Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-02-22
The Report of the Auditor OF state
The GrumbIing OF O. p. MA spicy
a

Correspondence.
His Excellency, in the Journal of yesterday,
complains that the report of the Auditor of the
State is ''far from being truthful Official state
ment of the affairs of the State" but without a
single specification to sustain the charge What
are the duties of the Auditor of State. defined
BY lawf The act prescribing his powers and
duties may be found in q. & H. |, p. lis. Under
that law it is made his duty, among others. to
keep and state all accounts between the State
of Indiana and the United States. any State
or Territory, or any individual, or public officer
of this State indebted to the State or intrusted
with the collection, disbursement, or manage
ment of any moneys. funds, or interest arising
therefrom. belonging to the State, of every char
acter and description whatsoever when the same
are derivable from, or payable into, the State
Treasury" and 'ssuperintend the fiscal concerns
of the State, and their management in the man
ner required by law" Has the Auditor in bis
report stepped beyond the line of duty in making
his statement, required by law. of the condi-
ton Of the public revenues, funds and incomes
of the State, and the operations of his depart
ment during the fiscal year ending the 3lst day
of October lastf Is not his report, in fact, just
such as the law contemplates he should maker
If unable for want of information from the proper
parties to keep and state all accounts between
"any individual, or public officer Of the State"
who has received and discussed moneys belong
ing to the State is il not proper, nay does it not
become his duty to give the reasons why he is
unable to do so? This is all he has done in this
instance. This probably is the offense against
which His Excellency takes such umbrage and
which induces him to pronounce the report an
unuuthful statement of the affairs of the State.
The report exhibits the financial condition and
accounts in precisely the same manner as did
Mr.. LANCE. his Republican predecessor in office,
and as have all his predecessors in office since the
adoption of the present Constitution; yet o. p.
MoRroN says il has mo honest claim to the char
acter of an official paper''l BAIL and so viii
every sensible man respond.
The Governor takes exception again because
the report was not made on the first day Of No
uember as required by law. No other Auditor has
yet made his report on that day. Ii is matter
of impossibility to do so. The fiscal year
ends the day previous. and any with
grain of sense see that il would be out of his
power to balance and state all the accounts the
day after that embraced in his report The
Governor also objects to the note which accom-
panies the report. dated November 2, 1861, adj
dressed to His Exceency, and states that at the
time of its date the report was not In existence
This is a mere matter of form. and the Governor
well knows it. A similar note and date is on
every Auditors report which has been made. and
yet the reports not in existence at the time,
and were not perhaps for months afterwards. This
the Governor pronounces with very virtuous in
dignation, Gan utter and shameless fabrication"
can official falsehood to deceive the public" and
as being "a little if any better than official
forgery" In thus condemning Mf. RIsTINE, the
Governor condemns equally every one who has
held the office of Auditor of State. Mr.. LANCE
made his annual report under precisely the same
circumstances as did the present Auditor. APP
pended to that officers report for the year 1861
is the following note:
OFFICE on THE AUDITOR OF STATE,l
indianapolis, Nov. l. 1861.
To His EzceIlency. o. p Morton, Governor
OF the State Of Indiana:
Sra: have the honor to transmit herewith to
your Excellency my annual report for the fiscal
year ending October 81, 1861 agreeably to the
act Of February g. 1853. to provide for the annual
reports Of State officers and Others.
Yours. very respectfully
ALBERT LANCE. Auditor of State.
The Governor knows that the report was not
made on November /. 1861. He knows that il
was not made for months afterwards, say in April
May succeeding. In fact he knows that ono
such letter toas sent OF euer receiDed' !, yet
according To o. p MoRroN 'this letter was in
every part an utter and shameless fabrication :,
IAN official falsehood to deceive the public
''little if any better than official forgery"
If these charges are applicable to Mr. RIsTISE,
they are equally Mr. LANCE. We only al
ude to the subject to show the little. contempf-
bic. miserable suhterfoges to which His Excel
Iency is compelled 20 resort 10 find an objection
to the report OF Mr.. RIsrISE, aud we may say
that il is emnentIy worthy the source from which
it emanates. What a small bubble to raise
against AN official document
The Governor raises another objection. He
says:
THE law declares that the Auditor shall make
his annual report 10 the Gogerhor, on the lst day
Of November in each year, and provides that the
10
Let vol Gavin & Hords Stat page 53e.l"
The law declares no such thing. IL says the
Governor shall cause" the same to be printed.
He has no option in the matter. He has no con-
troll whatever the report OF the Auditor. 10
power Is delegated to him to revise il. His only
duty in the matter is TO receive the report and
cause IL 10 be printed. Its being addressed TO
him Is a mere matter Of official courtesy. IL has
not been the custom to send the report to the
Governor in manuscript. II has gone direct from
the Auditors Office to the public Printer ms soon
az Y was ready FOR publication. Mr.. LASoEs re-
port. II we are not mistaken. was sent from his
Office TO the Printer. And what difference does
IL make II 10 did 10 from the Auditor 10 the
Printer when the Governor has no right 20 revise
or change Il. and has no other direction in the
matter bat 70 cause 10 TO be printedf IL Is only q
little>nnn who stands more upon his official dig
nifty than good sense would ever think OF ques-
tionng document because Il not handed to
him before it was 10 the Printer And the law
does not even cay whether the report shall be
presented 70 the Governor in print or In manu-
script, 500 e.fsf.a m .
The Journal aIso charges that the Governor
made several demands Of the Auditor for his re-
port. This 10 untrue. M demand was ever
.unda ~ htt., ,.r..rt i.1f Cow A A