The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1860-03-16
RE Pc II L
OF THE
JOINT SELECT COMMITTEE
Lale Treasurer Of the State Of Maine.
on TgE

dress as relates to Treasury Affars," reported
ON the 9th of January that the deficiency in
the accounts Of the late State Treasurer a
haunted to the sum Of $9i,073.Oi. Upon
a more accurate adjustment of balances than
thew were then enabled to arrive at, the Com
mi,,ee find that the precise deficit is S9i,023..
90, and il is their duty now to lay before the
Legislature succinet statement Of the causes
that led to this lamentable result. They beg
leave, therefore, to submit the following
REPORT:
At the time the Committee was appointed,
the late Treasurer, b. ID. Peck, was confined
in iail at Bangor, on a charge brought against
him by the Receivers of the Norombega
Bank. As soon as he was released from their
custody, January IL, Sub Committee, con.
sistinp of Messrs. Drummond, Porter and
Blaine, was dispatched to Bangor, with au.
tbority TO summon Mr.. Peck and secure mis-
attendance at the Capital. He arrived here
the next day, and though manifesting per-
feet willingness to give his testimony touch
ing the subject under investigation, he alleg.
ed his inability to proceed until he was placed
in possession of his private papers and mem
oranda, deposited in an iron safe ut Portland,
which, as he averred, had been forcibly re-
moved from his house without his permission
and against his wishes. Hon. George 4.
Shepley appeared before tho Committee rs
his counsel and gave additional assurance Of
tho necessity of Mr.. Peck's having the papers
referred to, and of the utter impossibility OF
any clear statement being made without them.
Mr.. Shepley also volunteered his personal
pledge that If the Committee would permit
Mr.. Peck to go to Portland and examine the
papers. or place the papers in his possession
here, every fact and every figure of any per-
thence or significance, would be most freely
exhibited and exposed. Preferring to have
Mr.. Peck remain at Augusta, the Committee
accepted the second proposition and appoints
ed three of their number, Messrs. Robbie, Com
stock and Blaine, to proceed to Portland
with any one MIR. Peck might designate as
his friend, and secure the papers referred to.
Mr.. Peck selected Mr.. Charles A. Stackpole
as his representative. and on Friday, the 18th
OF January, the parties named proceeded to
Portland and found the safe deposited at the
Manufacturers and Traders Bank. to which
place they repaired Immediately OH their ar
rival in the CITY. The Committee remained
in the Bank until Mr.. Stackpole had gone out
and procured key to the safe, on his
return was unlocked by him in presence Of
the Committee, all the papers carefully re-
moved, securely wrapped in several folds OF
paper and so sealed that II was impossible to
have access to them, without the intrusion
exposing itself. The package was then de-
posted in the vault of the bank, and the Cash.
Ter instructed not TO deliver il until called for
by Mr.. Stackpole and the Sub Committee to-
yethcr. The call was made the next day,
the package brought to Augusts by the Same
parties, and by them delivered to Mr.. Peek,
in presence of Hon. George +. Shepley. The
Committee earnestly desired to give the pa.
pers thorough examination before deliver
ING them TO Mr.. Peck, but to this neither he
nor his counsel would assent, and a. the
I" Declaration Of Rights in our State Consti-
tuition sets forth that '.no warrant to search
any place or seize any person or thing shall
issue, without special designation OF the
place to be searched and the person or thing
TO be SEIZED" it was quite apparent that TO
have opened package whose contents were
utterly unknown to the Committee. would
have been grave violation Vt this Constitu-
tional provision. The Committee therefore
confined their efforts to the delivery of The
papers to Mr.. Peck. relying On the personal
promises of himself and his counsel, as to the
honorable use that should be made OF them.
On the ensuing Monday morning, Janua-
~ 10th. 1.-THE papers having been delivered on
the previous Saturday evcning,) Mr.. Peek,
accompanied by his counsel, MIR. Shepley,
appeared before the Committee and submitted
the following written statement:
Mr.. Peck's Statement.
JANUARY l6, 1860.
I stand before this committee and before
the people Of this State, charged with misap-
propriating the public funds, which i, as
Treasure of State, have had in trust. / ac-
knowledge the charge to be true and shall
proceed to make such statements and expla-
nations Of my transactions as are demand
ed by my convictions of truth and duty.
do not deem it necessary in this connection
to offer any excuses for my conduct, but TO
state the facts and leave you to judge in re-
ference to each and all Of my transactions.
l have no wish to involve other parties and
other men in any of my questionable or
wrong financial operations; can only state
what has been done, and others connected
with me must vindicaie themselves If they
can, or suffer with me, the consequences Of
wrong doing.
have been accustomed from my first con.
nection with the treasury TO loan the States
money in large and small sums to some of
my bondsmen and TO others, who from time
to time solicited aid from this quarter. Some
of these parties have paid me, and some have
not. Sometimes when have wanted my
pay, they have endorsed my notes, upon
which have raised the money on my own
and their credit, at the Banks. Names Of
parties with amounts loaned, and payments
made, from time to time, and what remains
unpaid now, can be given when desired.
had not got warm in my seat as Treas
urer Of this State, before was urgently im-
portuned by some OF my bondsmen and 9TH
ers, to loan tho money Of the State, and for
this reason-that could in this way add to
my income from the office, other treasurers
had done it, and it was generally known that
all treasurers would do it. This, at least,
public men Of all parties knew full well. /
do not plead these things to cover up my own
faults, but on the contrary, make them rs a
simple statement OF facts. giving names IL
desired, that the Committee may have all
matters before them which are material TO this
investigation.
There are persons who in the days Of my
prosperity were glad TO avail themselves of
the use of the State funds, who could up.
proach me upon my weak side and use me
for their purposes, but who now denounee me
in newspapers and elsewhere. and who would
not, even with all my available property in
their hands as security, consent to sign bail
bond for my dcliverancc from Jail, into which
was cast upona ,rumped-up case, while /
was using my utmost endeavors to place all
my property in the hands OF my bondsmen as
security for the loss they had incurred on
my account. do not mention this in any
spirit Of complaint or by way Of retaliation
but as a fact patent TO all who understand
much Of this painful affair.
1t will DO seen upon an investigation into