The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1858-01-14

signation. expressing to him my conviction
that he had placed himself. by his own
statements, 10 the position of defaulter.
and that he was consequently liable to ON
arrest, which Nould in my judgment work
a vacancy by disability, TO be filled immedi-
otsly by the appointment Of new Treas
urer. ~ ..-.... ..-..... e... ..H
Mr.. Gibson resigned, and forthwith ap-
pointed Alfred P. Stone, Of Frnnklin coun'
| ty, 10 the vacant office, who gave bonds, was
qualified. and entered upon his duties with
ut delay. --., .t.ts..... sm,.t o.. 49,
# seems to be the opinion or sntie per.
sons that the Goy ernor has some supervision
or control over the other Executive Officers.
and is therefore in some measure resPunsf-
BILE for their action. Such persons do not
reflect that eaGH Of these officers is elected
BY the people, and is made by the Constitu-
ton wholly independent Of the Governor, in
tn. .odmlnistfotion Of his own department;
except 80 far Os the Intervention Of the lat
tier may be sahct oned by EXPRESS enact.
ment. The oRly act p!bviding for any in
terventinn of the Governor with the action
Of the Treasurer, previous to Mr. Gibsons
resignatinn, was that Of April 8, 1885,
That act authorized the Governor, upon re.
quest Of the Auditor Of State. to app int
suitable person to aid that officer. in exam.
lining The Treasury, and required him to d.
rect the Auditor to make such an examina-
ton under in circumstances. A the
proper time, | directed the attention of the
Auditor to this law, and he made the e4am-
ina,ion required by il, and reported that the
funds Of the State were safe in the Treasu.
ry. He made no REQUEST for the appoint.
ment Of any assistant, and in the absence
Of that teddest, there was no authority to
appoint one. His Feport, and those OF the
Legislative Committees, furnished no
erdHnd TOR any further direction TO him, and
none was otherwise made known to me.
A further duty was imposed upoh7 the
Governor BY the att Of March 80, 1857.
which REQUIRED him to appoint, once in three
months, an Examiner of the Treasury 49,
The first three months had not expired
when Mr.. Gibson Resigned; but believing
myself warranted in mixing the appoint
mint at any lime in the course of that pc.
riod, and regarding the disclosures which
had been made as demanding an immediate
and thorough investigation, I appointed
Thomas Sparrow, OF Franklin county, to
that office. The results OF the examina.
! tion 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 cohcea ed from
the Legislative eoriimttses, and the Audi
tor OF State, at the time Of their several ex.
: am nations, and the respective parts in the
criminal transaction, Of the two State treas.
urets implicated in it, are clearly stated in
this document No candid person, til TX,
can withhold his assent from the conclusion
} 10 which he arrives, "that John G.. Breslin
distracted the money from the Treasuryi
: and that William II. Gibson, BY concedling
. the defalcation and denying its existence,
t disregarded truth and his sworn Official
duty"
. As soon as this official investigation had
} been provided for, the facts which had been
: made known TO me, were communicated Ia
! the Prosecuting Attorney OF Franklin coun'
d ty, who is charged by law with the prosecu'
+. ton OF all offenses committed within it,
mtv and to the Jufg. of this judicial su"
d subdivision, whose duty it is to charge th'
e Grand Jury in regard to such offtnses. Tan
t Prosecuting Attorney was assured Of what
h ever aid the Executive could afford TO hin
G in the discharge of his functions, and he
u accordingly, feseived the assistance of tn
'r Attorney General, in the investigation
,. which took place before the Grand Jury
q These Investigations fesulled In indictment
:. against both the ex.Treasufers. Mr. Gill
e SON gave bail. but Mr.. Dreslin fed to car
a. ada. Every effort, deemed fit and expedieI
Ie by the Prosecuting Attorney and Attorne
'e General, was made for his apprehension
vt and the charges were d,frayed from n
~ contingent fund. "A correspondence Wi
al also instituted with the Federal Govefnnel
t. at Washington, in the hopes of engaging
'e, Intervention with the British Government
ID BY which means alone the surrender of II
q. fugitive defaulter could be obtained. II
Federal authorities, however, declined to il
lg terfere, on the ground that the surrender
IT. a fugitive, charged with embezzlement, W
lg not stipulated in the treaty between the Ur
r. ted States and Great Britain, and thereto
OF could not with pfcpriety be asked for.
on Civil Buits have been instituted BY d
| Attorney General, against the two x-Tre,
ali urera and their sureties, upon the offic
IN, bonds. In the course of the investiyat
be required by these actions, as we'll as by d
ire criminal prosecutions upoit the indictmer
So, found by the gtaiid jury, !, Is hoped ii
be some further light may be thrown upon
ed uses made Of the money astracled from
ate treasury, and that considerable portion
OF it, at least, may be recovered. .
ng Up 10 the time of the disclu ure Of the
at fcit, MIR. Gibson had obtained means
lty meeting the current demands against I
to State Treasury, aud deceiving the legislat
- committees and the Auditor, when exaniini
re. its condition, by temporary loans from bar
snt and bankers, and other devices described
ars the report Of the Special E1aminef. Whe
ing er the withdrawal Of the moneys thus
iii tanned and represented to belong to
npt State, constitutes defalcation and rend
-, him liable as defaulter, notwithstand
re- he may not have participated in the origi
abstraction, is question for the courts
on, The practical effort of that withdrawal ,
The to leave the State unprovided with sufici
the funds for the payment of the interest on
ted, State debt, becoming due on the lst Of j
leg or for the ordinary expenses Of the govt
Hin, ment. a072T @L} s-'I0s ~, 90.
lest To obtain these funds was indispensa
was and there were buttwo means Of acconpl
ing tne ouJects OHe "oss W SaH t"S Ho
the luture together, 10 extra session, and az
n 10. its action; the other to oimsks an immed
ount arrangement, 'spd invoke for itthe sane 10
his the General Assembly at its next reg
b os meeting. Only eighteen days would ell
j. or after the resignation of Mr. Gibson be
nge.1 the interest swas payable. and that
"a to would hardly suffice for the sssemblin
uent the Legislature and the ptovisioh Of che
the cessary funds through its ssnctionJ u