The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1860-02-29


The next point in his report is the effort ne aAes
TO extricate himself from the exposure made inmy
report of his incubation upon the banks IN the
enormous assessment made by him in favor OF one
of his clerks and in his own for services WHEN he
never performed but which were rendered ny my
SELF. His argument upon the law in this case Is so
feeble and contemplate that will not Insult the
intelligence of those who may read his report, ny
noticing il. But charge Jim with denoela:e
am, nress;on the facts and the record IN th's
u,atter with the view Of deceiying the LEGISLATURE
Uo adm;ts that he made the assessment IN favor OF
lie .,lerk for numbering and registering Lheir
nntsa etcn Under the law he charges the BaEk
nd rece;yes from them three cents tor signing,
numbering and registering" each note. Here then
be confsses that he makes the Banks pay t~ace Tor
the same service. In reply to the exposure mace
Of his attempt to extort pay for "cuttlng coupons
he states that this was one OF his duties which had
usurped, which had always been conceded by my
predecessors and his own, and that persisted IN
This usurpation, Notwithstanding bis continued op-
iections. Now what opinion must every hones'
man in the State entertain OF puolic omcer "ho
will make such statements AS those, when MS own
records proves them not to be so. he inserts ms
official order, dated the 23d OF February, 1000, ~
confirm the truth of his statements on TINS pon''
F., but never in the remotcst degree aiihdes 70 .ie
fact that the legality Of that was reieIleu
to the Attorney General at his own Instance .la1
= made a Joint reference of the whole subject to
that officer and that his decision was rendered on
| the 9Th Of March folowing--Mr. Noise being mere
an official business at the time. The Auditor was
furn;shed with a copy Of that decision, which
I snbm;t marked No IL He expressed himseh per-
fec,ly satisfied with il and acted in obedience 70 1t
at once. as the receipt, No. - OF the same dste,
and No. 81 of subsequent date shows, no order
has ever been issued since by the Auditor for the
| bonds. as the Treasurer's records will prove, nor
was any verbal dissatisfaction ever expressed to
me in nerson by the Auditor, but to the contrary,
hc has more than once offered to assess the Banks
in mn taror for "cutting coupons, which refused
to accent az I do not believe that the Banks are
required by the law to pay for such services The
Auditor saws they have agreed to pay the charge
made for cutting coupons" Ifany ofthe Banks,
4 except the Bank Of America and the Southern
Rank have pa;d him one cent for this purpose,
they nave done so since November, for they, to my
knowledge, had not paid the charge then, and told
me they never would He had pocketed the sl6S
paid by those two Banks and kept it, after the
others had refused to pay, aud now say that tor
charging and receiving money for this purpose be
is liable to the pains and penalties lnlllcted Dy tne
twenty-tfth section of the act OF 1900, page ~
and that those whose duty it is to arraign him fol
malieasance IN Office, will be inexcusable II the Id"
is not enforced against him.
On the last page Of the Auditors report, ne i'm
nuons ms motives and asserts that have consti
tuted myself "publc iniormer" appeal to every
man who hes read my olhcialreports to the Legs
ature, to say whether, in any instance with ont
, execution and that in reference to all individual
who is not q public oiccr) have attacked the mo
tiyes of any man or public officer, or made per
sonal attack upon any one in those reports. II
speaking OF public matters, in connection with tn
finances of the State, have discussed the oifica
, acts of others in matters connecte th and II
addition to the statement OF facts, and comment
upon the facts. have always referred to the Law
and documentary evidence upon which based m
i opinion, that Others might judge who was ngi
n and who was wrong.
;. do not think it probable that ever could des
cend so low in the scale OF humanity, as to take
cowardly an advantage Of another as to attack hi
!. motives in an official document, unaccompanied
. evidence, when he copld not place upon tue publ
!. records, side by side with my attack, evidence
:. refute the imputation. EVIL to him who en-
i thinks.' This is not an official paper, and spea
! as private citizen, and man ready and Wlllin
= to meet all the responsibilities OF the .statemen
4 That religionsly and conscienously believe tins
"a the Auditor has used the public money to adyane
Id his own individual interest," and attempts - cove
to up his acts by taking the position that II was IL
il his duty to see that the Swamp Land Comm
Of sioners drafts we're predicated upon bona tide col
as tracts which the law requires.
n. Had chosen to assume the position OF publ
er iniormer," the present Auditor would never MAJ
dared TO present himself before the Conventit
Ii rf TT =. r..bl 10 nj
of the maenanmity which induced me to refrain iro
he exposing the fact OF his acting last rear IN =
ne capacity of General Agent against the State
70 hunting I'D claimants upon the Treasury, and to
i he first suggested to class of claimants to who
IN he subsequently paid large sums under the act
he the PAYMENT of g expenses in criminal matters
I'D that they would be paid when they had not thong
i'm Of making claim against the State. the eviden
i'm of this fact will produce at any time, ana I
,ve further fact that in case which referred to
,ed Attorney General, where a claim for $4,000 b
ow been audited by him, and its payment refused
oh. me, he made an official statement from his boo
lse Ia copy of which is now in my possesson) the
Of iect of which was TO influence the Attorney u
Of erals opinion in favor the claimant, and that
ect that statement he made slight mistake OF $685.
Ken against the State and in favor OF the claimant
htn had net the Attorney General sent me this do
ok ment for inspection he would have been compel
,wn by the Auditors false statement to have decit
the the case aga INST che State.
irst Many such instances as those above recitet
,ort could give and would have given had | chosen
hat assume the position assigned me by the Auditor
be- prove fact of which have long since been c
as WINGED, that the present Auditor is deficient
,um other qualities which the guardian Of the peoE
est money should possess besides the want ofeapac
OBJ. am now done with the Auditor, and shall ne
will again waste paper and ink in replying 70 his 81
d ders upon me- have RETAINED from the use
cor language expressive ofins contempt andabhorre
the Of a man who would indite and send such req
nts, as the one upon which have commented in
was card, to the Legislature, only from respect to
md. public =
the I'll am entitled to.ask favor from the Legi
n of ture. most respectfully request, that the pu