The Placer herald., 1866-09-22

THE CARD OF A. B. SCOTT.

THE CARD OF A. B. SCOTT.
Editors Placer Herald:-We wish to say
to the Tax Payers of Placer county, through
your columns, that the undersigned were
members Of the last Grand Jury in and for
this county; that we were also on Commit
tee Of that body, appointed TO examine into
the affairs of the County officers. In the
course Of our duties we had occasion to make
some suggestions regarding the members of
the Board of Supervisors, as will appear by
the published report Of the Jury
So far as our duties as Grand Jurors are
concerned they have been performed without
fear or favor and must stand, hut we are also
citizens and tax payers, and as such take oc
casion TO pursue the sui ject further.
We feel ourselves especially challenged TO
this course, by our former connection with
that Jury. and card signed by Mr.. A. b..
Scott, published in the last issue of the Stars
and Stripes, 10y way of defense Of himself
and colleagues Of the Board, in which, re-
ferring to the report of the Jury, he says
us contained certain false, and to some
extent malicious charges. made against the
Board of Supervisors Of Placer county, and
especially against myself as ,member Of the
board, &C."
You, Mr.. Scott, excuse yourself for receiv,
ing more than $500 for the year ending on
Sept. lst, 1866, upon the ground that you
bave received The excess, not as per diem for
services on the Board-but you know that
the, law in addition TO what we quoted. de-
cIares "Mat no FURTHER ALLOWANCE whatever
shall be made for services as member of the
Board" If, therefore, you have taken more
than $500 for the past years services (Which
you admit, and which the audited bills we
inspected and the transcript furnished us hv
The Auditor frcm his books prov-s), YOU have
taken that 'Jurther ollouanre" which the law
prohibits In most comprehensive terms
But, you say you were appointed as COM
miltee on behalf Of the Board, 10 attend to
the survey Of he County boundary. Well.
were you acting as a snernber OF The Board =!
As a SUPERVISOR If yes, then it is plain you
are not excused viii you say You did it as
agent of the county, and disconnected with
your duties as member of the Board?-
Then we point you to the section Of the Sn
per,isor law which makes it a IN misdemeanor
for member of The Boarl 10 be interested,
directly or indirectly, in contracts for any
purpose. But If no such iarohil iton as this
existed by law, see what your practices lead
TO: The Board appoints one of its members
to do one thing, another member to do
another and the third member to do some.
thing else, and then these three gentle
men find themselves good comfortable births
the year round il 20" please, and when they
desire pocke, money tfey meet together as
Board, and in the peasan,est manner pos
sible audit each others bills Is any one in
sane enough to suppose the legislature meant
10 pave the way TO practices so grossly COR
ruptng as thsl Yet, this is your theory. -
we have said so much 10 reference to YOUR
self, becsuse you seem to think the Jury had
some personal feeling against you; state Of
mind on our part we discam.
You think the report of the Jury did you
and the Board of Supervisors wrong, in re-
ferriug, in general terms, to The auditing Of
bills; we will therefore be a lllls more ex'
plicit ourselves individually.
Have not you and ;he rest of the Board
audited and allowed TO Sheriff Poole. Of this
county, his bill or bills amounting to hun.
dreds Of dollars, for carrying subpnnas from
this county to Sacramento, San Joaquin and
San Francisco and serving Them there9 If
you did, you know the lawful way to do such
busness ia TO send such processes to the
Sheriff Of the county in which the witness
lives for servce,-a proceeding that costs
but four or five dollars in given case.-
Sheriff Poole is not an officer for such pur,
pose ontside of Placer county, and 20 Judge
or Court can make him so3
Dd you not andit and allow for the same
officer, his bill for travel in arreslino two of
the defendants in the case Of the People VS.
Jones and McCreary, t,co hundred miles.
when you knew the arrests were made at
New Castle. four miles from Auburns
Did YOU not audit and allow an Attor,
ney's fee of tour hundred dollars for eiqht
days services at MarysviIle, in order to pre-.
vent citizens getting titles to their lands?
which lands, in many instances. the people
claiming patents for have long been settled
upon.
Have you not recently audited and allow.
cd the District Attorney Of Placer county, in
addition to his salary Of 50 800 per annum,
a bill of $3.50 for going to Sacramento for a
witness, in the matter Of the assessment of
the Pacific Railroadl
Did no: you and the Board award the
County Hospital to- a physicion, compara'
lively unknown 10 our people, at eighteen
hundred dollars per annum, in preference to
the bid of gentleman we'll known as one
having the necessary skill, responsibility and
long experience in the management Of hos,
pitfalls. a0ho proposed to take ii for eleven hun.
dred dollarsy
Did you not allow the Deputy State Sur,
veyor $50 per day, in running the County
line; and was he not perfectly competent to
perform the duty; and if so, was it necessary
to have yourself appointed to oversee the
work, at five dollars per day and your board
paid, while Messrs. Miller and Palmer had but
two dollars per day and board. Were their
services not more valuable and necessary
than yours?
And finally, where do YOU find the law