The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1862-10-18
Treasurer Ashley,s FinanoisrlnE.

We publish below, says the Marysville
Express, an article from the S. F. Call,
upon the late bit Of sharp practice Of State
Treasurer Ashley, in the matter of our
proportion Of the Federal tax. The com.
ments of the Call are timely and just. 1t
was a small business in our cute State
Treasurer to swindle the Government by
paying it up in its own paper. Who
pockets the little matter of S6,00O-the
difference between $4,000 in gold and
500, 900 in ''green backs? The Call ap-
pears to. assume that the speculation was
undertaken by the Republican official for
the benefit Of the State. This will not do.
Let the Call and all the Republican pa
pers in the State say what they may
about the transaction. there are not doz-
en- men in the State who believe that Ash
ley purchased the Eq3syal notes with any
such idea as that of benefitting our State
Treasury by the operation. Everybody
believes that the matter was little pri-
vate speculation, intended for the benefit
Of the Spectator himself. Mr.. Ashley
may make of necessity virtue, and claim
the merit of a disinterested act for the
benefit of his State, after he has seen
wnal u rump1s ms cuIe piece GI-S>~,>.>.o
H--''';@";"e h"S F'isrn-d ~ "neong his. Re
publican brethren. State Treasurer Ash
ley needs watching. The $4,000 specu-
lation was net undertaken for the State.
With the Call Ne ..!sia!s = Ky. ny1AN,
rDrsD and contemplate piece of business,
let the motive be what it may. Uncle
Samyule (as Orpheus c. Kerr would say
needs the gold, and the people who paid it
to Mr.. Ashley expected that venerable old
gentleman to have it,
"THE PICAYUNE FNANCIER.-
the picAyune economy of Mr.. Ashley, the
Treasurer Of State, the great and opulent
commonwealth of California stands dis
graced before her sister States. Ofcourse
Secretary Chase, in reply to Mr.. Cheese
man, told the United States Sub.Treasu-
rer here to accept Legal Tender Notes in
payment Of the balance due on California i
quota Of the Direct Tax, and Ashley will
hquidate, in paper bought up at dis
count, claim to meet which the people
of the State had furnished gold. Ashley
says he consulted with several State OFF,
GERS before he sent agents into the market
to purchase Government paper. AS far
as we can learn he consulted with no one
! but Warren, the Controller, whose exalt-
cd ideas Of finance Tailed exactly with
those OF the State Treasurer. These two
officials put their heads together and
agreed that it would be good thing for
California to pebble her reputation on the
street corners in order to save a few dol
lars. Two notorious ShylockS, who be.
beanie famous in Sacramento As scrip and
warrant ShaverS, were employed at round
commission to perfect the plan. These
worthless at once placed a shingle outside
their store, and in few days the whole
S63, 900 was purchased and handed over
W slSlltCNs NhO NO'NihOa " as
made aware that Ashley was about to hu-
initiate California in the eyes Of the world
10y this shabby transaction, he, in his ca
pacity Of Commissioner TO examine the
State funds, refused to count the Legal
Tender Notcs-Which had found their
way into the Treasury lie knew not how
a. cash dollars but insisted that they
should be specified as 50 much Govern.
mrnt paper, Now that Ashley picayunc
transaction has become public, the Gov
rrnor aud the rest Of the State officers
feel very much outraged at the conduct
Of the Treasurer and the Controller. They
feel exactly like every loyal citizen in the
State feels, that California has been dis,
graced and Inundated by policy which
is As mean a. il was unwarianted."