New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-07-30
The ATTORNEY GENERAL AND THE
AUDITOR.
Mere Cofrsspanaence.

Mere Cefrsspsndence.
Attorney General Field being still en-
gagged in bis investigations, found himsel
without some information which should b.
| in the possession Of Auditor Clinton, ant
accordingly addressed the following note Il
him Wednesday:
ATfORNly 6RNEhAL's OFyICa !
State of Louisiana
New Orleans, Juls 20, 1875.
Hon. ChafIes Ciiato Auditor Of Public Accounts
SIR desire you to furnish me copies o.
the vouchers upon which warrants were
paid to General Street, per Wills, tor mill
tary services in the fall of 1874 and winter
of 1875, as this matter is under investigs
ton by me. and il Is necessary that
should be furnished with these copies.
Your obe~iient servant,
A. p FIELD. Attorney General.
Colonel Field was much surprised yester-
day in receiving this reply:
STATE OF LOUISIANA, }
Auditors Office.
New Orleans, July 20, 1876.
Hon. a. r. Field. Attorney General:
SIR-In reply to your letter of yesterday.
wherein you desire 70 be furnished copies
of the vouchers upon which warrants were
military services in the fall Of 1874 and
winter of 1873, have the honor to inform
you that the vouchers referred to are not on
file in this office.
The warrants issued thereon in pursuance
to an order of the Superior District Court,
No. 25,93!, having been returned some time
since, on demand made in consequence Of
decision by the Supreme Court affecting
the validity OF the appropriation under
yv,s sah h0v ho6 hASy hox
been properly cancelled, and 60 appear on
the records Of this Office.
notice on more careful reading of
your letter of the twenty-seventh that you
cay, Under the law. / demand of you,
ETC." l know Of no law requiring me to
furnish you vouchers, or other files of my
office, except in cases where the papers
relate to some matter which is a subject of
legal investigation, any more than to any
other officer of the State government.
] am quite willing to furnish you any
proper or legitimate information contained
in my Office when. in my judgment. it is re-
quired for the public good; but the zeal
you have lately manifested in joining in
with ring Of known rascals and in using
your official position TO thwart the over
throw of these men frcm their continuous
piunder of the State treasury, convinces me
that you are not actuated by right motives.
CHARLES CLINTON, Auditor.
For the instruction of the Auditor Colonel
Field then indited the following:
STATE OF LOUISIANA
Attorney Generals Office
New Orleans, July 20, 1875. }
Bon. Charles Clifton, Auditor Of Public Accounts:
SIR am in receipt of your answer to
my note Of yesterday, calling npon you for
<,e x,hs snh l.
issued warrants to certain parties for mill
tary 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 re-
spectful Language, that it would have ex-
cited your anger and betrayed you into ex-
pressions more fitting to the braggadocio
ard biackguard than the refinement and
Of your high position. made the demand
upon yOn under section 1872, page forty
three, of Rays Revised Statutes, and 1 did
not suppose until now that you were fgnOr-
ant of the law under which l made the
call. will insert the section. that you may
impress it upon your mind, if you have no
law book from which to read it:
''SEc. 1872 He 1.-THE Auditory shall pre-
serve in his office all accounts, cOucLers and
any person interested therein, who may re-
quire the same, copies thereof duly authen-
ticated by his official SEAL"
There can be nothing ambiguous about |
this section, and who can be more interested |
than the people, through the Attorney Gen |
Bral, to know upon what kind Of vouchers |
money has been drawn from the treasury,
and to recover it, if drawn without author |
ty Of lawl 1t is made your duty to keep !
shese vouchers, and you can not part /
with them, and your refusal to fur
1ish them will not aid you in your war
against me, OF the ''rascals," with whom |
you say am connected, to plunder the |
State. How could they be aided in their
'cheme OF plunder by obtaining copies of
vouchers which are Of no value, and par
icularly when so faithful sen ntine1 as
Iourself is on guards No, sir, this excuse is
90 flimsy TO deceive any one, and think
ho "rascals' Of wnom you speak would |
.reatly despair Of success, when they re-
lect how little they could obtain after your
had left no spOils worth having.
1t ill becomes you, after having go mar
Owly escaped the fate Of all great GRIM
nails, TO accuse me Of completely with
yascals."
l subscribe myself. your obedient SER
ant. A. P. FIELD,
Attorney General.