Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1859-03-02
81
The STANDARD.
COMMUNICATION

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COMMUNICATION @
From the Prssident Of the North Cdseliaa Raj
road in reply to the Report Of the Chairman Of the
Joint Gomasittee on the North Carolina Railroad
RALEIGH, February 14tb, 1859.
Hon. HENRy 7. CLARK, Speaker Of the Ssnate:
SR:-It is with extreme reluctance that pro
nose again to trouble the Senate with commun'ca-
xon referring to my official relations with the North
Carolina Railroad but it srequired by my position
towards the Directory, the State, and the stock
holders, as we'll as due to myself, III justice that
should notice report lately Eat'e by Mr. Jonathan
Worth chairman of q committee to examine INTO
the affairs and condition of this corporation ;,
Early in the month of December last, Mr. Worth
proposed in the Senate a Resolution to appoint
committee to examine into the condition anu ahaHs
of the North-C Carolina Railroad Company, upon
which as amended to include other roads, joint
committee was raised and Mr.. Worth was made
chairman.
The first notification to me Of its existence and
nurnnse was bv letter from the chairman Of date
December 18th, and received the ed; which letter,
with my reply thereto, is given in his report.
According to the request of this letter, conveyed
to Raleigh from the Office of the North-C Carolina
Railroad, at the Company shops, all ting lnporan!
vouchers papers and books of the corporation, and
caused the Treasurer and the Secretary to present
themselves with me in attendance on the committee
in Raleigh at the hour designated-4 o'clock, r. NJ,
of January 4th last Then and there stated to
the chairman nv readiness to go into this eXamina-
ton. and reiterated the expressions OF my letter
that it would give me great pleasure to aid him by
any means in my power:
At7 o'clock the chairman and Mr.. Mills attended
at nv temporary office in Raleigh-not at the Cover
nors office. which he proposed to as his commit
tee room-where the papers were deposited, and
remained in conversation perhaps two hours U pom
nv inquiry as to his plan Of examination and my
remark that any examination to be satisfactory,
much less lust must be systematic and regular as
we'll as full; he replied this was true, and they
would consult on plan for adoption. He further
observed seeing the formidable mass OF material
that it would appear impossible to examine as fully
as was desirable, but he wished to make ialr and
impartial examination My reply was, 1t this Is
your sincere purpose, although great injustice and
much misapprehension might result from discur-
sive and partial inquiry, and although it had been
INV intention to require regular and complete ill.,
qury, will allow you to proceed in any mode OF just
examination; here are all the papers o: you use,
and the men to explain them-proceed as You please
mentioned that the time, being the first days Of
the year, was a very incOnvenicnt and lnupPOrtune
one for this examination, and would greatly hinder
the business of the read unless the othce-men could
have some leisure from it; that as to myself l
could not possibly remain in personal attendance
there, being engaged elsewhere but if my attend
ance was at any time desired it should he instantly
given on my being notified that any questions for
information would reach me promptly and should
be instantly replied to, no matter what were my en-
gagements.
From that night to the close Of this examination,
sehen the men and books rere discharged, no single
question has been at any time asked 81 me-
The chairman begins rather ominously with two
mistakes. He says, page l, ''he ID delivered into
the hands of the committee the papers" &c. He
greatly mistook my action. l made no such de-
livery" nor should at any time have far forgot
ton my duty, in charge of these most valuable re-
cords as to have .'delivered them, even surren-
dered them to any hands. He asked my permission
to take to his room certain papers and the Journal
time requesting their careful keeping) ont Of
tesy to his postion-a courtesy, appeared later,
which the chairman was not able to appreciate.
This was his first error the second was that he
seems to have considered all of us in his custody.
He says my statement, the committee consented
that he attend to his duties the road he agreeing
to return" &C. neither asked his 6 consent to
be absent, nor agreed to return; but made the
observations as to my duties and attendance exactly
as mentioned by me above The chairman exagger-
ated his consequence in this way throughout
These are unmportant things except as showing
his total misapprehenson of relative positions,
and particularly of his proper jurisdiction.
On the second week of the charman's laborS,
was closely engaged in making out my Report of
January Goth, to the Governor for the information
of the General Assembly-and was obliged to have
the aid of the Secretary, who is book-kecpcr, in
making up my financial statement The chairman
dwes on this as having delayed his examination
How? By lack of my Books of Entry? What
had he to do with these except for final comparison
to ascertain their correctness WAS he to examine
tile affairs Of the Road, by my statements? or was
he to ascertain the by reference to the audited
vouchers of payments-the acknowledged amount
Of receipts and then test the correctness of my
books? The secretary has no connection with these
papers except as book-keepcr but the chairman had
in Raleigh, the man through whose hands had
passed every voucher since the first year of the cor
porate operations-the Treasurer who had received
and paid out all monies his accounts show who
ought to be familiar with every important transac-
tion and able to lay his hands on any desired infr-
nation, if he chose to do so. How then could his
progress be delayed for want of the secretary, no
great while engaged in the Office and therefore not
cognizant of old transactions:
On Saturday, | went to Raleigh to pay my re-
spects to the chairman, and asked how ne was pro-
gressing He answered, that they had needed the
secretary with his books and by his absence, had
been delayed. replied: The secretary has been
necessarily absent III giving me some aid from his
statements, but you have had all the papers and
the presence of the treasurer the Oldest officer on
the road, which thought surely sufficient; the
secretary, however, shall return on Monday.
After leaving the city in the evening" remem
bered an extract from the journal of the Board
Chat as to the location of the shops wanted for my
report and directed the secretary to get the book
and send it up by next train.
On Monday l received the letter following from
the chairman:
A. RALEIGH, January 18th, 1859.
Dear Sir The committee investigating the affairs of tn.
North Carolina Railroad Company instruct me to say IL
you that they have been arrested discharge Of tbe
duty all this week, by the nonattendance of your book
keeper who should have been here all the week with h
books according to the orders Of this committee
The committee require that your book.keeper with hi,
books attend this committee without delay aud also tina
the having charge Of shop books attend will
his books BY 4 O'Clock P. NJ on Tueday next.
The committee also instruct ask for your persona
attendance before them by r NJ on Wednesday next.
Yours respectfully,
J. WORTH, Chairman
SUNDAY, Januarv 18th 1850