The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1872-01-06
The State Warrant Business.
IFrom the n. .. Bee.]

of the State versus Jas. Graham, Auditor,
to investigate and report as to the num-
Der of warrants issued by the Warrant
Clerk of the Legislature for mileage and
per diem, and as to the vouchers upon
which these warrants were issued, the
object Of the investigation being to ascer-
tain whether any of the vouchers or war
rants were fraudulent and the extent
thereof.
The developments made by this report
can scarcely be characterized as start
ling, although they make it to be very
plain that the business of issuing war
rants has not only been very loosely con-
Quoted, but that enormous frauds have
been practiced upon the State by the
parties handling these paper evidences
of Indebtedness after they have been put
in circulation. These frauds only show
how wide door has been opened to
fraud by the practice of issuing these
paper obligations of the State and the
truth of the maxim of John Randolph who
defined the philosophers stone to be
"pat as you 60" If the State paid her
debts in cash these frauds could not have
been committed.
1t appears from the report that the
warrant clerk of the Ganeral Assembly
has issued warrants for the mileage, per
diem and contingent expenses of the last
session of the Legislature (session of
1871 to the amount of seven hundred and
twelve thousand dollars, ($712,OOO and
that there are now outstanding in addi-
tion thereto, vouchers for $45,OOO. But
this does not include the whole of the
session, for these experts report a sum
greatly in excess of that above named.
They declare that the expense of the last
session of the Legislature is in the neigh
borhood of one million Of dollars.
One of the important facts brought to
light by this investigation is that regu-
lar system of forgery has been carried on
by parties dealing in State Warrants,
this forgery consisting i'll the altering of
the figures written by the warrant clerk
to larger sums-in some instances fig
ures representing two thousand being
altered to five thousand dollars. 1t was
found also that the signatures of the
officers of the State engaged in issuing
these warrants, had been placed on a
large number of them by unauthorized
persons, that is to say-the signatures
were forged.
To particularize three warrants is
sued by J. Pinckney Smith, Warrant
Clerk, to Mr.. J. w. Madden, for station
cry, each for two thousand dollars, had
been altered after they left Mr.. Madden's
hands to five thousand dollars each.
Who committed the forgery is unknown,
but the inference must be that it was
done by some speculator in State securi-
ties. The experts say that these three
altered warrants were i'll the hands of
Mr.. Merle, a broker, eaaly in August
last, and that about the middle Of that
month Mr.. Merle commenced suit for
their payment against the Auditor Of the
State. When Mr.. Merle ascertained that
the forgery had been discovered, he
withdrew the warrants from the files of
the court, and has not since presented
them to the Auditor. .-...
to large amount have been issued by
persons not authorized by law. They
warrants amounting to the
sum of $4,000 in excess of appropria-
tions made by the General Assembly.
And in addition to this they find that
vouchers or warrants representing q
sum have been issued for
extra services, being for purpose ex-
pressly forbidden by law. The experts
name the sum of $22 900 us representing
this issue for prohibited purpose.
Another very large leak has been dis
covered in the issue of vouchers to men
bers of fcommittees of the General Assem-
bly, for travelling expenses (mileage)
never incurred. The amount issued for
this particular purpose is not stated.
That there has been most extensive
frauds committed in this business of is
suing and dealing in these vouchers, no
one can doubt after reading this report.
The experts may well say that the loose
and careless manner in which warrants
were issued by the warrant clerk, fur
nished the largest opportunity for fraud
with scarcely possibility of detection.
Some warrants are numbered and some
are not, while many numbers are dupli-
Gated. An examination showed that'olt
Of 1913 warrants issued by the clerk 80
have no numbers and 10 numbers were
duplicated. These careless and unbusi-
ness like practices are well calculated to
Tempt dishonest and inscriptions per-
SONS to take advantage of them, to the
injury of either the State Treasury, or of
innocent holders of these State obliga-
ions, false or genuine
We find In this report also statement
If the expenses of the Legislature of 1871
IS far as known. 1t sums up nine hum
lred and sixty thousand dollars,
1850, ,000) and the experts say there are
and warrants in circulation
which they have not been able to see.
In former time the yearly expenses OF
he General Assembly were about sixty
housand dollars 1850, ,OO0.)
We thus learn at what q cost to the
,eople our law givers meet to give a
pretended legalization to schemes con-
,oeted for the robbery of the people.
III these revelations of Messrs. Baker
ind Snethen do not bring about an i'm |
Mediate reform in this warrant issuing
business, the people will be compelled to
'epudIate every description of State in
iebtedness, whether they will or no.
JUDICIAL ADVERTIsING.--In q recent
with Speaker Carter, Of /
he House of Representatives, this gem
leman stated to q friend Of this paper
hat the parish officers, attorneys, liti-
.ants and others might designate any