The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-07-30
MORE CORRESPONDENCE.
The Attorney General to the Audi
tor, and the Auditor to the
Attorney General.
The Attorney General Comes Back
On Wednesday, the Attorney General sent
the following communication to the Auditor !.

New Orleans, July %, 1875.
Hon. Chas. Clinton, Auditor Of Public Accounts
Sri desire you to furnish me copies OF
the vouchers upon which warrants were paid
to Gen. Street. per Wills, for military services
in the fall of 1874 and winter of 1875, as this
matter is under investigation by me, and it is
| necessary that 1 should be furnished with
these copies. Your obedient servant, -.
A. P. FIELD, Attorney General.
In reply the Auditor sent the following:
STATE OF LOUISIANA, AUDITORS OFFICE,
New Orleans, July 20, 1875.
Hon. A. P. Field, Attorney General:
Sr-In reply to your letter of yesterday,
wherein you desire to be furnished "copies CT
the vouchers upon which warrants were issued
to Gen. Street per Wills for military service,
in the fall OF 1874, and winter of1S75," have
the honor to mfr you that the vouchers re-
ferred to are not on file in this Office
The warrants issued theron 10 pursuance to
an order of the Superior District Court, No.
Is, 93l, having been returned some time since
on demand made in consequence of de-
cision 10y the Supreme Court affecting the
validity of the appropriation under which
they had been issued. They have been prop
erly Cancelled, and SO appear on the records
of this Office. l notice, on q more careful
reading of your letter of the 9th, that you
say: "Under the law demand of you," etc.
know of no law requiring me to furnish
you vouchers or other files of my Office except
In cases when the papers relate to some mat
ter which is q subject of legal investigation
any more than to any other officer of the State
Government.
l am qaite willing to furnish you any prop
er or legitimate information contained in my
Office when in my judgment it is required for
the public good.
But the zeal you have lately manifested in
joining in with ring Of known rasc as and
IN using your official position to thwart the
overthrow of these men fro m their continuous
piunder of State Treasury, convinces me
that you are not sctuated by right motives.
Very respectfully,
CHAs. CLINTON, Auditor.
Now in answer the Attorney General for
wards document of which the subjoined is
a copy:
STATE OF LOUISIANA,
Attorney Generals Office.
New Orleans, July rs, 1875.
Hon. Chas. Clinton, Auditor Public Accounts:
SIR am in receipt of your answer to my
note of yesterday. calling upon you for copies
of vouchers upon which you had issued war
rants to certain parties for military purposes
in the fall Of 1874 and the winter of 1875, as
that subject was being Investigated by me as
Attorney General.
did not suppose, at the time addressed
you this note, couched as it was in respectful
language that it would have excited your
anger and betrayed you into expressions more
fitting to the braggadocio and bllckguard
than the refinement and courtesy that should
belong to an officer of your high position. I
made the demand upon you under section
1872, page 43, of Rays Revised Statutes, and
did not suppose until now that you were
call will insert the section. that you may
impress it upon your mind, if you have no
law book from which to read it:
.'SEo. 1872. He Uhe Auditory shall preserve
in his Office all accounts, vOuchers aud docu-
ments settled by him, and shall give to any
person interested therein, who may require
the same, copies thereof duly authenticated
by his official seal"
There can be nothing ambiguous about this
section, and who can be more interested tn IN
the people, through the Attorney General to
know upon what kind of vouchers money has
been drawn from the Treasury, and to recover
it if drawn without authority OF law? II is
made your duty to keep these vouch srs, and
you can not part with them, and your refusal
to furnish them will not aid you in your war
against me, or the "rascals" with whom |
you say l am connected to plumber the
State. How could they be. aided in their
scheme of plumber by obtaining copies of
vouchers which are of no value, and particu-
arly when SO faithful sentinel as yourself is |
IN guard? No. sir, this excuse is too fimsy
% deceive any one, and think the "rascals''
If whom you speak would greatly despair of
uccess, when they reflect how little they
could obtain after your "rascals" had left no
'poils worth having.
1t i'll becomes you, after having so mar
owly escaped the fate of all great criminals,
O accuse me of completely with "rascals."
Subscribe myself. your obedient servant,
A. P. FIELD, Attorney General