New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-02-27

ity; that a subsequent Legislature author
lied the claimants to sue the State, and tina
sections two and three of the act OF 1871
aud section one of the act OF lo1l, author
lied the payment and provided tie means
Tor the same.
OSCAR +. HUNSAKER,
Chairman.
l.. b. jerks,
H. j. CAMPBELL.
III. Peralta. being duly sworn, says tina
he was State Auditor during the year 1866
that acting under Instructions from thu
then Governor of the State, the claim of B
| We'll was carefully examined and adjusted
and certificates of Indebtedness issued il
favor of said We'll to the amount OF $40,
9s4 80, subject to an appropriation by the
| Legislature that said certificates were
approved by the Governor across thei
face; that lie reported his action to the
General Assembly in January, 1867, as ap
pears by his report of hat year, page 204
TIL amount due said We'll was for goods
imported in the city of Shreveport. the sea,
of government at the time, under a written
contract with the late Henry w. Allen
Governor of the State; that said goods were
not of that kind the payment of which was
prohibited by the constitution of 1861, as
they consisted of medicines, dry goods
cotton cards, shoes. and such other articles
Ia "tAC hNttth w Ii pCopAo VI ~ tJO
He further states that Governor Allen was
fully authorized and empowered, under the
authority of the then Legislature, to enter
into such contracts.
He also states that the goods imported by
said We'll were deposited in the several
State stores, and sold to the people, bring
ing an amount of $4,000 600 into the State
Treasury, as appear by the books on file in
the Auditors office. He also states that the
so, v,o l., &c +In Co-. - md TJn,rca snccinn of
1867, shows that this claim was thoroughly
investigated by the Committee on Claims,
and reported upon favOrably, and passed
the House by a vote of fo%rty-nine yeas to
twenty-three nays, and the Senate by a vote
of seventeen to eight, but failed to become
a law for want of time in the latter body.
He further states that since that time he
never heard anything more ABOUT those
certificates. until he saw in the newspapers
that they had been funded by the board of
liauidators. H. PERALTA.
d." COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY
February 8, 1872. 5
James Graham, Auditor of Public Ac
counts, being duly sworn, says-The in
dorsement of the certificates of Mr..
MaritcRe, who is warrant clerk, is by my
order. The warrant clerk was directed by
me to make out a list of all claims presented
for payment out of that fund. At that time
had no more objections to these certificates
than to others. My objection was to liquid
ating certificates of indebtedness, but was
overrnled by the balance of the board of
~liquidators. and yielded to their decision.
Had no suspicion in regard to the illegality
OF the lain other than that against all
certificates of Indebtedness.
At the time these certificates were pre-
sented had no suspicion that the validity
OF these certificates was impeached. The
only Auditors report l found in my office
was that of my immediate predecessor,
Wicklife. 1t is not usual for the Governor
to approve %certific ties of indebtedness, but
his approval would be calculated to inspire
Governor Wells approved
these certificates. / can not say that there
were other certificates approved by the
I know of no Law that directs
the Governor 10 approve certificates. Such
approval would he regarded as inspiring
confidence at the time: these GER
were registered in my office. Twas
not aware that any appropriation had been
asked for from the Legislature to pay them,
Or any objection had ever been made to
their payment.
When the question was raised before the
board of liquidators as to the meaning of
he law. l stated that l thought that mat
to be taken up were as follows: Bonds
)verdue, past due coupons, Auditors war |
ants. State notes, and fifth class of indebt-
certificates of Indebtedness. Those
asst did not think should be l%iquidated: at
10 time during the discussion by the board,
IS to whether certificates should be paid,
any persons refer to these particular
certificates. The board, by public notice,
all claimants to leave their claims
t my office. to he examined, to see that there
vas nothing Objectionable on their face. +
ever considered that the examination and
pprOval Of all claims would fall on me
lone, but upon the entire board. | thought
ii registered claims would have been exam
led by the board of liquidators previous to
ayment. JAMES GRAHAM,
Auditor Public Accounts.
AUDITORS OFFICE,
State of Louisiana,
New Orleans, November 20, 1861
l hereby certify that the State of Louisi-
ma is indebted to Mr.. Benjamin We'll in the
I'm of seven thousand aud forty four dol
rs and seventy-fOur cents, for goods fur
lshcd the State, according to contracts of
une y, 1864, and that the same will be
aid as soon as an appropriation is made by
he Legislature for that purpose.
Given under my hand and seal of office
le day and date above written.
H. PERALTA, Auditor.
Approved. j. MADISON WELLS,
VoNeruOr OF LOUISIANA.
statement of facts respecting the We'll
q fanny claim, and the certificates of
Indebtedness issued for the same.
At the beginning of the administration of
enry Watkins Allen, as Governor of the
Of Louisiana. in January, 1864. all
lat part of Louisiana not lying within the
my lines of the United States was a
enc of general distress. There had been
, market for cotton for more than three
,ars. The ports OF the South being
ockaded, it was nearly impossible to i'm
'rt goods of any kind. All business CON-
with the North and with the
untry east Of the Mississippi was cut off.
lrming implements were worn out. The
Dst and best Of draft animals had been ]
ken for army uses. There was no availa- s
g market tor cotton. Many sections had {;
en- overrun by both armies alternately.
arm houses had been burned, the planta- {
ms deserted, the once smiling fields were ;
own up in brlars and brakes, in parasites
d poisonous vines; a painful melancholy !
over the land, and desolation {
gned supreme" Four-ffths of the in {
bitants were destitute of the commonest !
The stocks OF all merchants were )
IN exhausted, and in some sections the 9
eyed people were perishing for the want l
decent food and a little medicine, t
lich could not be procured at any price. a
e paper OF the confederacy and of the State
instituted the only currency and this was SO =
preciated as to be utterly worthless long Il
fore the close of the war. The distress ,
long the people was general, and Allen =
voted himself at once to its relief. 70 en- II
lie women to make coarse clothing, he dis
bnted fifteen thousand pairs of COMMON s.
cards for carding cotton, and, also, es- r
a cotton card factory, obtaining a Il
'chlne for making cards from Governor Z
seph f. Brown, of Georgia He estab- IL
he'd two distilleries of turpentine, one cas- CT
Oil factory. one foundry for the manufac- II
'e OF cooking utensils, machinery and ag- )
ultural implements, and two laboratories cl