being the guardian of the honor
of the State in having determined to assume
the responsibility of paying the interest due
next July, and by the same stroke of policy
saving the money from the anticipated extrava-
gance of the incoming Legislature by the sup
posed precaution of transferring the same from
the vaults of the Treasury to the city of New
York
But an examination of the facts developed
bv hn tncji limit tod MN eff
vince the most charitable mind, that an unmit-
igatcd fraud was attempted, and in fact has
been successful. That Mr.. Rowe has received
the sum of S124,000 from the Treasury is suf-
fciently true, but that it paid to him on
the Sd day of January, in the manner repre-
sented by the Treasurer, must be regarded as
very doubtful. Mr.. Rowe says that it was paid
to him at the Treasurers Office on that day in
coin, by the Treasurer in person, when no wit
ness was present, and refuses to give the COM
mittee any information of the place to which he
removed the same, or how or in what manner
he disposed of so large sum. The Treasurer
substantially afirms the same statement, except
that he states that either Mr.. Bunker or Mr..
Rhodes was present, but it is disaffirmed by the
fact that neither of the clerks in the office ever
witnessed such payment, though one of them
was in the Office during the business hours of
that day; and by the fact that it was entered in
the cash book of the Office as having been paid
to Wells, Fargo & Co., on the 10th of January
The book-keeper, Mr.. Rhodes, remembers see
ing the Treasurer paying Mr.. Rowe some money
about that date, but had no reason for suppos-
ing that it had any connection with the alleged
interest remittance as is abundantly evinced by
his own statement to that effect, and by the
fact that when on the 10th he made the entry
in the cash book to Wells, Fargo l. Co., he had
received no intimation that a new fiscal agent
had been employed 1t is further disaffirmed
by the fact that Mr.. Rowe, during the space of
about one month Immediately previous thereto,
deposited about S4S,O00 at the office of Wells,
Fargo Co., and is unable to account how or
where he got the money. His account with
that Office from the 10th of August last up to
the 23d day of December, shows deposit ac-