Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-10-17
From the Springfield Republican, Oct 18th,
THE LATE ONSLAUGHT ON THE STATE AU.
DITOR

In politics, as in nature, there are phenome-
ma at times which completely puzzle the I'M
Outstanding of the common observer. There
is always an adequate cause for them, howev-
err, if one will but take the trouble to search it
out. The recent attempt to supplant the State
Auditor belongs to this class of phenomena.
Apparently, it is incomprehensible; really, and
in the light OF searching inquiry, it is all as
plain as a pike staff. The mystery about the
matter consists in the fact that while the attempt
was a systematic one, commencing early in
the year and continuing down to the very mo-
ment OF the decisive ballot in the Fitchburg
Convention, nobody is responsible for it, no.
body was dissatisfied with the manner in which
the Auditor had acquitted himself of his du-
ties, nobody wanted the place which he had
filled so acceptably. Even Mr.. Councillor
Rogers, to whose benefit the attempt would
have enured if it had been successful, neither
wanted the office nor made the slightest effort
to obtain it, while his admiration OF the Audit
or's fidelity is only surpassed by his own in
comparable modesty. And certainly, those
who know anything of the honorable Council
lor's repugnance to office-amounting to a
chronic intirmity almost-and his scrupulous
abstinence from all efforts to push his own for
tunes heretofore, must give him credit for sim
certy in these assurances Indeed, we should
regard the whole case as one of spontaneous
combustion, ii that hypothesis were admssi-
bic in political affairs, and were it not for Ger
tain facts Of which we are well assured.
To rebut the prevailing idea that the oppo.
siton to the auditor grew out of disaowance
of certain bills of the council &c., Councillor
Rogers, in card published in the Worcester
Transcript, states that mo bill, or part of a
bill, incurred by the council, or by any men,
Der of it, for trips out Of the state, or in it, has
,t,1
he has not audited" sc. This is doubtless
true, at the same time that it is calculated to
leave a false impression upon the public mind,
fact which no one understands better than
the councillor himself. Some time near the
close of the year 1858, the council of that year
paid visit to the Deaf and Dumb Asylum at
Hartford. Subsequently the bill of expenses
for the visit ent to the auditor for approval
AS it was chargeable to an appropriation that
was already substantially exhausted, without
questioning the correctness of the bill at all
the auditor filed it away for future action
whenever there should be an appropriation
under which it could be paid. Instead of ac-
quiescing i'll this course, which would certain
" seem to have been the only true one under
the circumstances, the council "voted that the
auditor be requested to draw u warrant for the
payment of the travelling expenses of the last
council to Hartford an attested copy of
which vote was duly placed in the auditors
hands. The appropriation to which this bill
of expenses was chargeable, amounted to fif-
teen hundred dollars. By the law of 1857.
the sergeant-at-arms, secretary and treasurer,
were constituted commission, without whose
authority no expense could be incurred under
this appropriation. When, therefore, the au-
ditor received the councils quasi mandamus,
and after ascertaining that he had already
drawn certificates against the appropriation
amounting to fourteen hundred, ninety four
dollars and sixteen cents, he addressed a note
to the commissioners, inquring whether the
bill in question had been approved by them.
The answer was that III had not been approved,
on account of the appropriation having been
already exhausted within the amount of five
dollars and eighty-five cents" Here, then, so
far as immediate action on the part of the au-
ditor was concerned was an end of the case.
The language of the law was plain and cx-
plicit. ono expense shall be incurred n II
unless previously authorized by said commits
sioners, and no expense shall be authorized by
them, unless he same come Cithin the amount dp.
propriated by The legislature"
We say, so far as immediate action on the
| part of the auditor was concerned, here of me-
cessty, was an end of the case, till a new APP
preparation was granted, and he SO advised the
council. But certain members of that body
were not satisfied Among the bills properly
audited, and for the payment of which war
rant was already awaiting the action of the
council, were several for supplies and labors
about the state house The councillors allud.
ed to, insisted that these bills should be with.
drawn and await the action Of the legislature
to the end that their own bill Of expenses might