The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1859-03-02

known 10 him to be opposed to the evil course he
was pursuing; and his eonhdants are therefore
found TO be the men who, without spark OF true
public morality, and void Of every appreciation Of
public virtue, became his aids and abeltors, and
never by word or deed upbraided him. Impressed
with consciousness that be was pursuing Al
course not sustained BY those who placed him in
Office, and which would not be approved by his
real lnenda, he withheld from them all knowl-
edge Of his transactions, because he the most
feared and dreaded their censure. @ i
In the examination of the official transitions
aud conduct OF Mr.. Breslin in the detail, the
first important act was his settlement with his
predecessor. We have shown in thatparto of our
report having a more special reference to the
transactions of Mr.. Bliss, that at the time he
went out of office, he was, in fact, though not
! publicly known as such, defaulter to the Treas
| ury. That large amount which appeared to be
| due from him to the State, was not paid until
neary four years after the expiration of his term
! of Office; and as we now believe, and think we
have satisfactorily shown, a part OF the moneys
received by him while Treasurer, yet remains
unpaid to the State.
| In this settlement with Mr.. Bliss, Mr.. Breslin
| seemed entirely to misunderstood the nature OF
the position he occupied. The consideration of
| the embarrassments, misfortunes or disresses of
Mr.. Bliss, was no part OF his official duty; nei-
ther could his personal sympathy for Mr.. Bliss
SO CHdIge LnelF EtldblOuo W caGH OluGtB Us W
render their settlement OF private, and not of
public character. In no rightfu, legitimate,
or legal sense, could it have been private. Be
ing entirely official, the attempt at concealment
was a gross violation of official, as well as per
y sonal integrity on the part of both. They were
sworn public oficers-acting in public capaci
ty, and dealing with the public money,-and ev
cry act should have been matter of public re-
cord. And VIC cannot but regret that the sure
ko, lyis cd nv FlnA =.
settlement, which, in its very nature, more OF
: less compromised them and especially wheI
Withholding from the public, full know ledge o.
the transactions, when it sought TO be obtain
ed by legislative authority. The full disclosure
at the time of the settlement, of all the fact
: since brought to light, would have led to sucl
Investigations into the affairs ofthe Treasury, a
: would have secured 'oper legislation and efec
! tually prevented further abstraction of public
? money, and saved Mr.. Brcslin from disgrace
! and the State from an enormous loss.
For a full understanding of the accounts o
the Treasury, and of the responsibility of Mr.
s Breslin, and to what extent it reached, it mus
e be borne in mind, that general settlement an,
3 balances of all the books in the offices of th
Treasurer and Auditor is made only at the en-,
! of the fiscal year, November Is; and that Mr.
BFeslin was charged on the books of the Audi
tor, who was then the only legal accounting off
: Ger with the Treasury, with the balance IN tn
Treasury, November Is, 1851, and with all tn
payments into it, until the end of the next fsca
. year, and so en- to the end Of his second term
j.. though, all that which was received from til
18th of November, 1851, to the 18th of Januar,
s 1852, was received by Mr.. Bliss; and also, tha
. he, or the Treasury, was credited with all th
: disbursements made from November, 18th, 1851
g to the 18th of November, 1852, making MI
/, Breslin, therefore, in fact, the Treasurer fror
: November Is, 1851, and accountable for all tn
5 moneys received from that period, including th
= the balance then stated to have been in tn
e Treasury, $3l2699, 25, until the expiration o
his second term Of Office, January IA, 1856. TIL
Q Importance, therefore, to him Of determining th
accuracy OF his settlement with Mr.. Bliss, and, i
, fact, the accuracy OF the balance, November X
: 1851, is apparent. Mr. Bresln, being, by spe
t cious law, purposely enacted the only accountin
: officer with the outgoing Treasurer, should a
once have applied himself to ascertaining fror
0 every source within his reach, not secretly, bu
d publicly, the exact state of the accounts OF til
= former, and should have left upon the public re
n cords every evidence of the settlement. If h
0 and Mr.. Bliss had pass books and memoranG
: ums, which enabled them to know what the pub
n lie has never known, and what the books do nc
: now show-the manner and circumstances
e their settlement-they were public property ant
t should have been left for public use.
!, According to the books of the Auditor, ther
Q was received into the Treasury, for which MI
:. Bresin was accountable, from the 18th of No
n yember, 1851, to the 18th of November 1885,
O. from all sources, $l3,225,5S7 55. The balanc
81 remaining in the Treasury, November l5tt
e. 1851, was $3l2,69 25, making $13, ,54l 1856 81
y as his total liability, November Is, 1855. Ad
e. to this, $6S, 745 d. the amount received by hi1
III from the last named dly to the 18th of Januar,
y 1856, and it maees $l3,6l0,03l 95, as the gro:
fgto. .1.nl4 d., i
: he had to account. 1t appears, from the sam
i source, that there was disbursed from the Trea
n ury, from the 18th of November, 1851, to ii
o 18th November, 1855, $l2, 1881, ,9l6.73; and froi
e, that date to the 18th of January, 1856, the flu
: ther sum CT $546, 1913 81 making the entire dill
n bursements, from the 18th of November, 1856
k to the 18th of January, 1856, $l3,384, ,O40 "a
n leaving balance in the Treasury, at that tim
e of $225, ,99l II, which Mr. Breslin should ha,
h paid over to his successor, Mr.. Gibson.
s The Treasurer's books show, that the balanc
r in the Treasury, on the 18th OF January, 1851
It was but $2O4,987 95; the difference being az
$ counted for by the Treasurer having credite
}. himself with sundry sums paid for exchang,
!. which had not been allowed by the Auditors
: AS this difference is not material in determinin
upon whom to fix the responsibility for the d.
falcation, and as its settlement is not devoye
upon US, we will make but this single remark i
EtlatlOu W SuLJtCt BeHeFHlly. AS long as In
: State receives for her public dues that which
not available, because not gold and silver, for th
payment of interest and the redemption of he
e public debt in New York, the difference requiI
vi ed to make it available must be paid in the wa
q of exchanges; and it is safer and better to pay
a directly from the Treasury, and in pursuance O
law, than to permit it to become miserable prt
: text for drawing money from the Treasury in aG
b vance Of its legal application for the use {
e banks and the Treasurer, and thereby ncurrin
k lsks and losses under the pretence OF obtainin
exchange " free Of cost to the State"
i. In the minds of some men, it is saving none
to the State, when it is not paid directly by th
Government, though the people pay twice o
much for it in another form as if the Stat
i. was not the Government Of the very people froI
whom revenues are thus collected which peye
4 see the State Treasury. We hold that ndustr
. pays for every turn Of the wheel OF Governme en
d and of the hangers on upon it and it is, there
d fore, of the very first Importance, that all pub
lie pecuniary dealings should be open and d
). rect, avoiding all circuity and deceit. VIII
v conceal from the people the fact, that the use
n paper money entails upon our Government a
o additional tax for exchange-being the differ
|. ence in the value between our own false currer
j. cy and that Of the Constitution, and the speci
v standard Of the commercial world.
y II is not to be inferred from these remarks
however, that the deposit of money in the banks
d was not the voluntary act OF Mr.. Bresn. TIL
n Commissioners of the Sinking Fund, as set fort
in each of their semi-annual Reports from Dt
I cember, 1852, to January, 1856, found Mr.. Bres
lin wilfully persistiDg in the loaning of the pub
!. lie money to banks. This practice was kept w
4 against the wishes and In defiance of any powe
Z possessed by the Commissioners to control /
q They, therefore, gave Mr.. Breslin notice, q
10 oh saYoi.annua1 paVmpnk nf intpraat that O