The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1858-01-15

OA/s Is AVE- CAs .. i.
rection to him, and none was other.
wise made known to me. ...
A further duty was imposed upon
the Govrnor by tho act Of March 80,
1857, which required him to appoint
one in three months, an Examiner
of the Treasury. The first three
months had not expired when Mr..
Gibson resigned; but believing my
self warranted IN making the ap.
pointment at any time in the course
Of that period; and regarding the dis
closures which had been made as dc.
manding an immediate aud thorough
investigation, appointed Thomas
Sparrow, of Franklin county, to that
Office. The results Of the examina.
ton made by Mr.. Sparrow are set
forth in bis report, which is herewith
transmitted. The nature and extent
of the defalcation; the devices by
which it was concealed from the
Legislative committees, and the Au.
ditor Of State, ut the time of their
several examinations, and the re
spective parts in tho criminal trans.
action, Of the two State Treasurers
implicated in it, are clearly stated in
this document. No candid person,
think, can withhold his assent from
the conclusion to which he arrives,
THAT John G.. Breslin distracted the
money from the Treasury, and that
VIM. Fl. Gibson, by concealing the
defalcation and denying its existence
disregarded truth and his sworn off.
cial duty"
As soon as this official investiga-
ton had been provided for, the facts
which had been made known 10 me
were communicated to the prosecu,
ting Attorney Of Franklin county,
who is charged by law with the
prosecution of all ofenses committed
within its limits; and to the Judge oi
this judicial subdivision. whose duty
it ID to charge the Grand Jury in re.
gard to such offenses. The Prosecu.
ting Attorney was assured Of what.
ever aid tho Executive could afford
to him in the discharge of his func.
tions, and he, accordingly, received
the assistance OF the Attorney Gen
eral in the Investigations which took
place before tho Grand Jury. These
investigations resulted in indict
ments against both the ex.Treasur.
ers. Mr. Gibson gave bail, but Mr..
Breslin fled to Canada. Every ef.
fort, doomed fit and expedient by the
Prosecuting Attorney and Attorney
General, was made for his apprehen.
sion, and the charges were betrayed
from my contingent fund. A cor.
rcspOndence was also instituted with
tho Federal Government at Wash.
ington, in the hopes Of engaging ita
intervention with the British Gov.
ornment, by which means alone the
surrender OF the fugitive deiaulter
could be obtained. The Federal
-utf.,u f.tyv, s--------, ~s~OrtnSu w. AZ
o,,Sass, on tho ground that the sur.
the treaty between the United States
and Great Britain, and therefore
; could not with propriety be asked
for.
Civil suits have been instituted by
, the Attorney General, against thu
two ex. Treasurers aid their suretie'
upon their official bonds. IL thu
course Of the investigations required
,, by these actions, as well as by ths
] criminal prosecutions upan-tc IN
dictnents found by th9|grand jury
it is hoped that son further ligh
may be thrown upSh the uses mad
> of the money abdracted from tn
treasury, and that 4 considerable por
3 ton OF it, at least, may be recover
Q cd.
J, Up to the time Of the disclosur
4 of the deficit, Mr.. Gibson had OF
tanned means for meeting the curreu
demands against the State Treasu
cry, and deceiving the Legislative
!. committees and the Auditor, whe
u examining it's condition, by 'empc
n rary loans from banks and bankers
J. and other devices described in tn
l. report of the Special Examiner
n Whether the withdrawal the mol
y eys thus obtained and represente
y to belong to the State constitutes
s. defalcation and renders him lab
as defaulter, Notwithstanding !
D, may not have participated in Il
o. original abstraction, is question &
u the courts. The practical effect
=, that withdrawal was to leave Il
~ State unprovided with sufhcie
funds for the payment on the inte
10 est on tho State debt, becoming d.
10 on the lst OF July or for the ordina
OF expenses Of the government.
~ To obtain these funds was ind
y. pensabIe, and there were but (,
~ ~ means Of accomplishing the obje'
Su M One was. to call the Legislature
a1 ~, gether, in extra session, and aw,
=" VI its action; the other to make an il
!" -: mediate arrangement, and invo
az M for it the sanction Of the Gener
y Assembly at its next regular me'
H. ~ Ing. Only eighteen days wou
~ ~ elapse after the resignation Of N
ao w Gibson before the interest was ps
" y, able, and that time would hard
~ ~ suffice for the assembling OF the Ii
1u s islature and the provision oithe n,
nc ' essary funds through its action.
"a Under these circumstances, | did !
AZ "a think it advisable to incur the
ou o., peuse OF an extra session, but adyii