Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-01-27

: appreciation of the other members Of the
Board, and when was informed by them
and knew myself that it was unnecessary
f for me to remain, returned to Columbus,
although offered, as a matter of courtesy,
to remain, il either of them desired to be
, relieved. Some additional reasons operated
to hasten my return. The Office of the At
y torney General was closed, owing to the
4 fact that a mistaken idea of retrenchment
had deprived the Office Of clerk. Also, in
travelling to New York, the heat and dust
had produced an indisposition which lasted
for several days; and / was apprehensive
of being unable to return when I should
wish to, unless did so at the time.
These are the facts submitted in connec-
tion with the first charge of the Governor
against the Attorney General.
If Tod was still in the full flush OF his in
fluence and corruption, he could not parry
the conviction that he and his servant had
deliberately reported falsehOod to the
General Assembly of the State.
The second charge is based upon the
written statement of Wright and Dorsey,
two of the Board of Military Claims, and is
as follows: "At one Of the early meetings
of the Board, on the investigation of the
claim of Stevens, for damages to the Gin
cfnnati Trotting Park, the Attorney General
was present and gave some verbal counsel,
and afterwards, after muc hdelay, and at the
written request of the Board, he gave a
written opinion on this case, but never
again met with the Board, nor gave any
| counsel on any of the other cases examined,
amounting to more than eighty thousand
dollars; and, although frequently urged to
attend, and sent for by the Board, he de-
clined to attend atany other meetings"
A brief statement of the doings of the
ha fscfo ookn IN,
this charge. This might be expected to be
shown from journal record of their meet
ings; but as none was kept except private
and somewhat imperfect one Of the Clerk
of the Board, give the following state
ments from the best information from re-
collection, and from the record of the claims
disposed of:
On the 22d of April, 1853, the Board met
and adopted rule that their meetings
should be held on Tuesdays and Friday even
ings of each week. On the 9th, the Board
met but no business was transacted. Wright
was absent. On the 18th, which was the
first regular meeting, no business was trans
acted. On May 1st, the business was COM
menced, although Dorsey was absent, and
certain claimants were heard, some four or
Wright was absent. On May 18th, Cole was
absent. On May 10Th, Cole and Wright
were absent. On June I'd, Wright was alb
sent. On June 5th, Wright and Cole were
absent. On June 23d, Wright was absent
On June 26th, Cole was absent; and on the
10th, 18th, and 22d of July, Cole was absent,
On the 4th of August, Dorsey was absent
On May 10Th. on June 9th, 18th, 10Th, and
30th, on August 18th, 18th, 18th, 2lst, 25th,
and 2Sth, during the whole Of the month of
September, including nine regularly ap-
pointed meetings, at seven appointed meet
ings in October, four in November, and
seven in December, all ofthe Members Of the
Board were absent. In April, two irregular
meetings were held; two in May; one in
July; two in October, and three in Novem-
ber.
Out of seventy-one meetings, appointed
by the rule, only thirty were held-one in
April, seven in May, four in June, six in
July, three in August, three in October,
four in November, and two in December;
and ten irregular meetings, making in all
forty meetings, out of eighty-one; and be-
sides the absences which are enumerated, it
is not specified who were present at some
of the meetings; none specified at the irreg-
ular meetings, and none at any of the meet
ings after October. Of the whole number
of meetings, Wright was absent from forty
nine of them; Dorsey from forty three, and
Cole from forty-eight. Wright was absent
from eight of the meetings which passed
upon claims, Dorsey at two and Cole at
seven. Only eighteen regular meetings
were held at which any business was dis
posed Of, and six irregular ones. In addi-
ton to the gross neglect of duty of the
whole Board, in not meeting at the appoint
ed times, and of some of them being alb
sent when the others were present, Wright,
who is said to be military man, is the
most culpable, as the claims to be passed
upon originated out of military affairs, tor
subsistence, recruiting, use of camps, ETC.;
and were certified to in military way, all
of which were more particularly within
the range of Wright's ability, than of
Coles, or Dorsey's, who seemed to suspend
their judgment in every matter of that
kind to the superior tact Of Wright. =
The Dorsey and Wright named in the
foregoing statement of the doings of the
Board are the same who charge, in the quo
neglect of duty. The claims to be passed
upon were items of account supported by
afhdavits. Toopen the accounts see the items,
and that they were sworn to, with the ex-
ception of some which shall hereafter
mention, was the duty of the Board; and
when they saw they were correct and would
say so, the accounts were disposed of; and
why the Board composed of three Members
should have been engaged period of eight
months, equivalent to two years for one
person in allowing thirty-eight thousand
dollars, and disallowing about that sum,
will in all probability not hereafter remain
a mystery. Tod says, in his message, it was
''for want of time" the Board did no more.
Had Tod the Attorney General in his mind
at that time? That ten days would have
heen sufficient time in which to perform
this labor, no one acquainted with the char
acter of the business will dispute.
i Of the irregular meetings held by the
Board, never had information until exl
amining their record lately. Very shortly
after the Board first met, / suggested that
the best plan to facilitate business would be
to hold continuous meetings, both in day
time and at night, and finish the matterup
as saw that at each subsequent meeting
the Board commenced about where they
!. lstarted; but the Board refused on the ground
of other official duty, and that they received
, nothing for their services. AS a general
, thing, Che most trifling affair was sufficient
, to induce the Board not to meet or to ad.
'journ; and the general understanding in al
, their deliberations was, that they would d(
j what they could without any special in.
!, lconvenience. In truth, / wonder that any
] body got their claim allowed. At the out
: set, the Board met fora few times regularly
. but after little while scarcely q quorum
l could be got together, in SO much that Whei