The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1860-07-12

at maturity, though at the time I went ou
OF office. and for sometime afterwards III,
indorsers. Bright and Drake. we're consid
cred good for the amount. In the meaI
time my success or. Mr.. Jones. took the office
AT that time the balance in the State Treas
ury, including th. above bills Of exchange
was $709, $50 So. l delivered the Who'll.
over to Mr.. Jones. Attorney General, jose pl
E. Mcdonald. advising him in writing ths
he ought 10 receive the bills Of excbangs
from me as part Of the assets of the Treas
ury. the Attorney General being an able
lawyer. and a distinguished Democrat. and
thereupon Mr. Jones gave me the following
receipt.
February 9. 1857.
Received OF w. II. Nofsinger, late
Treasurer of State. seven hundred and nine
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six dollars
and fifty five cents (s7O9. $50 55) in secu-
rifles and funds in his hands IS such Treas
urer, according to schedules hereto annex
ed. AoUILLA JONES"
This was then in my judgement aud still
is complete acquittance TO me and my
sur,ies. Nor do fear any suit which the
Governor may have prosecuted against me.
But let it be remembered that these assets
were delivered to Mr.. Jones on the 9th day
of February. 1857; that they included the
bills of exchange in question:; that Cover
nor Willard and Attorney General McDon-
aid knew of the fact. And let also The fact
be remembered that If after l went out Of
office, suit had been brought on the bills Of
exchange, the whole amount might have
been collected, as the drawers and endors-
ers Drake and Bright had ample property
in their hands. out Of which the money
might have been made.
After l had ceased to be Treasurer. which
is now gong on tour years. neither nor
my sureties had any control over these bills
Democratic State Officers. aud were made,
Democrats who owe them and ought to pay
them. But to this day they are unpaid, and
have never been sued Oh. Can any one an
swer why suit has never been brought on
these billsl
Under these circumstances it comes with
a poor grace from the Governor to say that
this is debt due by Col. Lane (who is one
Of the sureIies OH my bond. and me- The
debt is due by his own Democratic friends.
May, Drake and Bright, not from me and
my sureties.
But il Gov. Willard really thinks that in
any thing have forfeited my official bond.
why has he not directed a suit on it against
me and my sureties?
The statute provides that "for breach Of
the condition Of any official bond by which
the S:a:e is injured, the Governor shall di-
rect suit 10 be brought on his relation" |
K. S. 3o7. This is his sworn duty. He
is made the guardian of the public funds;
he has been in office nearly four years, l
have been out of office nearly that long. |
why did he not do his duty aud order ms
to be sued? Why has he let this matter
rest ever since February. 1857. if he thinks
Col. Lane and myself are liable and ought
to pay the debt Of his Democratic friendsl
II his statements are true. he is, on his own
showing, rs guilty as l can be. Bat the
Governor intinates in his speech that and
my sureties have been sued. A word of
explanation will sufficiently clear up this
matter. A committee to investigate the
affairs Of all the State officers. have been
holding sessions occasionally at Indianapolis
That committee. TO nv knowledge. has new
er minated tbs, l ought to pay this debt
Ga the contrary l believe have satisfied
them that in all things have acted in good
faith. But they could no, fully investigate
these matters before the statute OF limitations
would expire. Therefore to save this rem
edy they (uot Gov. Willard) directed the
Attorney General to commence a suit. He
did SO for that purpose, only, as he himself
will testify.) And though and my sure.
ties have at all times been ready 10 meet
that suit no one has even moved in it, and
never will move in It with effect That suit
was commenced before the March Term.
1860. OF the Marion Circuit Court; and yet
no one has ever moved rule on the defen-
l.. sk,,n DJa,.t ovI thof
too, Tor the reason above stated.
Gov. Willard says. '.in aluding to this.
cannot say that Mr.. Nofsinger intentionally
did wrong" Ii his Democratic friends had
paid those bills. as they had promised and
unde, taken to do. there would have been
no wrong! Who. then. is responsible to the
State for the wrong? 1? Who could fore
tell when men or banks would break or his
friends. who did not manage their business
So xs to redeem their solemn obligations and
pay the money they owed the State?
Gov. Willard certainly ought to be the
last man to bring 40 accusation against me
for buying time bills of exchange. for he
himself while 1 was Treasurer of State.
came into my office to sell me several thou
sand dollars of time bills Of exchange for
currency. But did not have the currency
at the time However, if had hal il, and
believed j. was for the interest Of the State
to buy his time bills. should have dons so.
I will leave Gov. Willard to determine for
himself how i. comports with the dignity of
the Governor Of great State like Indiana,
for him. who by the terms of the law. 10
certain event is made an arbitrator of nv
case, to drag that case. before its 6nsl de-
cision, into the arena oil parsizan politics. and
there make An unjust and ex-parte represen-
tarion of it, in order {, make political capi-
tsl. or what is Al leas, DO better, to inf1ict an
injury upon me. " 10 never did nor wished him
harm On the contrary, no one entertained
more kindly feelings towards him personal
ly thsa I. Blu. il seems that he alleges as
his Justification for his assault upon M. the
win Indication of himseli. Ii this is true. l am
really sorry that his case does not admit of
better defence than an injurious misr-pre-
sen,a;ion of a person VINO never ssssiled