The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1862-02-07
A DISREPUTABLE AFFAIR.
An Attempt to Saddle SiI7,OOO. Illegally
Oh the state.

a very queer and very disrepuable trans.
tional convention in regard to the pretended
claim Of the Illinois Central railroad for mil
itary transportation. 1t appears that their
claim was audited by the two republican
mcmberso of the army board, after one Of them
had resigned. But stopper ha. been put
upon the transaction, by the convention and
the state may yet be saved from the attempt
cd fraud The Central has no claim on the
state or the United States--the company is
bound to do all the transportation required in
time of war NJ Il compensation for the enor
nous giant Of lands it received from the gov.
erninent.
The Springfield correspondent of the st.
Louis Rep"ditcm says:
The facts in regard to this railroad Difficult
ty are understood to bc about these The
company, having doubts about pay from the
federal government, flied their accounts here
meanwhile they secured u contract with the
war department, the illegnlity Of which they
must have known, and the department
came to think, and declined tulhlmcnt Of the
contract. The company turned back upon the
state, aud IN the 22d of November, induced
the guardians - before mentioned to audit
their account for presentation ~ the general
government, IA was assumed, though the ac
count was audited State Of Illinois Dr. TO
the WiaoiS CcHtrui r0iir0ud cOmpary" A
certificate to this effect was given Ia De
cembcr Mr.. WoDdworth rcSigHed, and, in Jan.
uar:, Mr. Thomas Henderson was APP
pointed III his place, who, when he came
here and discovered the style of work cut out
tor him, declined the pleasing task, which
| created much colnmotlou IN state house CIR
cles to add to which NJ Buckmaster, in the
convention on the 23d January, pr,.
scented a resolution iuquring OF tie
commissioners how they got along with
the Central road. That day the conven-
ton took a recess for several days. brit on the
Oath the resigned commissioners appeared
here, and with Mr.. Thomas on that DAY fin.
ished up the company's work hy approving
the whole budget Of claims, and on the 9th
reported to the convention that they had au.
dited and approved the company's account for
April, May, June, July, August, September
and October, on the 23d November, AGAINST
THE STATE and that the account Of Novem.
Der and December were audited ON the oath
January against the state : when, on the con.
trarv, these same commissioners had certified
on the 22d November that they did not audit
or approve the accounts for payment by the
state, but by the general government, as is
shown by the certificate embraced in the mi
nority report of Mr.. Lanphier. With these
two reports was published, in the papers here,
communication from the governor, showing
that Mr.. Woodwork, who participated in au-
diung all these accounts against the state on
the 24th January, had resigned in December,
and that Mr.. Henderson was appointed in his
stead
lhs conflict in the official reports induced
MT buckmaster to call upon the state officers
oy resolution to suspend action, that the con.
Vehtion might examine the subject and learn
"net,er t,ere was not "a ngger in the wood
pue, Win I'll ,ouo oi the states obligations
III MS pocket The republicans this time. did
not want to uncover the niger There was
no porer IN the convention to DO so-and he,
sides, they did not wish to see him Tho
democrats were of a contrary opinion and so
votod.
Such is the present condition of this en-
tanglement which is by 10 means a credita
bic one to the asserting parties, or IN the par
tisan minority in the convention who, for par.
| tisan reasons solely, have, under the absurd
excuse that the convention had LOT the power,
endeavored to resist the effort of the maiori-
ty to save the state from being further bur
/ dened with unauthorized obligations.
Herein is the secret of much of the repub
iican cutlery about the assumption of supreme
power by the convention. Everything that
zone by the majority, looking to reform and
eeohoiny, to exposure of abuses and applica
/ Wv" Vi remedies, starts up a repetition OF
TIE cry Of usurpation. +" As the work Of the