Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1862-10-09
The Mileage Question.

representation. The disafected boilers inc,
now are making great ado about Mr.. Ia.
poRTE's charge for mileage at his first ses.
sion. The facts are due to the public
and certainly are not to Mr., LApoRTg's
discredit.
At his first session, Mr.. LApoRrE re-
ceived pay for something over 900 miles
This, it should be recollected, is circular.
being to and from Harrisburg. At that
time the usually travelled mail route Was
via the New-Y and Erie Railroad to
New York, Philadelphia and Harrisburg.
In making up the mileage, the distance
taken was that charged by his predeces,
sors, who had travelled the same route
The next session the travel had changed
to the Cattawissa route via PHILADELPHIA.
and the distance charged was 600 miles,
In 1860. Mr.. LAPoRTE was Revenue Com.
missioner, and the Railroad having been
opened to Harrisburg down the river, Mr..
LApoRTE charged 400 miles circular.
which was less than had ever before been
charged.
These are the plain facts of the case,
and if Mr.. LAPoRTE is censurable to the
charge of what looks like excessive mile.
age the first session, it must be recolect-
ed it was for the route really travelled, and
computed at the distance which custom
had sanctioned. We will give the prece-
dents as we find them in the journals
= JUDsON HoLCoMB was Mr.. LAPoRTE's
colleague at the first session. He charged
and received precisely the same amount of
mileage as Mr.. LAPoRTE,
CHARLES SToCKwELL was transcribing
clerk Of the House, at the same session.
He charged and received pay for $50 miles
Of travel, as appears by bis account settled
May 10, 1854,
JOHN W. DENGsoN was member of the
House, from Wyoming County, in 1853
He was paid for 806 miles of travel.
We do not allude to these gentlemen as
matter of rcproach. An examination
of the journals will show that from Erie
to Wayne counties, the members from the
northern tier of counties travelled to Har
risburg ria the New-York & Erie Rail-
road as the usually travelled mail route,
and were paid accordingly.
The boiling candidate for State Sena-
tor, of course, is immaculate upon this
question. The men who have nominated
him would not endorse swindle upon the
Treasury. Let us see how he stands up
on the record: In 1855, ELHANAN SMITH
resided in Wyoming county, forty miles
nearer Harrisburg than LApoRTE, and was
elected Transcribing Clerk. He charged
and received pay for 896 miles of travel!
as appears by his account, settled May :,
1855,
If L.poRTE is censrable for his mile
age, does ELHANAN SMITH stand in any
better situation When the boilers de-
nounce LAPoRTE, will they be consistent
and include SMITH
But the tallest charging on record
was done by Mr.. JUDsoN HoLCoMB, who
engineered the Peoples Convention, ac-
cording to PIoLLET's instructions. In
1859, Mr.. HoLCoMB was clerk In the
Treasury Department, at Harrisburg, ata
large salary He had been Assistant
Clerk of the House the winter previous,
and it devoFvcd ON him to open the session
of 1859, He walked over from the Trea-
sury Department, and performed that
duty, and charged the State for 500 miles
of travel. The Auditor General didn't
exactly see the distance--bus the amount
(S75,) was finally paid April IA, 1852
Here was an unblushing and palpabie
swindIe-a charge for mileage where not
ten rods was travelled.