New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-03-02
[ooNrINuKD FROM THIRD pAaE.l
believing, as judge sitting here, have

answered.
The Chief Justice: The Chief Justice is of
the opinion that no question can be asked
except it have bearing upon the matters
with the question before the court, but as
the question has been answered. it is useless
to discuss the matter further.
TESTIMONY OF H. PERALTA.
II. Peralta, witness for the prosecution,
was called and duly sworn by the Secretary
Of the Senate.
Examination in chief, by Mr.. Manager
Lowell:
Q. What is your name?
A. Hypolite Peralta.
Q. Were you formerly Auditor of Public
Accounts?
A. Yes, sir.
A. Do you mean since or before the war !
Q. Since the war.
A. From December, 1866, to July 10, 1868.
@. As Auditor, were you custodian Of the
bonds of the State?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Do you remember the issue of four
millions of bonds
A. Yes, sir.
Q. How many of these were issued during
your administration?
A. think it was near twenty-four hun.
dred thousand as near. as | can recollect
@. What time OF the year was that?
A. We began to issue them in February,
1868.
Q. What was the date of the act?
A. The act was passed in May, 1867.
Q. When were those bonds dated, or re-
CURED to be dated?
A. They were required to be dated on
the first of May, 1867.
Q. The first coupon was then due, when
A. On the first of December, 1867.
q. And the second?
A. First of May, 1868.
Q. And the first bonds issued were in
February, 1868.
A. Yes, sir.
Q. What was done with the matured
coupons?
a. They were cut off and destroyed by
fire.
@. Who cnt them off?
A. did. sir, or Mr.. Giffen, as the case
might be, or both together.
Q. Who destroyed them?
A. He did, or I did in the presence Of oar
clerks.
o. Was there any notarial act drawn up
A. No, sir, none whatever, 1t was not re-
quired by law.
Q. Was that the invariable custom tc
burn the bonds.
A. Yes, sir, we never failed to do it.
Q. And the coupons that were partly ma
tured?
A. They were Endorsed on their face what
they were worth; the amount was Endorsed
right across their face in large figures, good
for whatever the amount might be.
Q. You say you issued these in February,
1868. How many did you issue then?
A. We only began to issue.
0. At how many times did you issue?
A. They were issued from that day up to
the time left the Office; sometimes every
day; sometimes once week; sometimes
twice week.
Q. How came you to have the custody of
these bonds?
A. They were placed by Governor Wells
in the Louisiana National Bank, and
whenever we had any to issue we
would go and get them and take
them to Governor Wells or Governor Elan
ders for the purpose of getting them signed;
let me see, think it was Governor Wells,
# am not mistaken.
O. You state you were the custodian Of
these bonds; by what authority or law!
A. Under the act creating the four
millions of bonds the Auditor and Treasurer
were custodians of the bonds; think that Is
special clause in the act.
Q. Then you were both custodians?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did you, as Auditor, have the ex-
elusive custody of them,
A. No, sir, not at all, no more than MIR.
Giffen had.
@. Did you at any time?
A. No, sir, they were always de
posted during my time at the Louisiana
National Bank, and were never removed
from there; they were placed there for safe
keeping, and whenever we wanted any
bonds to deliver under the orders of the
Board of Levee Commissioners, then Mr.
Giffen or myself would go there and take the
number of bonds that were needed. They
were never removed from the Louisians
ID in,
as Mr.. Giffen or wanted them.
@. When you went to the bank for the
bonds could you get them yourself without
an order signed by the Treasurer?
A. Yes, sir; but we generally send CLERK
representing both offices; either clerl
from my sofice went with a clerk OF the
treasurer's Office, or utce uersa;
@. But the bank delivered them to yor
personally or to Mr.. Giffen personally?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did you turn over any of these blank
bonds to your successor?
A. No, sir; they were at the bank there
and did not turn any bonds over.
@. You say there were four million blanl
bonds originally, and you issued twenty
four hundred thousand; what became OF the
others?
A. The others were left in the bank; Mr.
Giffen had charge of them after I left thu
Q. Did not the Auditor have charge o
them the same!
A. Yes.
Q. MIR. wickliffe then took your place as
custodian?
A. presume go; they were blank bonds
and the Governor had to sign them first
before we ever noticed them; no record
were made of them at all until after the.
were signed and ready for delivery.
Q. We're any coupons attached to thos
1900 blank bonds, which you left in thu
bank when you left the office?
A. No, sir, not that am aware OF.
Q. What time did you leave the office?
A, l left the Office on the eleventh of July
1868.
Q. How many matured coupons wer'
there then?
A. There was one on the first of Novem
Der, 1867, and on the first of May, 1868, Their
were only two.
o. What would he the number of those
A. Numbers one and two.
Q. Did you cut up and reissue, during
your administration, any warrants issued by
the Legislature of 1852?
A. No, sir.
Q. Were any presented to you?
Q. Would you have cut them up if the,
had been presented?
A. No, sir.
Mr.. Semmes, of counsel for the accused
1 object to the witness giving his oplnlol
about the matter.
The Chief Justice: The counsel objects q
the witness giving his opinion. The Chle
Justice decides that the opinion OF Wltnesse
in these matters is not evidence, ne Cal
state facts.
Mr.. Manager Lowell: This is an officia