The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1869-10-08
Soldiers, orphan Schools.

Col. M'FARLAND having taken the
stump for his friend Governor Geary,
we have concluded to publish his testi.
mony, as taken before the Senate Com.
mittee last spring, showing conclusive
ly that he has a pecuniary interest In
the M'Allistervile School, contrary to
the Act Of assembly.
Col, Geo. +. NJ Farland, recalled.
Direct examination by Il. N, Hall late
Radical speaker of the Senate counsel JorRQf
Walker.
@. Do you own the M'Allisterville
School?
A. purchased the M'Allisterville
school in 1853. and continued it as an
academy until the breaking out of the
war, and until enlisted my boys and
took them to the army; when / re-
turned, wounded, 1 re- opened the school
as an academy; DR.. Burrowes prevailed
upon me to take soldiers orphans l
took them and conducted that school
until was appointed to take charge of
the orphan schools of the State, in
| April, 1867. When Governor Geary
called me and told me he intended ap-
pointing me Superintendent Of Soldiers
Orphans, / told him owned this school,
and that / would not sacrifice it, but
while owning it would conduct it so
that should not take one dollar from
that institution in any shape or form
that every dollar that should accrue
from it in any way should go towards
completing the building then commenc.
ed; with that understanding told him
l would accept the appointment with
out it L could not; salary of one thou.
sand eight hundred dollars was no in
ducement to make any one sacrifice
that investment; 1 own it yet, simply
because 1 can find no one willing to
buy it. In filling this position, claim
never to have shown particle of favor
in any shape or form to that institution
and am willing to have the matter in.
vestigated at any day.
Q. You are aware of the provisions
of the law of March q, which prohibits
the Superintendent from having any
interest in any school?
A. Yes, sir and claim not to have
any interest in this, in the meaning Of
the law.
Cross examination
@. You own the building?
A. Yes, sir; l have no interest in the
school beyond that which can clear
ly show is interest on the invest
ment. l have the contracts for tn,
school so arranged that the boarding Il
entirely beyond my control, and in thu
hands of other parties.
q. What do you mean when you say
you have no interest?
A. Merely that own the property
and receive compensation which covers
or should cover the interest on my in
vestment.
@. At the time this Orangeville schoo
was disbanded, what was the condition
of theM'Allister school-was it flourish
ing?
A. so considered it.
Q, Did you acquire any advantage
pecuniary or otherwise, by the remOva
of any of these children to the M'Allis
terville school?
. A. acquired no advantage, but, OIL
the contrary, that institution lost very
heavily by the transfer, as 1 can show.
Q. On your oath do you say that the
owning of the eM'Allistervill school hat
no influence directly on your position
in removing the Orangeville school?
A. say it had not, on the contrary
| felt more reluctant to do it because O
that fact, lest it might be construed as
motive; I say that on my oath.
@. Could you not have had as man.
children from other districts through
out the State taken to M'Allisterville
without removing any from the Orange
vile school? ....
A. / could have had children from it
own district even, and put none to |
except those that legitimately belonged
to that district, and were equally dis
tant from their homes there was plen
ty of material in that district, and
now.
@. So that there was no object in you
breaking up this school to swell tn
numbers at the M'Alls'erville school Z
l. a. There could be none, and canno
b see how any one can say that there wa
:. an inducement to do so. had fiv
/. hundred petitions for places in tn
schools.
Redirect.
@. You did not take the five hundre'
: applicants?
: a, put portions of them into othe
r, schools.
: @. Why didn't you take them a?
A. Because we had as many as we de
sired. 1t was determined after consul
= tation with the Governor, to relieve tn
most needy cases, and as these droppe
n in, from different places over the Com
n monwealth, we preferred them to an
r, others.
r, @. The real reason was because tn
+ appropriation was not large enough ?
h A. You are aware, l presume, tina
Ia | NC huNNi tNSis } Stui htNu q uShSi1i III
Legislature has generously voted it.
), Q. If there had been appropriation
enough you would have provided 70
the whole five hundred?
A. presume so.
" q. There was an appropriation for tn
Orangeville school?
= \. cannot say that there was.
Q. Was it not h existence when tn
i. appropriation bill of 1867 was passed.
. A. Yes, sir.
@. Was it not when the next apprC
priation bill passed?
A. Ies, sir.
4 @. Did not the Legislature conside
the Orangeville school then, when tn
year 1867 commenced ?