New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-10-08

| threats, nor trust their batteries. is a
humiliating specimen of the lightning
changes-all for nickel.
THE ALLEGED ISSUE OF ILLEGAL WAR.
RANTS.
Although the Picayune does not frankly
admit in so many words that Governor
Kellogg is exonerated from any charge or
semblance Of charge Of issuing illegal
warrants, yet the records from the courts
which it published yesterday afternoon. in
our judgment. completely yindicates the
Governor from the accusation which he
wished that journal to retract.
The charge complained of is in these
words, which appeared in the Picayune
on Monday:
It may be stated, however, automatically.
that there has been, with his (kellogg's)
consent and approval, very large issue Of
illegal warrants. According to the Attor.
ney Generals assertion in court, the streets
have been flooded with these illegal issues.
The warrants referred to we're those
issued under the general appropriation
act of last session. commonly known as
No. SO. The witness called to the stand
by the Picay1ne testified that he brought
proceedings to enjoin the payment of
these warrants at the special request of
the Governor. The record of the court
cited nowhere shows that any Of these
enjoined warrants had ever been issued
with the consent and approval Of the
Governor. On the contrary. his request
to the Attorney General to take the proper
steps to stop their further issue and the
payment of those air eady out proves him
to have been hostile to the transaction.
The charge is that many illegal warrants
were issued and that Governor Kellogg
gave his consent and approval to such
issue. The evidence shows that he resist.
ed it with all the weight Of his per.
sonal and official influence. And yet
the Picayrne declines to accede
to a polite request to correct a
statement which it's own columns
prove to be errone GUS. If the Governor
had been able to exercise. such influence
over the Auditor as to either cause or pre-.
vent the issue of warrants at will. he
would not have been forced to appeal to
the Superior Court for assistance. And
yet it is notorious that he did make
stout resistance and was finally successful.
The Picayunc correctly states that the
publication Of the facts in the case before
Judge Hawkins. in April. were never
called in question at any time. The rea.
son is. they were correctly stated. and
show at every step in the proceedings that
Governor Kellogg was defending the State
treasury against what he considered I'M
just demands. With what propriety.
then. can he now be arraigned for APP
proving Of and consenting to an arrange
ment which the recorded evidence in the
Superior District Court, and the testimony
of Colonel Field, shows conclusively he
resisted with success.
The fault for the issue of these illegal
warrants originated in the joint commit.
tee on appropriations at the last session.
There was great lack of financial abil-
ity manifested by that committee. 1t
seems never to have occurred to the
majority Of the members that there We're
any restrictions upon the right Of the
General Assembly to appropriate money. !
A sort Of omnibus bill was prepared. in !
which appropriations required to be made
by the constitution were ingeniously
mixed up with others clearly fraudulent,
and the whole presented to the Governor
for his approval. He was thus placed in
! dilemma: he must either disapproye
the whole bill, and thus stop the business
Of administering the State government, or
approve the whole and resort to other
means to exclude the bad. His decision
was made, and we think wisely. and he
has done nothing since to sustain the
charge that he gave his approval and
consent to the issue of illegal warrants.
We understood at the tine the proceed
rigs were had in the Superior District
Court that they were instituted for the
guidance and protection of the Auditor
md Treasurer in their resistance to lille cal
'laims as we'll as to protect the State
reasury. and it was our understanding
hat the resistance of those officers to tie
APPLICATION Of the Attorney General WIS
aere!y nominal and pro lorna. However
hat may be. and however the variants
rere pu. in circulation, the Governo.
sounded the alarm TO the visi.
ant Attorney General. who lost 10 time
u bringing Che case before Judge Haw.
sns. whe:e it received a guietus. |
4 RACE CONTEST.