New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-12-19
CONTINGENT EXPENSES.
RepOrt Of the Exnerts.

The Eighth District Court appointed
William Baker and S. c. Snethen auditors
and experts to investigate and report upor
the vouchers already approved and certi
fled, and upon which the Warrant Clerk OF
the House of Representatives issued war
rants for mileage and per diem and contin
gent expenses Of the General Assembly for
the year 1871, with the view of ascertaining
which vouchers are fraudulent.
| The report was made to that court yester-
day, stating that the Warrant Clerk has
issued warrants for mileage, per diem and
contingent expenses for more thOn $7l2, 900,
and there are now outstanding vouchers for
| more than $45, 900 in addition. 1t was not
possible to examine fully the books and ac-
| counts for an expenditure of more than
| $3.50, 900 between the hours of ten and four
in one day.
Hon. p. Jones Yorke, chairman of the
Committee on Contingent Expenses of the
| House Of Representatives, declined to ex-
| hibit or produce any of the books or ac-
! counts Of the Committee on Contingent
| Expenses without a positive order from
day of May, in compliance with an order
| from said court, Mr.. YOrke exhibited his
books, between the hours of ten and four
| during which time they were examined
but it was utterly impossible during the
hours named to make such an examination
of the accounts as was necessary to enable
the experts to make full and complete
report Mr.. YOrke insisted that the order
of court required the examination of the
| books and accounts to be completed in one
day. Since that time he has refused to
produce or submit for any further examina-
ton the books and accounts of the Com
mittee on Contingent Expenses of the
House of Representatives.
The result Of the investigation is as
follows:
The books have not been properly kept,
and the blOtter-the original book of entry
and the journal do not agree. They both
bear evidence OF having been tampered
with. The journal contains entries to the
amount of Sll .59l more than was found in
the blOtter. Many erasures and alterations
have been found.
That these changes were made after the
adjournment of the Legislature is apparent
from the fact that they were made after the
journal had been posted up and footed. as
the altered footing in the journal proves:
and the alterations in the blotter are of a
more recent date than the original entry,
and IN some cases in a different handwrit-
ing. and in different colored ink.
The expert says that there is little doubt
that many entries have been made after the
court ordered the examination of the books.
This opinion is strengthened by the persist
ent refusal to submit them second time to
the inspection OF the persons appointed by
the court.
The total amount expended by the Com
mittee on Contingent Expenses has not
been ascertained, the principal reason for
which is that the books and accounts Of the
committee during the time Mr.. Devices was
chairman. and also the books and vouchers
of the Warrant Clerk for the same period
were, by order OF the House, delivered to a
committee Of the House. for examination,
which committee employed three experts
for the purpose. While the investigation
was going on the books, etc, were stolen or
spirited away, and nothing more has been
heard of them since. The three experts
were paid. tor their valuable services in
discovering nothing fifty dollars per day
TO: fifteen days, in all $3.50.
The expenditures of the General Assem-
bly, for 1871 as far as they have come to the
knowledge Of Mr.. Baker, are as follows:
House of Representatives. $767,l 1872 IS
Senate. ........................ 1871 .63 50
iotdl.. = 9J8,9b oD
This amount is not the entire expendi-
ture for the session of 1871. for there are
many vouchers in the hands Of different
persons who have not presented them to
the experts for registration. And even the
Warrant Clerk 8 statement is not reliable:
for at the time he made his statement to
the Auditor, he had issued warrants not in
his list.
As to the warrants or vouchers approved
or issued by virtue of certain pretended
resolutions" the experts say that many
have been issued. some of which have been
presented for registration. There are some
for services which could not have been
performed.
The warrants and vouchers which have
been fraudulently issued amount to $55,S3l,
and the vouchers and warrants issued
under the Resolutions referred to above
to the sum of $46.0lO.
Mr.. Mccullough concurs in the report.
but states that he had no opportunity of !
examining Mr.. YOrke's books, the latter |
having said to him that they were out OF |
the city.
Mr.. Mccullough does not consider as |
fraudulent all warrants issued after the ap-
had been exhausted
He called attention to certain vouchers |
and warrants which have been issued and |
paid. There is no evidence of the existence |
Of such committee during the session of
1871, nor any resolution authorizing the
payment of this sum of $909j.
From the report it is shown that there are
known to have been issued warrants tor
contingent expenses to the amount of $751;
1913 "a, or S2iO,6 more than the amount
appropriated for that purpose.
That warrants for large amount have
been issued by the Warrant Clerk and the
on contingent expenses for a pur-
pose expressly forbidden by law.
That in violation of sections 1888 and l5i4
Of the Revised Statutes of 1870 vouchers for
' extra services have been issued to differ
ent officers of the House and Senate to the
amount of nearly $222,O26
The report goes on to say alt is not a
little singular that the warrant clerk should
have issued warrants for extra cOmpens;.-
ton to the amount of $8S76, when the
amount appropriated was but 5000, and the !
question arises, Why did the Warrant Clerk
ssue his warrants for 1886 more than the
authorized :" We may mention
hat these warrants for extra compensation
ire IN addition to a large amount of war
ants issued for "extra mileage" and EEK
ia per diem." whatever that may mean.
Vouchers for a large amount have been
ssued for services which have not been per-
ormed, and they have been issued to mem-
,ers of the House as members of various
for mileage and per diem in
to places that could not have been |
'lsited, the proof of which is. found in the
fficial journal of the House. For example,
ir. IOrke's book shows that on the TWEEN
leth of February the committee issued the
vouchers: Committee and Chari-