The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-04-03
TIE GENERAL APPROPRIATION
BILL.

Amid all the hurry burly which has been
created BY the PRONUNCIATION OF Genefa'
Anprorriation bill which has been proven TO
"a forgery and fraud, and in spite of the
cuttle. fish tactics Of certain newspapers 70
conceal the enormity Of ths act and protect
the Auditor and Kellogg, there are few facts
that stand out SO ,minentiy as to arrest
attention ana excite remark. The bill which
finally passed both houses OF tho Kellogg
s,heril Ian Legislature was in due course ci
time signed by Antoine, the Lieutenant Gov
ernor and President Of the Senate. and
Hahn, Speaker Of the House, and was then
ct once sent to Kellogg.
That functionary did not sign it Of once
but during the timo he was its legal custodian.
he. in culpable and criminal disregard Of his
duty, permitted Clinton, the Auditor OF inc
State, 1.-THE man who has not only been guilty
Of misappropriating the funds OF the State,
but under oath confessed the same and glo-
ried in it, to take the bill and keep 1t tor
more than day. When it was finally handed
back to Kellogg he, with q marvellous and
altogether incredible guilelessness, affixed his
signature thereto without pcrusing It, and
forwarded i TO the Secretary OF State Tor pro-
mitigation. The bill when promulgated was
at once discovered to be forgery. The
Lieutenant Governor and the Speaker OF the
House at once adore Sed a letter to the Score
sary Of State announcing the fact, and there
was general Consideration and most unusual
hubbuh. The question then arose who com
snitted the forgery and WHO winked a. It.
Kellogg, an expert at crawling through
very small holes, declared with we'll Affected
surprise that he had not even read the bill
after it, return, which is only a little less cen
surabie than having committed the forgery
itself, while Clinton Processes most profound
ignorance Of the whole affair, and declares IT
was all right when he handed it back to koi-
loyg-that 81 it came from Kellogg, SO 1t
was returned TO him. So far SO good. but
lot US look at the matter critically.
1t SO happens that most of the very itoDls
struck ont Of the bill were those against which
Clinton expressed disapprobation while the
bill was en- route through the two Houses lit
80 happens that after the bill had been sem. ny
Kellogg to Deslonde That the Secretary of the
Senate, Mr. p. E. Bcchtel. happening into the
the ollice of Secretary Of State saw the bill
there, and upon reading it over discovered
the forseries, and going at once to Kellogg
notified him Of tho fact.
We take it that the fact that Kellogg know
She forgery had been committed before the
PRONUNCIATION Of the bill, and yet took no
steps to prevent tho promul cation or to detain
the bill long enough to make an examination.
makes him responsible for the act.
The Grand Jury we learn has taken or will
aake lively interest in this matter. and we
shall not b surprised to hear that true bills
have been found against certain p"t fumes.
Suppose a true bill be found against Rel
Logs,y upon any grounds Whatever. how would
the case stand2 Why, the judge of the
court, before whom he would be tried, is al
appointce Of his, and the two Jury Commits
sioners who would select the jury to sit upon
his case, are also his nppointees- a condition
Of affairs that is simply shameful, and which
would not be permitted to exist for day in
any other State.
1t is encouraging to learn that in tho extra
session about to be convened by the grace Of
Grant, Wheeler and Kellogg, fusion be
.ween the Raiic,l and Conservatives will
.ake place for the purpose Of impeachinS
Clinton. and possibly of addressing him out
Of Office.