The Grange advance., 1874-09-09

G. Settled with all of the lumbermen
@. Were there not some other tronsac-
tions Of the same character that came to
your notice that you can now give the par.
ticulars of, other than those you have stat
that cannot call to mind at present.
CORRESPONDENCE WITH '1LRArH.
The law relating to the sale Of pine
stumpage, as stated by Mr.. McIlrath,
is, $50 far as he attempts to give it,
substantially correct, but it will be seen
that there is startling contrast be.
tween his statement Of the manner in
which the stumpage business was trans
acted and that of Mr.. Cover as appears
in his testimony.
Upon rcsuming our labors subsequent
to adjournment, we made another effort
to discover in the Office of State Audi
tor and Land Commissioner a record or
account Of the proceeds Of pine timber
cut by trespassers and settled for by
MIR. Mcllrath or the examiner, his rep
resentative, but without avail. We
were unable to find any such record or
account, as were also the present incum-
bent, Mr.. Whitcomb, and his assistants.
Still believing that there must be some
such record somewhere, the committee
directed the chairman to address the
following communication to MIR. Nell.
rath:
Rooxs OF STATE AUDITOR. INvEsT1-1
0AT1NG COMMITTEE, ST. Paul,
June o6th, 1874. }
Hon. Chas. Mc1lrath:
S1R: Our committee being unable to as
certain from the books and papers left by
you in the State Auditors Office when your
term expired, the amount of timber that was
the School, University or other State lands,
and settled for by the parties so cutting, or
the amount received by you in payment or
settlement thereof-respect request you
to furnish us with statement in detail of
the timber so cut by trespassers, and after
wards settled for, and by whom 50 cut, and
showing the amount received for the same
and by whom and when paid.
We expect that while the records and &C.
counts Of the Auditors Office are so defect
i've in form, or irregular, as to render it i'm
possible for us to get this information cor
rectly, you can prepare from your own per-
examination Of those records or accounts.
such statement and furnish US the same a.
requested.
We should, perhaps, add here that before
we close onr labors, We win give you an op-
portunity TO appear before us and make any
verbal explanation that you may desire, but
in the meantime wish you to furnish Us with
this statement, toenable US more readily to
pursue, our investigation.
=. Very respectfully,
Chairman.
To the foregoing Mr.. McIlrath sent
the following reply:
ST.. PAUL. June q, 1874.
Hon. John L. Macdonald, Chairman of Sen
ate Investigating Committee;
SR: Your note of the 26th, requesting
me to furnish your committee with state
ment in detail, showing the timber cut on
school, university. and other State lands by
trespassers, and the amou:t received there
for, Is received.
Such statement would have to be COM
piled from the files Of the State Land Office;
and if, as you state, those files are SO defec-
tive in form or irregular that correct show
ing cannot be made, I certainly would not
undertake to correct or add to them from
memory A*'RSaifat15!}[k RcaaR}ks Mc11RArH. ~
Upon receipt of the foregoing from
Mr.. Mcllrath, the committee again ad-
dressed him as follows: =:
Rooxsor STATE .AgptfoR 1xvBs1,aAzus1
Co1elffFEE,
6r. PAu1, June aoth, 1914. }
Hon. Charles Afollrath
SER: Yours of the 9th inst, in answer
to our letter Of the 26th, is received and
read By the committee with some surprise.
We conclude that you misinterpret our let
ter or perhaps misunderstood its pu1port
and the nature OF the information desired.
What we wish to be understood Is saying.
was, that the accounts. and records in the
State Auditor RS Skoe land by that We wish
70 be understood as including what you term
the State Land Omoe) were 20 detective in
form or irregular, that neither ne, nor y>r,
successor or his deputies, are able to aeoer-3
tain definitely and to our satisfaction. how
much timber has been cut By trssspassrrs
upon school, university, or other State Lands,
and settled for BY you, and the amount paid
therefor, while yoA were State Auditor and
&c QGcio Commissioner o. the 6&aas Land
The aline oln also be said swiAA reference
to the amount received for tho sale Of hayor.
grass growing upon such lAndA Il II r
Pxeeaming that yen VIII he~illing = aids