Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1857-09-09
REPORT OF
T. SPARROW AND AUDITOR WRIGHT ON THE
TREASURY DEFALCATI0N.
NEGLECT OF THE DEMOCRACY WHEN
IN POWER, TO EXAMINE THE
TREASURY.
Breslin guilty of the entire ens5ezzlen,ent
GIBSON GUILTY OF coNcEALMENT-

Breslin guilty of the entire enaJezzlenaeRt
GIBSON GUILTY OF coNcEALMENT-
To HIS Ercellency, S. P. CHASE, Gouer
nor Of Ohio:
In pursuance of the act prescribing
the duties of Auditor and Treasurer o
State, relative to the receipt, safe keeping
and disbursement of public moneys, an
accounting therefor" and the act sup
Elementary thereto, passed March 80,
1857, the undersigned have made the
examination required 6y said acts, and
herewith submit
A REPORT
OF their examination, and of the &C
tual condition of the Treasury on the
18th day of June last.
1st. Carefully to count all moneys of
every kind, in the Treasury.
Cd. Personally and carefully to exam
inc the book accounts, vouchers and
official correspondence of the Treasurer,
relating to the receipt, custody and dis
bursement of the moneys of the State, or
any part thereof.
Sd. To compare the same with the
books, accounts and vouchers in the
Auditors office, or with proper abstracts
thereof.
4th. To examine and take copies of
full descriptions of all drafts, bills of ex
change, certificates of deposit and other
evidences of debt due TO, or belonging
to the Treasury.
5!h. To ascertain the sums or balan-
ces actually due the Stale on account
of moneys deposited or kept elsewhere
than in the Treasury Office at Columbus;
the responsibility of the depositors there
of, and the terms and conditions on
which such deposites shall have been
made
And 9th. In consequence of a recent
disclosure of heavy deficit in the funds
of The Treasury. there is necessarily i'm
posed the further and more arduous duty
of ascertaining the extent and the author
or authors of it.
There was no law in this State requir-
ing thorough, periodical examinations
of the Treasury, until the passage of the
act of April 9th, 1856, which was i'm
proved and made more stringent by the
Supplementary Act of March 30th,
1857.
Previous 10 the passage of these acts,
examinations had been made at long and
irregular periods by committees of the
Legislature and by special commission
ers appointed by Joint Resolutions of the
General Assembly.
Since the passage of the act above
mentioned, several examinations Of the
Treasury have been made. Cotempora-
neous with the enactments of the law of
1856, the Senate appointed committee,
consisting of Kelly, Marsh, Taylor and
Buckland, and instructed them to inquire
into the condition of the Treasury, its
funds and accounts. They reported to
the Senate on the 7th of April, and the
act alluded to passed on the day follow
ing. The Legislative duties of the naem-
bers of the committee did not permit |
them 10 make critical and thorough i
examination of the Treasury. They re-
lied upon the statements of the Treasur-
er as to the condition of the funds, and |
nothing was elected showing that they
were not under his control. On the 11th |
of April, 1856, an act was passed. con-
stituting one member of the Senate and
two members of the House of Represen-
tatlyes, ga joint committee of the Gen |
eral Assembly on Finance" and requir-
ing them during the recess of the Leg
islature, t'to investigate all the transac-
lions of the public moneys or any part
thereof. and to report at the adjourned |
session the result of the investigation,
and the true condition of the finances of
the State" This committee was occu-
pied during the whole summer in the
discharge of its duties, and made an
elaborate report to the Senate on the 3Olh
of January last. This report gives
full statement of the condition of the
funds of The State on the 18th of De-
cember proceeding. There was appar-
emily no deficiency in the funds of the
State at that date.
The Auditor of State made an exam
ination of the Treasury in November,
1856, as Iequired by the act of April
9th of that year. Having in the earlier
part of his report, stated the cash BAL
ance in the Treasury on the 18th of No
vember to be $3.50, $50 63. At the
close of the same document he says
'Tbe amount of the available balance
in the Treasury OH the 18th November,
1856, has been stated in a preceding
page. deem it proper to say that the
accuracy of the amount reported was
not only by the books of this
Office and those Of the Treasury Depart !