New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-07-23

with full knowledge of their nature.
mention this only as one of many sinilay
points might refer to.
do not for a moment doubt that your
ffforts against Mr. Clinton have been di.
rected with equal honesty and earnestness,
bu, feel sure the public would be glad to
see all guilty parties prosecuted.
Permit ne in this connection TO call your
attention to one other matter which have
hitherto omitted to mention. l do not
think che interests OF the State in any
point of view demand the prosecution of
the information which you have recently
filed against the Auditor, looking to com
pelling him to issue warrants. think the
indiscrminate issuN Of warrants upop an.
prop1iatiOns made when there is no money
in the treasury to meet them would be in
cOntraventiOn of recently adopted amend
ments to the constitution, and would again
inaugurate the old warrant brokerage sys.
tenn which has been of so much injury to
the State in times past. l am quite sure
you can have no desire to take any step
likely to bring about this result.
Very respectfully.
WILLIAM P. KELLOGG.
The following is the letter of the Attorney
General TO which the Governor refers:
ATrORyay 6sSKRA1's Or7Ics,
State of Louisiana,
New Orleans. July 20, 1875.
To His Exce,iensy, W. P. Kellogg:
SRI have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt Of yoIr communication Of the nine :
tho experts appointed by you to examine
into the condition OF the offices of the
Auditor and Treasurer. The appointment
was made under the provisions of an
act of the Legislature Of 1871, being
act No. a, section eighty nine, and reads as
follows: ''And it shall be the duty of tho
Governor, at least once in every three
months, or oftener. if in his opinion the
public interest require it, to appoint some
competent and Trustworthy accountant of
tho highest ability and skill. who shall im-
mediately, without previous notice or init
nation OF such intended examination and
inspection. proceed to make thorough exam
ination of all books, vouchers, ETC., of the
Auditor and Treasurer's Offices" This is
the portion of section eighty nine Of the act
referred to under which you derived author
ity to cause this examination to be made:
and the latter portion of the Same section
provides: ''And the accountant so ap-
pointed. performing the duties herein
required, shall be paid by the Governor
ou: of his contingent fund: provided
the time occupied on such examination
shall not exceed twenty days" The object,
l presume, in inclosing this report, anu
specially calling my attention to it, was to
impress upon me the particular views of the
experts in regard to the innocence OF the
Auditor of Public Accounts, and his freedom
from any corrupt motive in the administra-
ton Of his office. and from the tone of your
communication you fully indorse the views
expressed by them in their report to you.
While do not arraign the motives of the
gentlemen who made this report, and fully
accord to them the high character you
claim for them in this community, vet do
deny that all they have stated will be &C.
cepted as facts. and not to- be controlled
and overruled by the admitted and sworn
testimony in the case.
Why tnis report should have been kept
back from publication until two days be.
fore the Clinton trial in the Superior Grim.
inal Court, or why it should have been
published at all at times and in fragments,
is question, no doubt, you can satisfac.
torily answer.
Again, Governor, if you adopt the theory
of the report Of the experts, that the Au-
ditor has not been guilty Of anv wrongful
and 1 can understand your letter in no
other light, so far from urging another trial
you should, as the executive, bound under
the constitution to see that the laws are
faithfully executed. promptly demand of
me the dismissal of the case against him.
Believing. as you undoubtedly DO, in his
innocence, you could not carry out any con
viction against him. or execute the sentence
Of the court.
In common with yourself, deplore the
failure of the jury who tried one of the
cases to agree on a verdict, particularly
after SO much time had been occupied in
the investigation. It was no fault of mine.
The trial, believe. was fair aud impair
tial one, in which the defendant had a full
opportunity Of vindicating his innocence
before an impartial jury, chosen BY himSelf.
In the prosecution Of the case, whatever
may be the opinion of the friends of the
Auditor, I was actuated by no spirit of re-
venge OF bad feeling, because had no
grounds TO entertain any hostility or ill will
toward him. As to another trial at this
term Of the court, I regret to state that it
10 impossible. My time has been 20 con-
stantly employed in the discharge of my
official duties for the last six months that
am physically unable to perform the labor
that would be required Of me in another
trial.
assure you, sir, nothing would afford
me greater pleasure than to comply with
any demands upon me by you, in this as
we'll as in all other cases, in regard to the
performance of an official duty.
In answer to the latter part Of your letter,
calling my attention to other grave charges
against other officials, rest assured. Gov
srnor, have them under investigation, and
I shall proceed with all convenient speed to
place them promptly before the courts.
whenever sufficient testimony shall! warrant
me in doing so.
With high respect. remain your ODE.
dent servant, A. P. FIELD.
Attorney General.