Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1860-09-07
Il | C. AL.
From the Ksnu,lec Journal.
The Peck Defalcation.
The Amount which the State Treasury
will lose by IL.
An unimpeachablc statement Of all
the Facts.

OF al the essential facts connected with the
unfortunate matter. We feel assured that
when thi. /. done. calmly AMI ,ruihfully,
the Republican State Administration will
not only he vinlicaicI from all ccn'urc, but
will have established renewed claim. to the
confidence Of the people Of Maine.
pcck's dela'cntion was not known 10 the
State Administration until the very la.,
week In December. 1, wa. then discovered
by Mr.. Caldwell, the Clerk in the Treasury
Office. When that gentleman was balancing
bis accounts preparatory io,ho annual Re-
port TO the legislature. be called on the
different Banks where the State had funds
kcp, through the year for their 'certidcnt''
Of deposit to exhibit to the Examining
and Auditing Committee. In the returns
which be received from these Banks, be dis
covered that Mr.. Peck hai checked out
large sums withou, notifying him Of il, and
that thus his accounts we're short. Mr..
Caldwell at once telcGnphcl to Portland for
Mr.. Peek 10 come 10 Augusta and explain
the ma,tsr-no, doubling, even then, that
he could promptly and houorably aijus, It,
Mr. Peck did not come. however. and when
thus il became evident that ,hcrc was q de-.
falcation. he advised the Governor of the
fact. and the Governor a, once ordered the
various Bank. vherc the State had funds
no, 10 honor any more Of Mr. rcck's checks.
Tho next week the Legislature convened,
aud the Governor communicated all the
facts in hi' possession m regard 10 tie mat
ter \ COMMITTEES OF Investigation was At
once appointed, consisting OF gentlemen Of
both branches of the legislature, aud OF
io't poitiri' y1r'io, They carefully exam.
insl into all the fact. AMI made = toll Re.
port. Tie substance of that Report was,
that the total dsialcl,ion amounted to
Sp3, ,923 gs, and that the chief cause Of il
bad bccu an unfortunate speculation in Can
ada lumbcr. upon which Mr. Peek had en-.
tered with Duily =. lrayitt. the Collector
At Bangor. Leonard Jones. Postmaster at
Bangor. with Geo. VI. Weston. Theo. Cush.
ius, \. Il. lIallowell. and Goo. Il. Smith.
The Investigating Commiiic tried to Gnd
out In every possible way whether Mr. Peck
had eIpcudeI any money Tor political ob.
j-ci'. Bui their attempts were fruitlcs.
Many witnesses were examined. ol both p.
litical parties, but no one knew OF dollar
being ihus expended. Mr.. Peek himself as
serted, with most apparent tru,hlulno.',
that De bad not used moaey for any politi.
e.l purpo,c. beyond his regular annual as
sa-.men,., aud tha, ihosc dill not average
SlOO year, and the Committee, aiiu tho
most pauer, searching. unanimously report.
ed ia the following language
&c IA, ComtHites hgr. Mu l,.g uHalls Z,
md thli q aEgs dollar hI, l.sg u'si ly VI.
Prl. dreo''y5r i4firrft. ford .'i1H pYrp1.
80. h.gbad % o'B inar'lir,f ~ him0L
EVERY WITNESS. presumed from position
aui precedent % b. able o. throw light on
thI. suhf,ct, has been summoned, aud the
result ot 'he Investigation i just what has
hran stated. Ibv' ~ an slHrs GI,s1os "
p.VIr, erII.nts % sustain ~ otlrss, \ -
rTE,uUNp,N,E oT N.sATi,E TFsrNoNY TO
uisrRoyE IT.. aud the most cnmprch'usiNe d.
Mai, and disclaimers on the part OF all
thlss. Of iJ'i parties, WHO were alleged 20
have personal knowledge on the subject
The Committee have enicAyurri to probe
this matter u the bottom. and thar mplr.
ta' Conclusions arc thus frankly and tHNy
ag,.i."
BE {, remembered that the Democratic
members Of the Committee joiueI with the
Republicans in making this declaration. In
regard to the lo-, that would IAN upon the
State. the inycs,isa,ins Committee, with
like unanimlty. reported that it would be
very ,riiins, it indeed it amounted to any
thing a, all. They spoke thus
The Committee are happy 90 express the
belief that the bond of both years contains
the names OF honorable men, who will not
attempt to shrink from any responsibility
that attaches to them"
After the Investigating Committees Re.
port was fully read and diges,cd by the Leg.
l.laturc. it was concluded that the best mode
Of sGectiug a settlement with the Bonds.
men, was to appoin, certain member. Of the
Legislature as Commissioners Tor that pur.
poe, and accordingly J. &. Blaine, Of Au.
su.ta, George X. Jewett. Of Bangor. Fred
erick Rob.e. Of Gorham. james VI. Stone Of
Kennebunk, Roland Fisher Of Bath, JOS.
Porter Of Lowell, and Geo. Comstock Of
Lubec, were appointed. As two sets Of
Bondsmcn were involved in the responsible.
ity, the Commissioners appointed meeting
with thoso for the year 1859 on the l0in Of
April. The meeting was held, aud a fair
and proper ,ett!emen, elected. The Bonds
men were to pay $4,000, and the official
report Of the Commissioners 10 the Cover.
nor and Council shows how promptly the
settlement was effected. The Commission.
ers in sheir Report cay:
The terms proposed were $1,000 cash,
and SlO. 600 per year for three wears, in
notes OF Samuel f. Jersey and Walter
Brown. satisfactorily SECURED By mortgage on
r,al estate. TIE undersigned accepted the
offer. and Msrs. COmV0ok. POrisr and
Jr,ssr, we're appointed Sub Committee to
proc. 81 % Bingor and examine the real e.
tate proposed to be mOrisased and ASCERTAIN
I u constituted aGdeHi 'oHriiy 10 insure
he prompt payment Of hc note, 70 lrh'eh nS
collateral. The Sub. Committee devoted some
three days to tire task assigned them, and