Daily Kennebec journal., 1870-04-01


credits to towns, they fully satisfied and ac-
cordingly Report, that the evidence before them
does not tend to implicate any officer of The State
in any transaction, in connection with enlistme
credits 20 the state, any district or sub district
in the State inconsistent with his official duty.
The Committee have not considered it within the
scope of their duties under the order To inves tgdte
the fraudulent acts of substitute brokers, or agents
to fill the quotas or towns where there ale
CATION Of any know ledge OF completely on the part
of any officer of the State
The testimony of the witnesses examined by the
herewith submitted.
GEo W. woopMAN,
j. Vi. MASON,
j. II. RAMsDELL,
g. F. SuBPLEY,
CHAs. c. SAWYER,
EDMUND WILSON,
Jos EPH II. WILLIAMS,
THO. c. WooDMAN,
WM. ;. DODGE,
WIN. II. CHEsLEY.
This committee is understood to have ad-
vertised its meetings in all the papers Of the
State or nearly so, notifying everybody to
come in and tell their story. They said to
''all persons having knowledge of any facts
connected with the subject of the enquiry
to ''communicate the same to the chairmen or
to appear before the committee"
They examined everybody about the Capital,
the Governor, the AdJutant General, and
everybody else who were supposed to know
anything that could possibly aid them in their
enquiry.
Among the early spirituali>ts who made
these discov cries was the Bangor Jefersoaidn,
paper kept alive for the purpose of doing
the county printing of Penobscot county, and
the viaduct through which was then sluiced
the dirty slanders of the hour. | am now
glad to bear testimony to its manly improve
ment
The committee as matter Of course, in
vited Bartlett to come up and expose the foul
perpetrators of these swindles upon the State.
The two first invitations found him en-
gagged in official duties, for, queer as it may
seem, he was Register of Probate.
The third one caught him on the wing.
Court was not in session. Did he come then!
No, Sir. He sent a statement saying to the
committee. | remember it well, that he knew
nothing only from hearsay, and rumor, that
from these he had published his remarks and
that, if compelled to appear his testimony
would he more ornamental than useful" 50
this pioneer was abandoned.
Another one of the inaugurators and pro-
moters of these eXpositions and Iuqulsltlons
was the Hon. J. W. Porter, now on the Ex-
ecutive Council, then in the House of Rep
re.entatives. He introduced the first propo-
sition in 1865 to investigate. He pushed it
with his usual V igor at that time, with what
result you know. In 1866, at the next inves-
tgation. Senator Porter, for he had then
gone up again, appeared before the Com
mittec. His testimony was something of
a curiosity-so much so that | arranged with
the reporter to furnish some portions of it to
me. Here is one statement which tells
''story of its own"
In reply to a question from Mr.. Wilson
Mr.. Porter said 1.-THE matter of paper credits
came up in great many ways before the last
Legislature (lS65). 1t came up in regard TO
legalizing the action of towns in paying boun-
ties and in various ways. Feeling that there
was something wrong about this matter and
that the government was not getting men,
myself and friend of mine undertook to
make the action of towns in buying paper
credits thereafter null ard void; but so many
towns were engaged in the business that that
was opposed everywhere and by most every
body in the House and Senate" 1t is under
stood that Porters advice has since been linn
tied That is the statement of the gentleman
Who originally moved on the these works, un-
Successfully you may well believe from the
continuance of the bonlhardment.
Upon the testimony then and there taken
the committee made the report which have
read in which they say 1.-THE committee are
unale TO discover any evidence that any
fraud has been committed by the State, or
any Of ats officers, or by any citizen Of the
S[dfe, upon the natlonal government, IN the
matter of enltstments or credits to the State,
during the progress Of the late rebellion"
'That after the fullest investigation they have
been enabled to make into the matter Of en-
listments and credits to towns, they are fully
satisfied and accordingly report that the evil
dence before them does not tend to implicate
any officer Of the State in any transaction, in
connection with enttsfmentS or credits to tho
State, or any district or sub-dlstrict III the
State inconsistent Fifh ms oDe'dt d"ty."
Such is this report OF committee never
equalled in any previous Legislature of Maine
for ability. For thoroughness it seemed im-
possible to surpass it. Upon the testimony
then submitted all the State officials and ali
private individuals are distinctly exculpated
from everything that tended even to implicate
them in misconduct
In the early part of the session the gentle
man from Cherry field called upon the Secre-
tary of State to place the testimony of 1866 in
custody of this House-the honorable Secre-
tary replied that only the Acts and Resolves
having the force of law were filed IN that of
fee. Correct too, to my knowledge This
testimony could not be found. Then came
ND from mo. g." the blarny room of the capi-
tol. the sepulchral cry, ''stoen, stolen" and |
;o;nad in this first crv of returninp reason