The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1860-03-30

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to restore the whole amount Of 62,832 80,
without sny delay, and II there 70 any refu.
sal, the most expeditions remedy afforded by
the law should be at once rcsorted to for its
recovery. @
A case Of somewhat similar character 10
presented In regard to an official sheck Of Mr..
Pecks on the Suffolk Bank, sold by d. T.
Leavitt about the first Of November to ].
Wyman. Cashier of the Market Bank, Ban
gor. Wyman purchased this check on his
own account, was to hold Il for rather un-
defined period, perhaps into tho year 1860. at
certain rate Of compensation. He got Il
through channel which he must have
known was not properly authorized to be
dealing in Trcasurcr's checks, and he held Il
In his possession for several consecutive weeks.
During the last week in December, when Mr..
Wyman heard of Peck's difficulties, he sent
the Suffolk check to him and exchanged Il
for one on the Market Bank, whero from his
official position he knew there was q balance
to the credit Of tho State. A new check was
thus given by Mr.. Peck though IL wss ante.
dated, and with this check Mr. Wymsn paid
himself out Of money belonging to the State.
Knowing a. he did when the check was Is.
sued, that Peck was defaulter, and asking
for It indeed because he k,iep he was de-
faulter, seizing this chance then or never. as
he supposed; Mr.. Wyman should be held to
repay the Si,675 into the State Treasury, aud
the Committee make the same recommended
ton touching his case that they have suggest.
ed In regard to that of Mr.. Brown and the
Mechanics Bank. The same principle applies
equally and equitably to oil three Of them,
and the same remedy should be enforced.
The names of other parties that have dealt
in these time checks Of the Treasurer, or
checks which were to DO kept asrecided time
before presentation, may be found in tho
schedule Of those negotiated by Mr.. Leavitt
given on page 20.
"PAuLx LANDS" AND "SMYRNA LANDS"
In the foregoing portions Of the Report,
reference has been made to the "Paulk Lands"
and "Smyrna Lands" and it may be neces-
sary, in order to render all the points inteilig-
ible, to make brief reference to the part
these lands have been made to play In the
transactions connected with the Treasury
Nefalcation.
The "Paulk Lands" are some $4,000 acres
of timber land, In the counties Of Somerset
and Penobscot, purchased of q. l.. Boynton,
by Leavitt and Weston, in May. l850-and
decided, by request, to Abner X. Hallowell.-
The sum to be paid was $4,000, and $4,000
furnished by Peck was paid in cash, $4,000
settled by. notes secured by mortgage on same
property. Hallowell, acting under the direc.
ton OF Weston and Lsavitt, then mortgaged
the lands to Peck, in order to aid him In the
negotiation OF $4,000 worth OF notes. The
notes were those of Leayitt and Weston, pay
able to Peck, and the avails were to be used
in the Canada operation. Weston says It
was understood between them that Peck
could raise on these notes some $4,000, and
the whole design seems to have been to use
the lands as tho means Of raising money Tor
other speculations.
The "Smyrna Lands" in the county OF
Aroostook, were made the basis Of another
transaction, quite similar to the one just re-
ferred to. Boynton and Bradley agreed to
sell them to Leavitt, for $4,000. Peck furn-
ished the funds for the purchase. and tho
10000 acres Of land were decided to him.
Weston says, in regard to this matter:
"Leayitt and satisfied Mr.. Peck that II would
be for his interest to furnish the 900 and take
a deed Of Smyrna, and upon his unencumbered
title to that body Of land, he could raise two or
three times as much money in Portland. we
procured the statement Of sundry persons as to
tue NdlucH Ot tucoc iduub-uiuOHb sas'
Of Watson Dyer, nephew Of Isaac Dyer OF Port.
land"
Mr.. Weston says, that having satisfied Peck
Of the expediency of making the purchase,
the requisite funds were raised on four notes
of Pcek's, which were discounted, and which
he paid at maturity. Mr.. Weston further
understands, that "Peck, in the furry OF his
failure, conveyed away his interest In the
Smyrna Lands, to Treat s. Co., and got back
his S5,000." Leavitt says that "the whole
transaction, 80 far as Peck Is concerned, oft.
sets ITSELF" as he paid $4,000 and got $4,000
back.
1t Is understood that In the various nego-
tiations that have been In progress between
Peck's partners and his bondsmen since Jan.
uary LIST, the Paulk lands have fallen into the
hands OF the latter, In exchange for their sur
render Of all hold on the Canada property
Peck's connection with these transactions was
obviously to have the large tracts OF land Tor
use, as pawns on the chess board, In the
dashing game of finance he was engaged with
others In playing; and these explanations are
made rather for the purpose OF simplifying
former parts of this report, than because the
transactions themselves contained any thing
worthy Of special and separate investigation:
They were indeed but side.plays to the grand
drama enacting in Canada.
WAS MONEY USED Yon PoLrrIcAL PunrosEsi
Every witness that came before the Conn
mttee on any topic connected with the deiai.
cation, was INTERCEPTED as to whether he had
any knowledge of Peck's using public money
for political purposes. AL told the same tale
with very great uniformity. Weston, Cush.
ing, Haliowell, Leavitt, Smith, Somes, Stack
pole, Dow, Stanley, and every one else, as.
serted with unequivocal p!ainness, that to
their knowledge no State Funds had been
contributed to political uses or for the TEN.
perancc cause. Mr.. Stackpole was Treasurer
and Collector of the Maine Temperance As.
sociation during the entire period OF Mr.
Peck's official service, ard he never knew him
to ray but S25 in that time, and that was to
aid Mr. Sinclair, the Scotch gentleman who
lectured to children on Temperance. None
of the other witnesses had knowledge OF
single dollar going for any such purpose from
Mr.. Peck, whether from his private means or
the public Treasury. Mr. Peck himself, in
his testimony before the Committee, made the
following statement on this topic:
81 think have paid during the three years !
was Treasurer. about 500 in all. for political
ment by the Republican State Committee was
500 in 1857, 500 In 1858. and $50 in lSjo.-
Then paid some small sums a, different times
for election purposes in Portland, and once gave
s2j 10 the Temperance AssociatRn-in all
amounting as have said to about 500 for the
three years. I never paid from the Treasury
directly or indirectly, dollar 10 promote oomt.
election, and have no reason TO suppose the
NANCY loaned him was used for election pur,,
poses. know he used !, In his business. l
rsss, loaned p. n. French dollar. directly or
;mdi,.e,ly' Of priys,e funds or public fund:-nor
~ .nv other person for him directly or indirect
iy. have never paid dollar directly OF lnE,.
rectly Tor Stephen G. Foster, eitnei pn'h., pessyh"
OF or poa,hI; pm.nahI;:,n State Committee In Portland
Ssy. S nv cheek In favor Of Jas. 8; PIE for
o.r,.n na,s ann NJ money, less than 900, which
Se s. VA. ,smittn9 r nj to The Eastern District. He
n.,S s n. The same sum precisely. In Portland.