The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-05-08
Petty Legislative Robberies.
"A Glimpse at Some Of the
Antics Of Kellogg's
RefOrmers.
Honest Auditor Clinton.

Near the closing Of the Kellogg Legisla-
fure a committee of three was appointed to
Investigate the accounts of the Committee
on Contingent Expenses for the extra SEES
sion OF 1872 and the regular session of 1873,
Of which the following gentlemen were APP
pointed X. +. Guichard, chairman; George
Washington and John Gair The object OF
the committee was to find ont how many
vouchers were issued, and TO those who
were legally entitled to pay The commit
tee at once set to work, and discovered that
gross frauds had been perpetrated.
Mr. Mathews, who was chairman of the
Committee of Contingent Expenses, did not
take any notice Of the communication sent
to him from the Investigating Committee,
and would not allow them to see his books.
They then sent to Mr. Demas. the chairman
Of the Committee on Outstanding Vouchers,
and this gentleman also refused to permit
them to examine the books of his committee.
rs did Mr. Lowell of his accounts as Speak
er. The Investigating Committee then
sought the Auditor and were allowed to
investigate his records, which exhibited the
for the extra session Of 1872 and regular of
1873
Among the vouchers which the committee
deemed fraudulent were some of those
issued to J. l.. Thompson, who was only
clerk on the Committee of Ways and Means,
and who was only entitled to seven dollars
a day az such. Mr. Thompson is Lowell's
private broker, and consequently petted by
that distinguished gentleman.
The first on the list Of vouchers issued is
No. 10, for Sl96, as clerk of Ways and Means;
No. 141, for gas bill, $50; No. 100, to be
drawn from the Contingent Fund, and not
stating why he was entitled to any pay,
SIS; No. 223, Contingent Fund, $500; No.
219, for the extra session, Twenty eight
days. $500; No. 800, extra session, $3.50;
No. 2l8, extra session, $3.50; No. IA, which en-
titles him to $500, the 30 per cent added, which
has been decided as unconstitutional, was
paid; No. 49, contingent expenses $3.50,
No. 221, contingent expenses $273; No. III,
contingent expenses, SOB. Now the whole
amount this gentlemen was entitled to was
e6l6, for the entire session, as clerk; but he
received, according to the books of the In
vestigating Committee, $2997 50-for what,
this committee has been unable to deter
mine.
Another on the list is Geo. Z. Beans, clerk
to the Sergeant alarms, who was entitled
to 81 day for twenty-eight days the num-
bers of the vouchers he held was one for
5000, besides his regular salary of $546
Whenever zone Of the ring" wished to
make out voucher for his benefit fcti-
tiOus name was used to consummate the
plan. But to enumerate all these it would be
. waste Of space. Among them is d. George
who was Sergeant-at-Arms during the
extra session of 1872. This individual, who
was one of the ring, received voucher No.
US, as Sergeant Arms, $40; No. 277, $140;
Nos. 26s, 400 ZIG, in the name of d. George,
$725; 279, $l4O.
Now it must be remembered that a large
number of persons received pay tor services
never rendered, and although in small
amounts of $50 and 500, they count up and
add to the State debt. Among these Jack
Kcnnigen, who with at least fifteen others,
received pay as porters, who were rarely
seen at the State House, but received their
vouchers ten days after the House had con-
voned, while those who did actually serve
are now whistling for their money.
The committee, with these glaring facts,
and with the positive evidence that vouch
.ers had been issued after the adjournment of
the House, attempted to make a report.
The report was handed to Mr. Mathews, as
Speaker pro tenn, but did not suit him be-
cause it implicated him in these frauds. Ac-
cording to our informant, he then went to
member of the Committee of Investigation
and offered him $1,000 to sign his name to
the report, which he, Mathews, had pre-
pared.
The clerk of the committee now holds
the books which were used in the nvestiga
tion. and he asserts that the report which
he wrote out-as the report of the Inves-
tgating Committee-,ras nerer published.
and the one that now appears in the journal
u false.
1t is needless to go any further, at the
present, in this article, TO expose the manner
m which this Committee on Contingent Ex-
penses manipulated the investigating com
nnittee SHffce it to say that the gentleman
who signed the report as emanatng from
She Committee on Investigation, did not re-
oeived the $1,000 promised him by Mr..
Mathews.
Now, it is evident that Mr.. Clinton must
have known these facts, for it is his duty to
ascertain the exact number of members and ,
employees. The number of employees is lin
tied. and it was Mr. Lowells duty to send in
the list of those entitled to pay. We could
cite hundreds, who are known to /" friends
of the party" who received vouchers for L,
simply "wire-pulling purposes" porters /.