Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-03-07

concerned. He would examine the minority report
fret. He denied the assertion therein that the
minority had no notice OF the intention Of the
majority 20 make the report they did. or to meet
with them and examine the facts presented. He
would appeal to members of the minority TO
besr him out he conuoyerted at length the
position taken bv the minority. and referred TO
the acts of the last Legislature TO sustain the
views presented by the majority Mr. Williams
vent over the ground step D. step We have rot
space now to follow him
The point made bv the majority report We un-
derstood 10 be tha. s25 900. borrowed before any
appropriation vas made for Con,ingen, Fund.
was paid out Of the Military Fund. when the act
creating the Confingent Fund expressly provided
that 70 should be charged to that fund. This had
the effect Of increasing the appropriation SIS 900,
giving TO the fund that much more money than
the Legislature intended for il.
Mr.. Williams commented very severely upon
the parties-the Auditor. the Governor. or who
ever had been instrumental in making the mis-
take. and contende,i that it Was direct and pal
psble violation Of the embezzement act of the last
session. The Legislature owed il To itself and TO
the people TO condemn In unuiistakable terms
such an unwarrantable proceeding
Mr.. Downey offered an amendment 10 the re
port of the majority by striking out the words
"the Governor quietly puts hrs hand OF the fund"
IN certain clause OF the report. Mr. Downey
was satisfied there had been Irregularities in the
expenditure OF the fund. but the mistakes In
charging to the different funds was ehargeable TO
the Auditor and not to the Governor. The
Governor was not supposed at all times 10 have
supervision over the books Of that Office. He
did not controvert the facts stated in the report
The facts speak for themselves. But he did
wish to charge the Governor with mixing up
these charges. He bad listened To both reporrs
and he unable 10 that the Governor
chargeable with the matter, and he would not
convey an nsinustion thrf was not ciesrl~ es-
tablished by the facts. With the amendments
suggested by him he could approve the report
Mr. Williams said If the minority would with
draw their report he would strike cut the objec-
tionabe words.
Mr.. Caypool. the important charge in the ma
jority report i that the Governor had drawn
SIS 900 ireguarly There is no charge that the
money expended properly IL
simply charged up 10 the wrong fund IN the Au-
ditor's office. and that is all of it. He went on
TO explain that the Governor had nothing To do
with the error in book keeping or whatever it
might be Mr. Claypool defended Auditor
LANCE. saying that he was one OF the most pure
and upright men that ever managed the affairs of
that department. and be thought that he should
have u hearing
Mr. Meett stated that the Chairman of the
committee Mr. Williams had called upon him
To look over abstract OF vouchers aud he had
y
the matter when the committee clerk found dis
crepancies on the Auditors books. He had no
other notice that the matters stated in the report
were To he embodied there lie admitted there
were Irregularities in the account but there we're
no charges of misappcation OF the funds, and
there could be none He explained the matter NJ
issue
Mr.. LanderS The Finance Committee were
careful In the preparation of their report. They
quoted the laws. and showed where the laws had
been violated. What is the use oi making laws
IL the State officers aud the Governor could vio
late them ut peasurei The minority excuse
these violations The S25 900 which should have
been paid out of the Contingent Fund. as the law
contemplated. was not so paid aud there was "a
surplus in that fund now. What use il there of
passing a law ii IL can be set aside al peasureg
L; was n violation of law. and those who VIC
lated the law deserve punishment tor IL. Ii WAS
plead ia excuse that no harm hal been done 10y il
That was no excuse. If the precedent was set
that the Governor could draw without drawing
from any specific fund. il would be useless To-
meet here at all. He was satisfied that the money
was drawn from the Military Fund by an under
standing between the Governor aud State 9th
Gers. in order to give him larger Contingent
Fund. IL was sought 10 excuse the Gov
erDor. He would give no such vote. Governor
Morton Intelligent gentleman, knew the
law. and should be held responsible to il.
MIR. Browne, of Randolph. thought the report
paid a high compliment to the Governor After
weeks of research, after writing Quires of fools
cap. they have found sum of money which has
been properly expended charged up 10 the wrong
fund That the whole matter He
tinued and exculpated the Governor from even
any knowledge of that mistake.
Mr. Landers asked how il was that the warrant
was changed aiter it WIS drawn pen drawn
over IT,
Mr. Browne, OF Randolph, did not know. He
should ask the Auditor, who could explain il. he
contended that the Governor had paid large sums
out of his Contingent Fund that could be prop
erly charged TO the Military Fund
Nr Ray: II was not cOntended that any cor
rupt motive actuated either the Governor or the
Auditor ia the irregularty that all admitted.
There was no evidence that the Governor ever
knew. advised or connved At the drawing from
the Military Fund The simple question l., does
the public interes, demand the condemnation OF
the auditor. Ii was evidently violation OF the
embezzement law. There no evidence oi
corruption anywhere. He objected to the Ian
gGage used in the majority report that the Gov
ernor put his hanas into the Treasury and took
what he had no right to- Technically il was
violation of the ENLIGHTENMENT bill by the Aud
itor and he was willing TO say so, and he was un
willing to charge the Governor with wrong when
no intention OF any wrong doing was shown.
Mr.. Dannrg said that II 10 was simply mis-
take, If the money was not misusej, he would
not cast censnre upon any one for IL he was
not the advocate OF the Governor. but he had the
word of the Governor for the statement that he
knew nothing of the drawing of the warrant al
luded to- Ii no MISUSE of the money was made
il t was, rs seemed to be the case simply mis
take "a To the fund he would not be disposed 10
be
Mr. Landers asked what was the use oi the en-
bezxlement law.
Mr. DunnIng did not wish to evade that act
But suppose he gave order certificate Tor
500 Tor Legislative expenses and the Auditor
charged il To the military fund. would he nc held
hsale! Let the fault fall upon the Auditor liz
would adopt the remarks OF the gentleman from
Shelby As hts ownt Let the law be vindicated
but do not censure where censure does not prop
erly belong.
M. Cobb had doubt the Comm ttee had
done their duty There had been n te clinical
violation OF the law. There could be no doub,
OF that. Senators come here. however, and beg
the question. and claim exemption because ther,
was no evil intent IL did no; appear from the
rep.,rts that the Governor al fault. The
Auditor had drawn a warrant for $50 .ODO on Oh,
military fund before such fund created
This VAS violation of the embezzement Law
favorite law with the gentlemen who were th,
special friends of these officers. and TOT
which he voted and approved, and II should no
81.