The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1866-02-10
Report of the Legislative Investigating
Committee.
To his EreeIlency Caleb Lyon Governor Of
The Territoru of Iddho.,

y
Tho loint Select Committee appointed by
tho LEGISLATIVE Assembly of the Territory OF
Idaho at their annual session, in accordance
nth Conncil concurrent Resolutions No. 2
and No. u. directing the appointment OF a
To;nt Committee to investigate the defalcation'
in the Office of the Secretary the Territory,
Of funds appropriated by Congress to defray
the axpenses of the Legislative Assembly OF
This Territory, and authorizing said Commit
foe 70. send for persons and papers to assist
them in their investigation, and to report the
result Of their investigation to eyonE Excel
lency. would respectfully reports
That IN consequence of the season of the
wear and the delays and difficulties attending
Communication with distant points, they
have been compelled to con6ne themselves
l. Information obtalnable within this Terri
torv That they have found no books
and but very little official correspondence IN
The Office. and nothing to show what amount
had Teen drawn by .ex-Secretary U. Dewitt
smith deceased excepting copy of an un-
SIGNED reouisftion for, the sum OF eighteen
thousand dollars, bearing date August 9Th
A. D. 1864, at Washington City.
That your Committee are satisfied from
the evidence that not less than the sum OF
eighteen thousand dollars was drawn by the
late Secretary Smith from the United States
Depository at Oregon City, on account OF the
| appropriations for Legislative and incident
/ al expenses for this Territory for the two
wears ending June 30th, 1868, SAID approprl-
ations being for the sum of forty-two thous-
and dollars, and approved June 25th, 1864.
L The redeemed vouchers IN the ONCE OF the
Secretary of the Territory show that Secre-
tary Smith during his administration OF the
l of
nine hundred and thirty eight dollars-and
there i evidence that of that sum four hum
dred and one dollars were paid out of his
nrivate funds. on account of Incidental ex
nenses of the first and second sessions of the
/ Legislative Assembly, and which Secretary
Smith stated he was not authorized to pay,
hint would paw them as he would have the
authority from the Department to pay them
before he would need the money. From the
evidence of Secretary ellison, administrator
of the estate of c. Dewitt Smith, DECEASED,
and Judge Kelly and J. S. Reynolds, apprais-
lers of said estate, it appears that about the
22d of September, 1866, Secretary Gibson
drew from the safe of Crawford, Slocum,
& Co., at Boise City, package marked 10.
4 Dewitt Smith, Secty IDAHO" which was by
them reported to contain six hundred and
Iffty dollars in legal tender notes, and which
was also reported by said appraisers to the
! Probate judge OF Ada County, |. T., as part
Of the estate of Secretary Smith, deceased
and that most of that amount was applied to
the payment of charges against the estate.
The Committee, after ascrutiniGing inves-
: tioation. have been unable to discover any
other funds either of public or private ma
ture appertainiug to Secretary Smith. They
would therefore report that there is dehcl'
in the accounts of the Secretary's office, o.
not less than eight thousand and sixty two
dollars, ($8,062 O0) and the total amount o
which depends upon the sums which may
hereafter be shown to have been drawn o.
kSecretary Smith from the Treasury Depart
ment.
The Committee are satisfied from the evi
dence, that Secretary Smith was very care
full business man and kept at all times stric
supervision over the public funds intlusteo u
5 his care, and of which he had the dls0urse
? ment; that he made no investments In prop
t erty, and that at no time was he at any IN
common expense except while removing th'
seal and archives from Lewiston to Boist
: City, at which time he kept an account of ex
t penses to the amount of FIVE hundred an(
5 eighty-two dollars 1852 0ol incurred during
5 that time That during a large portion 0
: the time he was in the Territory, he was tn
lguest offriends, at which time his expense
were very moderate, especially. during tn
time he spent at the officers quarters at For
Boise, and in Owyhee and Alturas Counties
: and his Indebtedness at the time OF his death
J as shown by the report of the administrato
e upon his estate, was over eleven hundred dol
\ liars (Sl,lOol and his last sickness was
very short duration. To the above coneln
sions we are led by all the evidence, with tn
: exception Of, that Of Secretary ellison and J
|. S. Reynolds
And that about the last of July 1865;
:, which time Secretary Smith left Boise CIT
= for Rocky Bar in Alturas County, where b
n died on the 10th day of August following
: the unexpended balance Of the public fund
i that had been placed in the hands, OF aecFe
tary Smith for disbursement was lett IN Ia
;. possession of Crawford, Slocum, & 20. l
e Boise City for safe keeping, and there IS
l. evidence TO lead the Committee to belIeV
: that at that time any deficiency existed or dc
It faleation had occurred in the Department
n the Secretary of the Territory and We az
a led to believe that the funds were taken pos
5 session Of and appropriated to their own US
: oy some person or persons having them
their custody or access to them subSequer
IS to that time.
We are led to the foregoing conclusion
from the following facts, compiled from I'll
evidence taken by us.whichis herewith trans
J. United to your Exeellency.
le Il appears in the testimony OF James 1
Alyord. United States Marshal of this Terr
tory, that on the 18th or 18th day OF Septen