Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-02-02

That this may be fully appreciated. It must be
remembered that the Governors message return
ing the report is dated the Doth inst, the day be-
fore the money was actually paid into the State
Treasury.
The Governor, IN his message accompanying
his detailed statement states that on June l, 1861,
in answer to a resolution of the Senate inquiring
what disbursements he had made from the Mill
tary Contingent Fund, reported he had examined
and passed vouchers to the amount of $l33.l77 7s,
from which it would appear that the Fund was
exhausted. That this report was made from his
own, and not from the Auditors, books, and that
he was some time after informed by the Auditor
that this was mistake, that said cum had been
by the Auditor charged to the Military and other
proper funds, and was not therefore a proper
charge to the Contingent Fund.
To appreciate this remarkable error few
facts must be remembered: On May 6, 1851, the
Legislature appropriated one hundred thousand
dollars for the Governors Contingent Fund; on
May 81 one million dollars appropriated for
military purposes, and an Auditing Committee
appointed to examine and audit all claims against
the Military Fund, and the payment of any claim
is expressly prohibited until it has been approved
by the Auditing Committee.
The Governor, on June l, 1861, had drawn
from the treasury over $780, 900. He supposed il
had been paid from the Contingent Fund, fol
that was the only Fund he could draw upon al
pleasure, and he very naturally concluded it was
exhausted, because he had drawn S33,l77 7e
more than was appropriated for that purpose, and
he had taken that sum from the treasury without
any authority whatever.
He is, however, one pleasant day informed by
Mr. LANCE that he is entirely mistaken; tina
instead of drawing this sum from the Contingent
Fund it had been drawn from the Military Fund
and that it had by the Auditor been charged to The
Military Fund. Straightway the Governor opens
his eyes with astOnishment and finds himself
hundred thousand dollars better off than he sup
posed.
Amiable Mr. LANCET innocent and unsophisti
cted Governor The Military Fund was no
appropriated until the 3lst of May, 1861, and th'
Governor reports on the LIST day of June
1861, that he has drawn Sl33,l77 rs, and We
Mr.. LANCE had been. all this time paying tn
Governors warrants out of and charging up tn
loss to fund that did not exist, and for which n.
appropriation had been made; and all this tin
Governor does not discover until short tim
after the military appropriation had been made
The Governor draws upon the only fund at hi
disposal, over draws and exhausis it. The Legis
lature then creates Military Fund, to be draw
upon under the supervision of a committee, whel
with presto and gentle twist of the wrist, il i
all charged up to the Military Fund, without pass
Ing through the hands OF thu committee and tn
Governor still has the whole of the Contingen
Fund at his absolute disposal
The ob ect OF this is manifest: it WAS to plac
at the absolute, uncontrolled disposal of the Gov
ernor 1888, III 76, instead of the 100000 ap
propriated by the Legislature. A food of ligli
is let in upon the transaction by the fact that III
State officers refused to permit the Auditin
Committee to perform its duties, shut the doors 0
their Offices in their faces, and only yielded Z
the peremptOry mandate Of the Courts.
All this may be honest, but to plain people
has not an honest, straightforward look
We suggest these facts for the consideration q
the people and their representatives. Let tn
whited sep1lchre surrounding the State admins
tration be thrown open that its internal rottennes
may be discovered.